In Under the Bridge episode 6, our story picks up pace as past and present wounds collide, alliances are tested, and the police close in on their suspects.
Creator: Quinn Shephard
Genre: True crime, Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Episode 6 Release Date: May 15, 2024
Where to watch: Hulu
The deeper we go into Under the Bridge, the harder it becomes to watch. Not only are we exploring the hidden worlds teens and adults keep secret, but we’re also witnessing a teen murder based on cruelty and, in the process, are reminded how our own biases tend to affect our ability to see the truth, even when it’s right in front of our face.
In episode 6, our story picks up pace as past and present wounds collide, alliances are tested, a school dance serves a cover for Jo (Chloe Guidry, of The Park) and Kelly’s (Izzy G., of The Highwaymen) escape plans, and the police close in on their suspects.
In Episode 5, secrets of truth about Reena’s murder abounded, and Jo, Kelly, and Dusty (Aiyana Goodfellow, of Invasion) pointed the finger at Warren (Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, of The Umbrella Academy) to redirect any heat coming down on them. Manjit (Ezra Faroque Khan, of Damsel) was also released on bail and Suman (Archie Panjabi, of The Good Wife) took his side over Reena’s, and we finally got a glimpse into why Reena’s case is so deeply personal both to Cam (Lily Gladstone, of Killers of the Flower Moon) and Becca (Riley Keough, of Sasquatch Sunset). For Becca, it echoes in some way her brother’s death, and for Cam, it echoes her past as a victim of child abuse, and of the foster system. As truths came out, tough personas began to crack, and that leads us right up to episode 6.
Episode 6 finally strings together the connection between past and present events. It takes us back to 1982, when Becca, her brother, and Cam were teens. They’re all close friends, but it does seem both Becca and Gabe (Teagan Stark, of White Bird) share an unspoken affinity towards Cam, one that breeds jealousy in Becca anytime Gabe tries to be a part of whatever they’re doing. Gabe is sensitive, quiet … the kind of young teen who gets bullied at school and requires rescuing by Cam or his sister. While his death wasn’t at the hands of a group of mean girls, it was heartbreaking to learn about, which we do here, so it’s understandable how and why Reena’s death appeals to Becca. Her wound is clearly still very, very fresh.
Back in present-day 1997, the police are actively searching for Warren after Jo, Kelly, and Dusty fingered him for Reena’s murder. Becca and Warren wake up from their night of tripping on acid and sharing secrets, where Warren tells Becca he’s thinking of going to the cops about what he saw but isn’t sure. She tries to encourage him by reminding him he wasn’t involved, he just witnessed it. Then Warren makes another admission: The night of the beating, he kicked Reena once but regrets it; it’s all he can think about. It’s clear he’s struggling with the guilt of that night, just as Dusty is, but being that none of these kids had any guidance in their life or even a moral compass, they just remain stuck in their pain and guilt and shame, not knowing what to do but face whatever consequences await them.
It just so happens there’s a school dance happening that night, and Warren and Samara (Isabella Leon, of Love XO) have plans to go together; however, Warren doesn’t have a suit. You know who does, though? Becca. She gives Warren the suit Gabe planned to wear to the school dance the night he died, and we can see how these parallels are both haunting and healing to Becca as she goes through the motions with Warren that she would have with Gabe.
As we jump back to one month prior to Reena’s death, a social worker at Seven Oaks calls Reena to her office, then busts her on her lie about her father abusing her. As a result, Reena is kicked out of Seven Oaks and sent to live with her Uncle Raj (Anoop Desai, of What We Do in the Shadows). Meanwhile, in the present, after running into Jo, Dusty, and Kelly in the grocery store, Suman is certain they killed her daughter after Kelly coldly expresses remorse over the Virk’s loss. At home, the Virks argue about taking matters into their own hands.
Suman and Raj leave to do just that, and on the way, Raj remembers picking Reena up from school on her birthday, the day she disappeared, and bringing her to Seven Oaks. He now gets the impression Reena was after something that day—payback—and he fears he took her to get it, just like he’s doing with Suman now. Ultimately, they turn around and decide to leave matters to the police, determined not to repeat any past perceived mistakes.
As Becca and Cam meet up to exchange information, their alliance is tested when Becca reveals to Cam what Warren told her about Kelly, but when Cam tells her Kelly and her friends singled out Warren for the murder and the cops are looking for him, Becca goes on the defensive. She points out that Kelly might not be a Seven Oaks girl, but she is a spoiled child who gets anything she wants. Warren, on the other hand, has nothing, no one.
“If you arrest Warren, Kelly will get away with murder,” she says, because the cops will believe a boy who has nothing did something like this over a girl who has it all.
So again, just as cultural biases came into play in episode 5 with police assuming Manjit was guilty of abusing his daughter just because he was Indian and that’s what “you people do,” so, too, do they come into play again in episode 6 with who looks guiltier: the haves or the have-nots. Both are perfect examples of how our biases blind us from seeing what is right in front of us.
As the school dance kicks off, Jo, Dusty, and Kelly leave from Kelly’s house like they’re headed to school but it’s actually their cover for their escape to Mexico … only they’re not all going to Mexico and only Kelly and Jo know that. They drug Dusty in an attempt to make her do something stupid to get her out of the way, but ultimately their plan falls apart when Jo’s conscience finally breaks through her anger, and she changes her mind, thus testing her alliance with Kelly and, in the end, testing the alliance between all three girls as Kelly says to Jo, “You’re just a real f**king gangster, aren’t you?”
At the same time this is happening, police have swarmed the school dance and pulled Warren’s suspected girlfriend Samara aside for questioning, where they get crucial information needed to arrest him, but only if they can find him and the other teens they know were involved. As episode 6 ends, there’s no more running, no more hiding, no more lying, and no more trust. There’s nowhere left to go now accept towards the inevitable.
Episode 6 of Under the Bridge is now available to watch on Hulu. Future episodes of the series will be released weekly, every Wednesday, for a total of 8 episodes with the finale airing on May 29. Start your free Hulu trial and come back next Wednesday for our review and recap of episode 7!
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