The Bridge

Matthew Lilliard makes this series worth watching. Not since the character Jeff Spiccoli has there been a more hilarious druggie. Aside from the tons of humor created by Lilliard, the story itself is riveting and gives a close-up look at Mexican cartels and American corruption. The many death scenes are not for the weak-minded, reminding one of Criminal Minds (but not as weird).

I watched the Danish version of the bridge and am a big fan. The premise of the American version HAD me really excited. The fact that they tried to copy exactly the Danish version was a complete disaster. Diane Kruger is horrible in this role. I don't doubt she has talent but they should have allowed for her to play the role in her own way instead of copying an unforgettable role that was already done (and done well).I had a hard time sitting through the 1st episode. Demian Bichir is the only redeeming quality in this show and might be the only reason I continue to watch. The female lead in the Danish version is extremely hard to pull off, so they shouldn't have even tried. I'm seriously saddened since I had high hopes for this show. Did no one watch the reels before putting them out for human consumption? Was there not a test audience?

First of all it's not possible for me to compare this series to its original Danish version because I didn't see it. Most of the time the original versions are better but honestly for this one I don't really care because this show is good enough for me to be well entertained. And I am sure that the Danish/Swedish conflict could not be compared to the American/Mexican conflict. And that's just the point that makes this series highly enjoyable. The whole connection that two different detectives from different countries have is a delight to watch. Diane Kruger (as detective Sonya Cross) puts down a good performance playing her character with Asperger Syndrome. Demian Bichir (as detective Marco Ruiz) is perfect in his role, trying to keep his integrity as much as possible in an environment where corruption rules. The plot has enough twists to keep you intrigued. A good show for those who like crimes and mysteries.

Geez. Most people clearly have no clue what people on the autism spectrum are like. Sonia cross has what is formerly known as aspergers-now it's reclassified as a form of ASD-autism spectrum disorder. As someone who deals with this, I can say that Diane's performance is SPOT on. The first episode may have been a little shaky-but after that it's all good. I also want to point out that further in the series you do see her character get emotional-and I've seen people complain about that, because they claim it's "innacurate". It's not. People on the spectrum are prone to meltdowns and sometimes innapropriate emotional reactions. This can easily happen when it's something that's emotionally connected to them. Diane does a great job with this role.

People seem to be split over "The Bridge" which makes sense for a TV show that probes the dialectic between North and South, white and brown, rich and poor. On the positive side we have an important contemporary topic (the slaughter of young girls in Mexico), some really interesting photography, and a lead character who is struggling with a mental health problem (think "Monk" as another of those rare TV shows that deal with this). Then there is some good acting, from Demian Bichir (he played Castro in "Che" and was nominated for an Oscar for "A Better Life") who plays a Mexican detective, Diana Maria Riva who plays receptionist Kitty, Ted Levine (the serial killer from "Silence of the Lambs") as the haggard Police Lieutenant, and Annabelle Gish (from "The Brotherhood") who plays a widow just learning about her life.

On the negative side, some of the scenes are a little gruesome to say the least, there is a lot of sex which may turn off some viewers (even while it turns on others), and the plot is complex, with multiple story lines that I suspect will ultimately intersect, but which can be burdensome to keep up with at this early stage. And of course, many people find Diane Kruger's Detective Cross a little disconcerting.

Personally I like the discomfort this show brings. I also like not having another one in an endless stream of attractive bouncy policewomen detectives. Co-creators Meredith Stiehm and Elwood Reid gave us another unusual female series star in Kathryn Morris's work in "Cold Case" (2003-2010), and that show was very memorable. So I'm prepared to stick with this one too. I give it an 8, which is probably more than it deserves at this point, but I think it has the potential to develop into a 10.

FWIW - If the multiple story lines confuse you, I suggest you record 3 or more shows before you watch them, and then have a marathon session in which you watch several in a row. This will make the multiple story lines easier to understand.