The Bridge “Quetzalcoatl” Review (2×12)

“No man can run from his past.”

There’s a sad irony inherent in Linder’s ultimate fate, in the fact that he winds up being shot in the chest by the very man he sets out to kill. In hindsight, we realize that Linder’s the one who can’t run from his past, who can’t break free of the world he lives in, and he’s essentially running toward his past when he breaks into a literal run in that alley. It’s a bit premature to say that he’s a hundred percent dead, but it certainly seems like the writers have reached their ending point with his storyline.

If it truly is the end of his storyline, the situation becomes even more somber because we know that he’ll leave Eva behind. Eva, the person who, in this episode, imagines a future for her and Linder in which they’re free of the restrictions their current environment imposes upon them, in which the ugly history surrounding the Juarez cops is pushed aside under a cover of closure. We know that all Linder had to do was say yes, and he’d be on his way out of there by now; however, because he can’t give up on his quest for revenge, because he can’t let go of his past, he winds up suffering the consequences of pursuing violence.

And, as I’ve said countless times throughout the season, this is an environment of violence, of the quickest weapons being the most effective forms of silencing and controlling. We see it with the Marina Colonel’s team shooting into what turns out to be a Galvan decoy car, and we see it at the end of the episode when Robles pulls out the gun and fires. The paperweight held by Linder is useless when put up against a gun, and his belief that he could kill with that paperweight is quenched by the surprise of a bullet. It’s sad to watch, but the simple truth is that because Fausto’s been around violence his whole life, he has the smarts to avoid it–to a point, of course–if he wants. Linder’s always felt like an outsider, and he may very well die one.

Elsewhere in the episode, we don’t get much of Sonya vs. Eleanor–aside from the former finding addresses from the latter’s ledger–but we do get interesting conversations bookending the episode: Eleanor and Monte, then Hank and Sonya. I’d like to zero in on that Hank/Sonya conversation, which pretty nicely sums up a major theme of the series: corruption, specifically corruption within the Central Intelligence Agency but in general, corruption of society. Sonya says that this is all “dirty”, and Hank later responds with “It doesn’t feel right. It’s on us, somehow.” When Sonya asks who he’s referring to–she guesses cops at first–Hank answers with “No. Americans.” We’re now getting into the wider scope of the show, the exploration of the border politics on the El Paso-Juarez border, and Hank’s observation hints at a larger trend, a larger relationship. The show essentially tells us that the events we’re seeing play out continue to do so as we zoom out on the border, and the questions surrounding the situation are more vast than we can grapple with at one time.

What people in this show know, though, is that business keeps on rolling. Violence keeps on occurring. Robles going to jail isn’t going to upset the balance of the scale. Neither is Eleanor going to jail. The world gives, then takes, and things may not change as much as they seem to.

GRADE: B+

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-I really like seeing Sonya, Hank, Frye, and Adriana all collaborating on something, even if they may not be on the friendliest of terms. We’ve seen so many disparate storylines throughout the series, so it’s nice that we get some crossover at times.

-I feel bad for that fish.

– There is no fascistcop.com.

-There’s one more episode left in the season, and since the ratings aren’t particularly good–FX renewing Tyrant probably doesn’t bode too well for this show–it might very well be the final episode of the series. I hope they go out with a bang (promo looks fantastic) if it is, but ultimately, I hope the show gets to go out on its own terms. It’s improved this year, and I want to see more.

Photo credit: FX, The Bridge

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