The Bridge

While in the original TV series Sofia Helin gives an outstanding, sometimes funny, always compelling portrait of a police detective challenged with Asperger syndrome, her US counterpart takes out most of the fun by making her personality quite unbelievable.

The same goes for Demian Bichir. His complex character of the Danish Cop in personal troubles becomes the caricature of Latino clichés similar to the perception the US has about their southern neighbor as a whole.

The crisp design of this former superb Scandinavian TV series turns into a the the kind of blunt, boring, mediocre, dark mash of cop series that swamp TV sets world wide.

If you have the possibility, see the superb original to appreciate what TV can do.

Although it's an acquired taste, any fan of AMC's "The Killing" will quickly pick up on the parallels in this unusual murder mystery. It features two oddly paired police detectives, one from the El Paso police and another from Ciudad Juarez. As in the killing, the female detective is dedicated but personally challenged by an imbalanced personality and a singular drive to follow her leads to the bitter end. Unlike other viewers, I like Diane Kruger in the role and think we're only seeing the beginning of her personality development: I do believe she is an Asperger's sufferer and captures the traits of one afflicted with this quite well. There are many high-functioning and accomplished individuals with these symptoms all around the country, and in many ways, her focus on the details and minutiae of this case will help rather than hinder her along the way.

As her mismatched Mexican partner in the investigation, Demian Bechir possesses all the odd charm of his counterpart in "The Killing," the streetwise and pragmatic Detective Holder.

I've never seen a TV program that focuses on a sensitive border issue or the tragedy of so many murdered girls in Juarez, so I applaud FX for giving us something truly original. "The Killing" is the only thing remotely comparable to it, and I actually like the same type of slow unraveling of a gripping mystery we're being drawn into. I'm so weary of the CSI and Law and Order one-hour quick kill and wrap-up compacted into one hour of predictable procedural. I'll definitely keep watching!

SPOILER: Being intimately familiar with Asperger Syndrome (AS), I think it would be extremely difficult for an actor to play. Kruger did a reasonably good job in the first episode and I think that's actually why some people were turned off by her performance; AS is often characterized by the flat affect that she is exhibiting and it doesn't make for the kind of dynamic character that people are usually drawn to.

This show should spark a lot of discussion and raise awareness of AS. The plot piqued my interest and I'll definitely continue to watch.

(Note to director: Shot of victim's eyes fading into headlights was cool!)

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).

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.