Under the Bridge

When I heard about this show I was very intrigued. I was the same age as Reena and growing up in Victoria at the same time. I have connections to this story that I don't want to make public but to say the least I was very interest in how this story would come to be on the screen. It's that time honored tradition of be careful when something is "based" on a true story.

Fair warning I couldn't finish the second episode because everything around the murder is heighted for television drama. When your main character is the author of a book about the crime written after the fact but somehow the show puts her there as the murder is going on is beyond me. All this does it take the focus of the real victim Reena Virk.

Not to mention in the real world Victoria is the 12th largest city in Canada and not some rural run town poor town like in the show. I had to laugh because the real Craigflower bridge is right by the Old Island Highway and one of the busiest intersections in the city and not surrounded by nothing like the show. When in reality this all went down in such a high traffic area is more shocking than this show where the population of 200 live miles from everyone and everywhere.

We owe it to the memory of Reena Virk to remember her story and the tragic details and not some fantasy made up to celebrate a writer with a tangential connection to the murder. From what I've seen from these first two episodes the show is more interested in the murders (truly awful people that got away way to lightly if you read the truth and not watch this show) than the victim herself. More interested in creating false narratives that work for TV but have nothing to do with real life.

Victoria and the family of Reena Virk deserve better, the scum involved in the actual crime deserve worse.

I have been a resident of Victoria BC for about 35 years and this is one of two stories that will always upset me when I think about it, the other being the disappearance of Michael Dunahee.

I was only 9 when Reena was murdered but to this day I remember the news coverage and the overall shock felt throughout Victoria was absolutely heartbreaking, for me personally I remember how upset I was at the thought of how scared Reena was and what she went through physically before she died. Those feelings have never gone away to this day and I bet they never will.

The ripple effect it had on those in Victoria regardless if they knew Reena Virk or not was absolutely indescribable. As I'm sure you know by watching this series, hearing about the story beforehand or from living in or close to Victoria, the way Reena was murdered was absolutely horrific to say the very least. I don't even want to compare this to an animalistic act because even wild animals would have more compassion than what was shown to Reena that horrific and unforgettable night.

Its interesting how someone's story can stick with you for your entire life even if you didn't know the victim or their family before or after the crime against them took place. My heart still and always will go out to Reena, The Virk family as well as her friends. I'll never fully know what they went through and what Reena's family and friends will always go through. Those that commited this disgusting crime will never receive the justice they TRULY deserve. I think Reena's story and the story of every murder victim should be a reminder that our justice system needs A LOT of work. Reena, her family and her friends has and always will be in my heart, especially while I drive over the bridge where this crime took place. I'm grateful Reena's story is being told in a way that many outside of Victoria can learn about it because Reena's story NEEDS to be told, so thank you to those that did this show to the best of their ability. Thus far it did have some points that didn't completely express the way this crime effected so many people, but I feel it has done well so far.

Rest In Peace Reena Virk, March 10, 1983 - November 14, 1997.

The show should have been predominantly about Reena. Sometimes it felt like she was an afterthought and that it was "the Rebecca Godfrey show". Like it was more about Rebecca's trauma than the Virks's. As a resident of Victoria for over 35 years, this crime has stuck with me, so my one criticism is that it didn't focus on Reens enough.

That said, the acting is superb and the portrayals of Warren and Kelly are spot on, Kelly in particular. There has never been any warmth behind the eyes of Ellard. She is a psychopath and any native Victorian knows this. Make no mistake, that woman is a monster and has manipulated the Canadian justice system as much as possible. Read up on it if you're not in the know.

At the end of the day it captures what a senseless tragedy this truly is and should be shown to adolescents to understand the depths of racism, bullying and the need for acceptance.

"Under the Bridge" is a tragic story with no happy ending, so the creators make a good decision to cast the series with a potpourri of acting talent to lure us in, and it works. First, Lily Gladstone, a shining star on the heels of her Oscar nomination. Next, Riley Keough who is lucky to have inherited the talented genes of her grandfather Elvis. Then Javon Walton or Ashtray from "Euphoria" who is now all grown up and can really flex his dramatic acting chops, while channeling a young Ryan Philippe. And the show is lucky to have cast Archie Panjabi, a veteran British actress typically in detective roles, but here she plays the role of the mother so delicately. And this is my first time ever seeing Vritika Gupta, so talented as she does a complex portrayal of Reena. Lastly, let's give credit to Izzy G who surprises me at the end.

I started this show for Lily, Riley, and Archie, and while I'm only in episode 4, it's hard for me to want to continue because the content is really hard to watch. The acting is superb. The young actresses as well as the adults are wonderful but the girls' cruelty makes it really challenging. I may continue eventually, because it is well done and I imagine the story will go in great directions. Riley is always so strong and natural. And the Indian parents are heartbreakingly kind and loving. It also feels authentically 90s. Hoping it gets a good viewership for people less triggered by this kind of story because it feels honest and real.