TV Review: The Bridge 1.7, "Destino"

rating: 4

Not to be confused with that time Salvador Dali and Walt Disney collaborated on a short film (yes, seriously), "Destino" also exhibited a curious mix of the lighthearted and the utterly grotesque. From Ray's stroll downtown (especially later when he looks up at Charlotte in a shot that emphasized the space between her legs) to the naked bath salts DJ and, especially for me, Linder's quick reversal on talking to Sara Vega (the abrupt shift from the grandiose "I'm not a messenger, I'm a conduit," to, "Okay. Don't cry," killed me), the episode's first half contrasted well with its second. The Bridge is a very heavy show so when comic moments like these peek through, especially in the same episode as a tense shoot-out, they really shine. "Destino" didn't just provide some laughs amidst the usual fog of dread and despair, however, it also kicked up a few notches its central mystery of who The Bridge Butcher (or The Beast, as he's also known) really is, while moving forward on the subplots of Charlotte's tunnel situation and that of Marco's family. The scene where County Sheriff Manny Stokes is having his braces removed (which should have immediately tipped us off that of course he'd die a horrible death that same day, poor guy) was jarring in the same way many scenes of this series have been in that it was beautifully shot, but left a strange impression. We hadn't seen Stokes in a while, and although he's been clearly characterized as a dopey, kind of creepy, wannabe who probably watched Die Hard a few too many times, his mesmerized stare into a desert landscape hanging in his dentist's office was downright disturbing, though it's difficult to pinpoint why exactly. Though I don't think anyone honestly believed Stokes could be The Butcher, his impaling a coyote at a crime scene and consistent ability to awkwardly pop up at crime scenes he wasn't invited to certainly cast him in a classic red herring light. This was only intensified when Stokes showed up at what turned into the shoot-out scene brandishing a bone saw he found and somewhat aggressively trying to tell Marco about the dentist office epiphany he had regarding the killer. And just when the episode had peaked in its characterization of Stokes as a clingy weirdo/possible suspect €“ boom. Watching Stokes' face get gruesomely and gorily blown off achieved a sense of shock and pseudo-sadism on the part of the director I haven't experienced since the last time I saw a character get shot in the face point blank multiple times (on Sons of Anarchy, another excellent FX crime drama). What was even greater torture than seeing the inside of Stokes' head, however, was €“ ironically €“ not seeing the inside of his head in that we will never know what Stokes' epiphany on the killer was. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this rug being pulled out from under the audience, but ultimately I think I admire it because although it may feel like a cruel tease/slap in the face, it was completely intentional and successful, which is always better than being bored. While the bullet that killed Manny Stokes adamantly confirmed that he is not The Butcher, the man that fired the bullet, Jack Childress, seemingly confirmed that he is, but I'm not buying it. Marco, Hank, and Tom (who felt like more than just an El Paso red shirt for once) apparently believe they've found their man, but I'm with Sonya on this one. She states that Childress is clearly insane and that The Butcher is not, and I'm inclined to believe her. Were The Butcher to turn out to be just another gun-toting, Mexicans-are-extraterrestrial nut-job, it would take a lot of wind out of the sails of his political message and thus suck most of the tension out of the series' primary drive. Though Childress at first glance may look the part, I'm pretty sure it will become apparent that he's merely another pawn. From Steven Linder to Manny Stokes and now to Jack Childress, The Bridge does seem to love tossing red herrings at us, which on a lesser series would probably feel cheap. But this series has more than proven itelf adept at taking familiar tropes and exercising them with masterful efficacy. Linder is fascinating on his own, my favorite character, and an intriguing foil to The Butcher; Stokes was sparingly used and was never an actual candidate; and though Childress isn't The Butcher, I think his clear entrenchment in the fringes of the border controversy will bring us deeper into the truth as opposed to simply prolonging its reveal. The other plots in "Destino" didn't feel nearly as dynamic or tense as the shoot-out, but they're moving forward, which is always a positive. Daniel Frye's s approach to quitting alcohol and drugs has culminated in what may or may not be a lethal seizure. While I love that the depiction of Frye's battle with addiction has been authentic and his decision to quit cold turkey is not without consequences, I'd hate to see him die. Adriana is a solid character, but Frye is infinitely more entertaining, and appears to be the only character aside from Sonya with any insight into The Butcher. In what was probably the least compelling thread of the episode we saw Alma initiate some revenge on Marco for cheating on her with Charlotte by starting an affair with her colleague with a crush. I understand this informs the emotional standing of one of the show's two main leads, but all I took away from this plot in "Destino" was a certainty that Alma will eventually forgive Marco and let him back into their home, and a sadness for Kenneth as his compliance in this small victory of his all but guarantees he'll eventually lose the war for Alma's heart. Speaking of Charlotte, where I once thought she would turn out to be a strong female, she's making increasingly stupid decisions, i.e., Ray. Grief-banging is one thing, but asking him to deal with Graciella? Okay, I could buy that she's scared by the tunnel business and is desperate for some distance, but asking whether she can trust him while he's literally balls-deep? C'mon. I understand, but that doesn't make it any less dumb. Charlotte's not going to be happy when Ray is inevitably killed (which should bring the ATF's involvement to the forefront of the proceedings). Finally, I was so relieved when Steven was revealed to be way more alive than his last appearance would suggest. I have no idea how or why Galvan let Linder go after killing Hector, perhaps because Hector got "distracted" and Galvan sees his death as his own fault rather than Linder's, but I'm curious how Steven's latest mission to save a young Mexican woman which led him right back to Galvan will play out. This feels the most distant and irrelevant plot at present, but that's not necessarily a weak aspect to a mystery series which is only halfway through its first season. If Steven's misadventure dragged the episode down somehow it would be a problem, but for now it was simply an entertaining installment in an ongoing arc which I don't doubt will wind its way back into the fold. "Destino" serves very well as a mid season episode of a mystery series. It moved all plots forward to varying degrees of urgency, but never without entertaining the audience. Whereas weaker series may at this point be stuck in an obvious detour, killing time before diving into its final arc, The Bridge is continuing to demonstrate its greatest strength is consistently showing just enough of its cards to keep viewers hooked without giving its hand away.