So I watched CBS' 2-hour pilot for The Bridge, the cop drama about rampant corruption in the Toronto police force and the officer who steps up to fight it. The Bridge tried (too hard) to be gritty TV. I imagine it was going for something like The Wire but it didn't quite succeed. Maybe it was because some of the dialogue was just underwhelming. Maybe it was the fact that at one point I felt like there were so many bad cops I was drowning in corruption. It took me a little bit to understand that the lead character, Officer Frank Leo, was supposed to be charismatic. I just didn't get it at first and I love the actor who plays him (Aaron Douglas, Chief Galen Tyrol, Battlestar Galactica). At first I couldn't believe how his entire division (The Bridge division) would just gravitate towards him and appoint him leader. But by the end, I did get it. He became a solid force for good and Douglas did a good job conveying that.
After a very intense opening to the show, for me the pilot went downhill for the rest of the hour there was so much exposition (a necessary evil of pilots, I know). It was in the second hour that things started to pick up again and Frank found himself in a whole world of trouble. His fighting against the system and corruption made him a target. They went after him and his dad, anything was fair game. But the pilot also started to get exhausting around about Hour 2 because one thing happened after another where bad cops did bad things and good cops did bad things they didn't mean to do. At one point I just wanted some peace and quiet. Plus, so many things happened I don't feel the actors were given enough time to react. One of my favorite parts was the tentative business relationship between Frank and the Chief of Police. They do each other favors but they don't trust each other at all. In fact they both are recording their little get togethers for insurance. I like the potential messiness this new "friendship" will inevitably face in the future.
I admit to liking the flirtation going on between Frank and the prosecutor Abby St. James. She ends up representing Frank (for a $5 retainer, what?). I'm curious as to where this not so subtle flirtation will lead. Ona Grauer plays Abby St. James. For me it's great to see her because she played the very first Crossroads Demon on the CW's Supernatural at the end of Season 2. She and Douglas share a nice chemistry for sure. I don't know how long The Bridge will be on Saturday nights since the ratings for the pilot were much less than stellar. But if I'm home on a Saturday night and The Bridge is on, I may watch live. I don't think I would DVR it.
No comments:
Post a Comment