Under the Bridge Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Blood Oath

Although Reena’s case takes a big turn on Under the Bridge Season 1 Episode 3, “Blood Oath,” a different mystery steals the story in this installment. The crackling tension between Cam and Rebecca has been there since Episode 1, but so has something else.

There is a chemistry between Keough and Gladstone that belies just a platonic childhood friendship gone bad. Rather than make you wonder if you’re reading the situation correctly, Under the Bridge gives you the answer on Episode 3.

After the two find themselves at their local bar, the groundwork laid when Rebecca awkwardly told her parents she would have known if Cam and her brother had been dating pays off. Even bar onlookers can’t ignore what’s happening between the two on the dance floor which spills over into a bathroom hook-up.

Our troubled girls of Victoria’s past were also girlfriends! And the tragedy that drove them apart isn’t enough to kill that spark for good.

While it might seem strange to celebrate romance in the middle of a grim crime show, GLAAD’s 2022-2023 “Where We Are On TV” report marked a decrease in LGBTQ characters on scripted television. So, the decision to include Rebecca and Cam’s past romantic history and explore it is a good thing.

It also sheds light on the character’s decisions. It seems likely it wasn’t just her brother’s death, but the stifling of her small community that led Rebecca to flee and also drives Cam’s desire to get transferred to Vancouver.

The theme of escape, and what happens when you can’t, is ever present throughout the episode. The tough-as-nails Jo melts into tears when Rebecca tries to break through to her and eventually tells her she won’t take her to New York City.

Jo may live in a twisted fantasy land of girl gang mafias and hopes of escaping, but Reena’s death forces her back to her reality even if we know from Cam’s investigations she’s not the one at fault. In the flashbacks, it’s Reena trying to escape her oppressive parents.

While the flashbacks tie in thematically, they’re also where Under the Bridge struggles the most. Trying to tease out the story of Reena falling into a bad crowd and ending up at Seven Oaks doesn’t match the pacing of the current plot line.

It purposefully withholds information that could illuminate what’s happening in the present day to build suspense but it ends up dragging the episodes down. We know a little bit more about why Reena rebelled, and while it’s commendable it’s trying to make sure she stays a character in her own story there doesn’t seem to be that much to say about her.

The story of a teen girl getting mad at her overprotective religious parents for stifling her and feeling rejected at school is a well-worn plot. The show could use dispensing with the flashbacks sooner rather than later as the modern-day investigation heats up.

Once again an episode ends with a huge plot twist, this time the reveal that Kelly has Reena’s boots from the night of the murder, implicating her as the murderer. You’ll get chills when she tells Jo, “I did it for you.”

Warren, whose behavior throughout the episode paints a troubling picture, also seems involved. As the show shifts its spotlight from Jo to these other troubled teens, there are more questions than answers as to what really happened the night of Reena’s death.

What did you think of this episode of Under the Bridge? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Under the Bridge airs Wednesdays on Hulu.

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