Secrets, lies and reveals were everywhere in this week’s episode of The Bridge.
After last week’s dramatic conclusion, I was expecting a little more of the immediate dramatic fallout from Marco’s murder of the Juarez cops. But he’s already testifying in front of an investigative committee. Marco lies, and says he was the only one present when he shot and killed two Juarez cops in self-defense. He’ll get a commendation for his heroism—something that Marco wants nothing to do with because, of course, it’s a lie. Captain Robles tells him he will graciously accept the award, or everyone will know Sonya was there too. Marco tells Robles that if anything happens to Sonya or to Eva, he’ll take Eva’s deposition to the Attorney General. Instead of turning over Eva’s affidavit, like he promised he would, Marco is using it as an insurance policy. Demian Bichir continues to turn in a phenomenal performance this season. His grief as he investigates, conceals, and deals with a hostile political climate is simultaneously mesmerizing and harrowing to watch.
Jack takes Sonya to the buried body. He knows whose body it is—a girl named Bridget who his brother Jim talked about. Bridget disappeared six months before Sonya’s sister Lisa was killed. Jack claims he never said anything, because he was just a 13 year-old boy; he was scared and confused. Hank attacks him, and Jack reveals that Hank shot Jim Dobbs when he was unarmed.
Sonya, who hasn’t told Hank about her time in Juarez, confronts Hank saying that he robbed her of the answers she needed. She never knew why Jim killed her sister. Hank said he did it to protect Sonya, but that he’s called the DA and is going to confess what he’s done. Sonya likes her world organized and orderly. What she fails to understand is that even if Jim had not been brain damaged, she may never have gotten satisfactory answers as to why Jim attacked and killed her sister. Are there any answers to acts of such depraved violence?
Sonya kicks Jack out, saying she doesn’t want to see him again. “I don’t have room in my life for liars,” she tells him. I’m still wary of Jack. Could he have been complicit in Bridget’s death, and in Lisa’s? And how exactly does Jack know his brother was unarmed when Hank shot him? Was he there?
The two-drinks-a-day system isn’t exactly working for Daniel. The hour kicked off with Daniel getting extraordinarily high with his sponsor Gary, while jamming to Rush. It was really the only moment of levity in the entire episode, as the series continues to go into darker, more dangerous places.
Gary gives Daniel access to the Secretary of State records (see—Daniel wasn’t just getting high, he was working) which leads Adriana and Daniel to the model home complex, and to Ray. Adriana gives Ray her card and tells him they’re investigating cartel money laundering.
Cut to Eleanor meeting with Ray and Charlotte. An agitated Ray wants to know what the benefit is of their names being on the model home complex—what’s in it for them? “You get to live,” Eleanor replies succinctly. And then proceeds to tell Ray and Charlotte about how Fausto Galvan found the man who repeatedly abused a child. Fausto castrated this man, made him live in a cage, and turned this man into a pet. “Do you want to be a pet?” she asks Ray. So now we know who the acorn-loving creature in Fausto’s dungeon is, and we have a little insight as to why Eleanor is so nefarious.
“I will take care of the reporters,” Eleanor says chillingly. Adriana’s girlfriend Lucy is attacked in their apartment. She fights back with her knitting needles, but when Adriana arrives home and finds her, it’s unclear whether Lucy survived.
A despondent Fausto, who dreams of moving to Norway, meets with Marco. Why is David Tate still alive, he wonders? Marco tells him he prefers for David to suffer. But that doesn’t fit with Fausto’s code. He has David killed.
Charlotte, fully recognizing her limited options and how much she is in over her head, is ready to cut a deal with the DEA. “You are going to help me take down Fausto Galvan,” Agent Joe McKenzie tells her.
We’re at the half-way point of the season as all the main characters continue to converge. Now that Lucy has been attacked and Adriana’s life is clearly in danger, will she turn to Marco and Sonya for help? Will Daniel stay sober long enough to uncover the truth? Is there any way all of the main characters survive this season?
Other thoughts on “Lamia”:
•I loved when Daniel told Gary that Adriana was his best friend.
•Glad that Daniel being fired hasn’t stopped Adriana and Daniel from working together. But I do need them to survive the season.
•We haven’t heard about Adriana’s missing sister in a while.
•Cesar likes vampire romance novels.
•“The system does not work.” Very true, Gary, very true.
•Lamia, the title of this episode, is a demon of Greek mythology who devoured children.
What did you think of this week’s episode of The Bridge? Talk about it below.
Amy Amatangelo is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and a regular contributor to Paste. You can follow her on Twitter or her blog.