By Randi Locke
“You can get away with a lot more when people don’t take you seriously” That line uttered by Rebecca in Hulu’s “Under the Bridge” captured the fear I felt while watching this show. “Under the Bridge” is a televised retelling of the book published by Rebecca Godfrey in 2005 about the tragic case of fourteen-year-old Indo-Canadian Reena Virk. In 1993 Reena Virk was brutally beaten and murdered under the Craigflower bridge by a group of teenage girls. The show is based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book and the memoir “Reena a Father’s Story” by Reena’s father Manjit Virk. Before I continue with this review, I just want to state that this review is solely focused on the show. This show for me was a cautionary tale for young women of color.
“Under the Bridge” consists of eight episodes. The timeline starts from the day of Reena’s murder and ends after the case concludes. The show follows author Rebecca (portrayed by Riley Keough) and officer Cam Betland (portrayed by Lily Gladstone) as the case unravels. Though she claims she is trying to be objective, Rebecca befriends ringleader Jo (portrayed by Chole Guidry) so she can write about the girls involved. Instead of being non bias, she ends up partying with them and even bails Jo out of jail.
Meanwhile, Cam is trying to prove to her commanding officer, her father, that the crimes against Reena were not just cut and dry. Throughout the first half of the show, we see everyone in the precinct trying to prevent Cam from looking into Jo and Kelly (portrayed by Izzy G). Even going as far as looking into Reena’s false claims of sexual assault against her father Manjit. While we see Cam and Rebecca try to make sense of the case. We see how Reena’s friends Jo, Kelly, and Dusty (portrayed by Aiyana Goodfellow) figure out how to make themselves seem innocent. Leading viewers to wonder how Reena got caught up with these girls in the first place. Thankfully, the show incorporates flashbacks of Reena’s life up to eight months before her death. By incorporating the flashbacks, it reminds the viewer that despite the drama these true crime shows have, at the end of the day, an innocent girl was murdered.
One of the things I admired about the show was the crafting of Reena’s character. The writers could have taken the route of a rebellious teenager, but they handled her story with such care. From Reena hiding her Jehovah’s Witness poster and a framed photo of her name in Sanskrit to explaining to her mom why she wants to shave, she had moments most women could relate to. While this relatability is refreshing it’s also terrifying. As she yelled “Girls like Jo get everything they want” at her mother while defending her choice of friends, it felt familiar. Despite Reena having a loving family and nice things, she was lonely. She was one of the few girls of color in a predominately white town and was ridiculed for her appearance. When I saw the way Reena looked at Jo when she first met her at the drugstore, suddenly it was not hard to understand. Jo became Reena’s savior from loneliness and Reena wanted to have that. Unfortunately, as a teenage girl, Reena failed to understand what Reena’s mother Suman, and Cam knew from experience; white girls get to make and break social rules with little to no consequence.
The show was not afraid to shy away from the topic of race. From Cam hearing microaggressions from her father to Reena’s family being stereotyped as abusive. The show manages to highlight race without stating it outright. From mean girl behavior from Jo and Kelly to the constant microaggressions from the police, the show demonstrated how even though race plays a subtle role, it is prominent. The show went as far as showcasing how race plays a role in outfits. Throughout the show, Reena and Dusty are wearing baggy clothes and muted colors. Although this style was trending in hip hop in the 90s, it opposes Jo and Kelly’s crop tops and short sleeves. When Reena wore her Steve Madden boots, they became a symbol of envy for Jo and Kelly. When Kelly took the shoes from Reena it became a desperate attempt to solidify her place with Jo. We even see the role style plays in Cam and Rebecca. Until the last episode, one could argue that like Rebecca’s perception of the case, her style was very immature. Despite wearing blazers and Michael Kors Jeans Riley still wears crop tops to court. Meanwhile, Cam is in uniform throughout the film. Showcasing her dedication to the badge. Even off duty, she wears neutral colors to blend. The attention to detail throughout the show only made my fear more real.
As I saw Dusty blindly follow Kelly and Jo’s plans for escape, I felt a sense of dread. Due to Dusty’s mental health, her relationship with her family was strained. Allowing her to be convinced to do anything. Despite having similar roles in the group, Jo and Kelly manipulated Dusty because of her lack of support. What scared me the most was how far Jo and Kelly pushed the girls. Especially considering that their issues were something a lot of us faced. Earlier in this review I stated that this show is a cautionary tale, and this is why. If Reena or Dusty had more friends of color and support from their family, things may not have gotten as far as they did. Although Reena’s family finally tried to help, it was not until they noticed her behavior change. If any young women are reading this, I hope you watch this show and learn from it.
