TV

Under the Bridge: Remaining Episodes Release Schedule; Is Season 2 Renewal on the Cards?

Under the Bridge: Remaining Episodes Release Schedule; Is Season 2 Renewal on the Cards?
Image credit: Hulu

A new chilling true crime drama is now streaming on Hulu.

Summary

  • Hulu has a new series based on the real-life gruesome murder of a teenage girl.
  • The series consists of eight episodes and new episodes are released each week.
  • A second season is not yet planned.

November 1997. Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. 14-year-old Reena Virk went to a party with her peers. But sadly, the girl never came home, and her breathless body was found with signs of a brutal beating. The case was so gruesome and scandalous that it became a major media story in Canada in the late 90s. The perpetrators were a group of teenagers who had regularly bullied and abused Reena prior to the fateful day.

This true crime murder served as the basis for a new series called Under the Bridge, which debuted on Hulu on April 17, 2024. Critics and viewers alike have been blown away by the show, marveling at how cleverly the gruesome events are presented.

But with the show still on the air, let's take a look at the upcoming episode schedule and find out if we should expect a second season.

What Is This New True Crime Show?

These horrific events of 1997 became the subject of the book Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk by Rebecca Godfrey, in which the Canadian writer and journalist explored the reasons and motives for the crime, as well as the subsequent fate of the perpetrators. And now, 19 years after the book's debut, a TV series of the same name has been released on Hulu.

'I was so struck by how gentle [the book] was,' Quinn Shepard, the show's creators, shared. 'And there was a real sensitivity to the way that it approached the holistic story, as well as all of the characters. It was a very beautiful book; it was very poetic. I was really shocked that a story that was so dark and so brutal could have so much tenderness. [It's] really a story of childhood and coming of age.'

In the series, the role of Reena Virk was played by Vritika Gupta, but special attention should be paid to the character played by the magnificent Lily Gladstone, a cop named Cam Bentland. The show also features a fictionalized version of Godfrey, played by Riley Keough.

Release Schedule for the Remaining Episodes

Under the Bridge is exclusive to Hulu, and as such, the series unfortunately cannot be found outside of this particular streaming service. As of this writing, four of the announced eight episodes have already been released, so let's take a look at the schedule for each of the upcoming episodes.

  • Episode 5, When the Heat Comes Down — May 8
  • Episode 6, In Water They Sink as the Same — May 15
  • Episode 7, Three and Seven — May 22
  • Episode 8, Mercy Alone — May 29

Should We Expect a Season 2?

Unfortunately, the answer is clear. Since Under the Bridge was conceived as a miniseries, and since Rebecca Godfrey's later investigations into the Reena Virk case will certainly be included in the TV adaptation, renewing this true crime drama for a second season is unfortunately out of the question.

Well, maybe that's for the best, as the story is ready to shed a clear and definitive light on the gruesome events of '97 and their aftermath, instead of dragging the story out with unnecessary cliffhangers and plot twists that degrade the tragedy.

Furthermore, despite warm reviews from critics and viewers, as well as fairly decent ratings that allowed the series to break into the top 10 on all streaming services for two weeks in a row, all of this may not be enough for Netflix execs to decide to invest further in the series. That said, we need even more Detective Lily Gladstone, so please!

Source: IndieWire.