Calaca —
When a pilot starts off as dark and gripping as witnessed previously, I suppose it’s natural for the adrenaline to level out some. The story picks up where it left off, with Charlotte Millwright discovering a secret room located at the far end of her ranch. It appears to be a very well-built, concrete tunnel leading into Mexico. Shortly after this discovery, a local lawyer shows up at her ranch. He goes on to explain how her now dead husband’s business dealings were less than fruitful for a period of time and it was during that time that a deal was made involving the transport of illegals into the Country, a deal that the man insists is still standing. After a cleverly placed bribe is left at her house, Charlotte, upon finding it, immediately returns to his place of business, angrily dumping the cash onto his desk, promptly leaving.
Newspaper journalist Daniel Frye is briefly questioned to no avail and immediately released. He receives a call instructing him to write down a series of numbers that are GPS coordinates. After he & his coworker drive out to the open desert, they find it’s the location of nine dead bodies. The bodies were all illegals, poisoned by a batch of jugs strategically left out for them. Serial killer Stephen Linder’s presence is limited in screen time, but he has been quite the busy man. He seems to be juggling a series of complex issues as we discover he isn’t just a desert dwelling psychopath, but does in fact, hold a regular job.
- The Bridge
- Created by
Elwood Reid and Meredith Stiehm - Cast
Demian Bichir, Diane Kruger and Annabeth Gish - Release Date
10 July, 2013 - Influx Grade: B+
Sonya and Marco take a trip south of the border looking for evidence, which for the most part doesn’t exist due to the less than honorable actions of the department’s many corrupt officers. Those that don’t take bribes, live and work in fear of the two major cartels that operate in the region. The Mexican department’s Capt. Robles has, as we saw in the pilot, quite the friendly relationship with a cartel boss. When he is questioned by Sonya, he is less than candid and very displeased. He comes down hard on Det. Ruiz, warning him to keep the US out of their business. Sonya seems to be getting more and more peculiar as she visits a bar and immediately propositions a man for sex, all done in that emotionally detached way she has about her. The sex scene was short with Sonya approaching human contact in a way that greatly resembles artificial intelligence. Det. Ruiz also gets some down time, spending an uneventful night at home with his family.
*****
After this episode it will be interesting exactly what direction the show will take. It appears we know most of the players, but after this episode, the real motives of the killer are still shrouded in mystery. One thing is for sure, this seems to have real potential. Making it a welcome midsummer TV series.
Review by Jim Davis, special to Influx Magazine
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