TV Review: ‘The Bridge’ Offers Intriguing Cop Show Alternative

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CHICAGO – CBS found success with the Canadian import “Flashpoint” in 2008 and they’ve opened international trading routes again in an attempt to replicate it with the dark cop drama “The Bridge,” debuting tonight, July 10th, 2010 at 7pm CST. It’s a better show than “Flashpoint” that still suffers from a weak supporting cast and cliched dialogue, but its flaws are not deep enough to dissuade viewers in a season when there’s not a lot of competition.

TV Rating: 3.0/5.0

“The Bridge” is one of those cop shows where the drama within the police department is more of the focus than crime on the street not unlike “The Shield” or “The Wire” (although this show isn’t nearly as sophisticated as either of those modern classics). Internal investigations, power struggles, police unions, corrupt cops — “The Bridge” wants you to care about the men (and women) with the badges more than the people they protect or the bad guys they arrest.

The Bridge
Photo credit: CBS

The show benefits from a strong, charismatic lead named Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas of “Battlestar Galactica”), a guy who has no attachments other than his fellow cops. He is clearly a believer in the concept that the police force is a team of brothers and they should not only take a bullet for each other but protect one another in ways that no one else can. They walk the beat together, drink together, and fight every day for each other. They need each other’s support in more ways than just on a job.

The Bridge Photo credit: CBS

The premiere of “The Bridge” features a few cases — a pickup truck that’s running down homeless people, a group of corrupt cops raiding drug dealers for cash and dope, and an arrest that could get a good cop in trouble — but they’re not really the focus. The arc of the show is the development of Frank Leo from “good cop” to union leader within the force. After a mentor is refused a police funeral, Frank upsets department brass by manipulating them into changing their minds. In the world of “The Bridge,” sticking by your friends can make for some very powerful enemies.

Audiences accustomed to tidy answers and crime resolutions in 44 minutes on shows like “C.S.I.” and “NCIS” will be thrown off a bit by “The Bridge.” The first episode resolves none of its storylines, choosing to focus on character and long-term plotlines instead of standard mysteries. Perhaps the show’s complex structure is the reason that CBS has buried the program on the least-watched night of television but it’s interesting to see something on network television that’s willing to challenge the structure that has been so popular in the last decade.

The premiere of “The Bridge” is far from perfect. Some of the supporting cast is downright awful and the dialogue often sounds pulled from the “Cop Show Cliche Handbook.” There’s also a definite downgrade in production values from what CBS viewers may expect from the network that airs theatrical-looking programs like “CSI: Miami” or “The Mentalist.”

Despite the occasional cliche, Douglas grounds the piece in something that feels genuine, surely assisted by working with executive producer and former Toronto police union head Craig Bromell, and the show certainly takes more creative risks than the generic “Rookie Blue,” this summer’s other new cop show from north of the border. “The Bridge” illustrates that sometimes just having a believable lead can make generic dialogue bearable. Audiences may have difficulty finding “The Bridge,” but those who do could be pleasantly surprised.

Check out a preview clip before setting your DVR for tonight’s premiere:

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com