A quick review of tonight's “The Bridge” coming up just as soon as we're on the same bowling team…
“Ghost of a Flea” turns into an elaborate game of Where's Eleanor?, as it seems that everyone of consequence is looking for the mysterious Ms. Nacht, all while she's hiding out with poor, doomed, stupid, horny Kyle. The DEA wants her because of their murdered undercover agent (and the murdered dog), Sonya wants her because it's a murder in her jurisdiction, Marco wants her because he owes Fausto Galvan a favor for the David Tate request(*), Galvan wants her because she's important to his operation (and also brought a lot of attention on said operation with this killing spree), Frye and Adriana don't even realize they're following a path that will likely lead to Eleanor, and dumb Kyle wants her because she is a woman promising sex – even though it's clear to us at least from the moment she tells him to say goodbye to his brother that all he'll really get is death. (And only after stupidly giving up the address of his best friend, the only other witness to her whereabouts that night.)
(*) I would just as soon the show pretended the last scene of season 1 never happened, but if they're going to treat it as a thing, then this is probably the best way to make lemonade out of that big lemon, and using Marco's request as a wedge Galvan can use to send the Last Honest Cop in Juarez north of the border to re-team with the show's other main character.
The question remains whether this is a good new direction for the show – or a new direction at all, really. Eleanor is dropping bodies just like David Tate, and even displaying some of them in baroque ways (the hybrid car driving in circles, the attempt to have the DEA agent stuffed by a taxidermist), but because we know her identity upfront, and also because Franka Potente is an interesting actress, it doesn't feel entirely like a rehash. Still, there were times when I was watching “Ghost of a Flea” where I wondered if this was the right lesson learned from season 1. There obviously has to be a crime big enough to get Sonya and Marco working together, but it feels like the investigation into Galvan's organization would do that on its own, as would additional carry-over from Eva and the overall question of the Lost Girls.
The search for Eleanor does give this episode more focus than the premiere had, though my interest tended to be more in the few parts that had little to do with it, like Frye getting sucker-punched by their drag queen contact, or Hank attempting to scare Jack Dobbs away from Sonya. Given that Hank is the man who put Jim Dobbs in the state he's in now – depriving both Jack and Sonya of the chance for answers – it's a precarious piece of high ground our favorite lieutenant is standing on, but you also understand exactly where he's coming from in trying to protect Sonya, even as Sonya has gone into this thing with her eyes wide open.
What did everybody else think? Did you spend the whole episode dreading Kyle's impending demise, or cursing him out for being stupid? Are you enjoying the strange adventures of Eleanor Nacht? Are you getting impatient for Linder (or, for that matter, Charlotte and Ray) to make a season 2 debut?