Under the Bridge Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Mercy Alone

Kelly Ellard’s trial ends this chapter of the Reena Virk story, though her legacy lives on in real life. Under the Bridge Season 1 Episode 8, “Mercy Alone,” closes the series with the message that justice isn’t always equal but forgiveness is something we all have control over. 

As the title suggests, the most moving scene of the episode doesn’t come with punishment but mercy. In the midst of the trial, we get Archie Panjabi’s best performance of the series when Suman meets with Warren in prison at Rebecca’s encouragement. 

Suman’s struggle to go back to normal and mourn her daughter’s death is heartbreaking. Her strained relationship with Reena haunts her now, but even in her darkest moment, she finds strength in her faith.

Her decision to forgive Warren, even though she’s spent many nights thinking of ways to punish him, is the strongest message Under the Bridge can send. Not because Warren is innocent, or has done enough to earn forgiveness yet, but because it shows the power of what it means to choose mercy.

This exchange leads Warren to agree to testify, proving Suman right that showing kindness pays more than cruelty. It’s something Rebecca has to choose for herself as well. 

She finally admits that her connection with Warren wasn’t because of her brother, but because of her feelings of guilt over leading to someone’s death. Using her influence to help get Warren to testify can’t bring her brother back, but maybe it proves to her she isn’t such an awful person after all. 

The one element of the episode that falls a little flat is Cam’s discovery that her adoption was through the AIM (Adopt Indian Metis) program which falsified records of her being abused. Although this program is another dark part of Canada’s past and deserves to be exposed, it feels forced into the narrative perhaps because Cam is a character made up for the show.

That’s not to diminish Lily Gladstone, who gives a powerful performance as Cam realizes in horror she works for the system that stole her from her family. It just feels like an extra flourish in Cam deciding to quit the police force and realizing that it’s not the only or even best way to help people get justice.

In the end all these characters have is their humanity, and it’s the lack of humanity in system that colors in the grim details of the story. The sprinkling of flashbacks to that night of the murder reminds viewers how quickly humanity can be lost when people give into that impulse to punish and seek revenge.  

You see it again in Kelly’s trial, she’s devoid of humanity as she plays with accents and has fits of rage at the idea of being found guilty. Her fiendish behavior belies her girlish appearance.

Every person involved in that fight shows a moment of humanity or guilt in their testimony, yet the decision to play Kelly as completely remorseless chills your bones. It’s all a game to her until she starts losing that game. 

You’ll have mixed feelings over the reveal Kelly only gets sentenced to 5 years in prison, the minimum sentence, though the coda reveals Kelly’s later appeals led to a life sentence. It’s a weak example of justice for the loss of a life, a privileged white girl let off easy for the death of a brown girl. 

No matter what her sentence, it can’t bring Reena back or give her family the second chance they deserve with her. It will be up to them to heal themselves and honor Reena’s memory. 

The finale manages to tie together this adaptation of Rebecca Godfrey’s book into one mostly coherent theme while still shedding light on the life of Reena Virk. 

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 Season 1 is streaming now on Hulu.

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