Can we all please take a moment of silence to remember Linder, who was notably absent in an otherwise entertaining episode of The Bridge? How could the writers do this to me? Don’t they know Linder is by far my favorite character? That fact aside, there are some moments in “Old Friends” that keep me on the edge of my seat and the ending gives me a reason to watch next week. However this week’s episode drastically differs from earlier episodes, in that if feels more like a really good extended chase scene of a Law and Order type show. The focus has shifted from cultural differences to "let's catch the killer." We know who committed the crime, we understand some of his reasoning now, and all we need to do is find him (and save Gus).
Oh, poor Gus. At the start of the episode we are relieved to see that he is alive, although we can’t say for how much longer since he is in Tate’s custody. Tate tells Gus about his son, and how things could have been different. Eventually we come to find Gus tied up in a container that is slowing filling with water. We learn that it took 10 minutes for Tate’s son to die after the crash, so obviously Tate is going to prolong Gus’s death (hence the container slowing filling with water). However it is unclear, at least to me, where Gus is. Now this is just a prediction but I have a feeling that Ruiz is going to be able to save his son, or someone will save him. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong but thus far the show has strived to present the strained father-son relationship between Ruiz and Gus. The episode ends with a shot of Gus in the container and we can clearly see Gus doesn’t have much time left since the water is rising so quickly.
Now lets talk about Ruiz, who really goes through a lot this episode. After learning that Tate has his son, Gus, he goes home to check on Alma. It appears that the sparks between the two from the previous episode have been short lived. Ruiz confesses to her why Tate has created this master plan and Alma is not pleased. However, as a viewer I am. Finally a plot hole has been repaired for me. Ruiz was friends with Tate way before Alma, therefore she would have never met him. (Thanks, writers.)
Moving on, Tate has an uncle with Alzheimer's and Det. Ruiz and Det. Cross find out that Tate regularly visits his uncle in the nursing home. It looks like Tate has not cut all ties with his old life. Maybe Tate does have a soft spot that the detectives can use to their advantage. Ruiz and Cross also go to Tate’s uncle’s house to look for clues when Ruiz gets a call from Tate and leaves a very injured Cross without her gun alone at the house. When Ruiz takes her gun I am definitely thinking something bad is going to happen to Cross, but instead she just gets a ride back to the police station (boring).
Personally Det. Cross’s story line just doesn't really do it for me this episode. I just don't think her character is pushed enough. She gets severely hurt in the crash but refuses treatment so she can help with the case. Big whoop.
Ruiz and Tate eventually do meet up and exchange some words in a great scene. I particularly like when Tate says, “Strange feeling for a cop, to be powerless.” I also like when Tate says, “Maybe I’m special” and Ruiz responds “you’re not.” This scene has been ten episodes in the making; finally both men can confront each other. Ruiz also notices Frye in Tate's car.
Yes, Frye has a bit of a roller coaster ride in this episode. I do want to mention that Matthew Lillard has done a phenomenal job portraying Frye this entire season, especially in this episode. Frye falls off the wagon and is drinking again. Adriana finds him and takes him to an AA meeting (what a true friend). However, when Frye takes a smoke break outside Tate snatches him in a very Dexter-like fashion. We learn in this episode that Santi, Jr.’s father bought Tate off with a news paper job so he would not testify. This little nugget of info helps us understand why Tate involved Frye in the first place. It also brings Frye’s storyline into the main overall plot.
A storyline that I’m still trying to understand in the context of the rest of the show is Charlotte's. This episode, though, Charlotte really does some manning up. She and Ray meet Tim (the guy Ray got the guns from) in the desert to confront him about the bugs in the guns Apparently, all three grew up together, but that does not stop Charlotte form shooting Tim point blank multiple times. I’m glad to see she is finally becoming a “strong” character. However, it’s a tough sell for me that her character would progress this quickly. Last episode she killed Garcilla in self defense and now things have escalated quite quickly.
WRAP UP:
Best Det. Sonya Cross Quote: Soyna doesn't have too many good lines this episode but if I have to pick one it'll be when Ruiz says to her, “you're bleeding,” and she responds with, “yes.”
Bad Ass of the Episode: Wow, two weeks in a row; Charlotte takes the cake again. She is turning into a no-nonsense killer. I love it! Shooting childhood friend Tim is something Ray couldn’t even bear to do.
-- WHERE IS LINDER? He better be in the next episode.
-- Will they be able to save Gus?
-- What is Tate going to do with Frye? Is he already dead?
-- How will the rest of the season continue? Will more attention be drawn to the cultural differences or will it continue to be a “catch the killer” situation?
