Under the Bridge, Episode 4 (“Beautiful British Columbia”) Recap and Ending Explained: “Under the Bridge,” created by Quinn Shephard, is an eight-part Hulu limited series based on Rebecca Godfrey’s 2004 true crime book of the same name. It focuses on the brutal murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in 1997, which shocked the whole of Canada and prompted conversations about racism and teen bullying. In the last episode, “Blood Oath,” we observed Reena’s (Vritika Gupta) attempts to acquaint herself with the ‘cool’ girls, Josephine (Chloe Guidry) and Kelly (Izzy G.), despite the girls’ disdainful behavior towards Reena. The third episode also showcased old friends Cam (Lily Gladstone) and Rebecca (Riley Keough) reestablishing their connection. At the same time, police officer Cam and reporter Rebecca’s respective investigations on the murder raise a crucial question about an incident in Reena’s past. The episode also clearly hinted at who Reena’s killers are.
Now, “Under the Bridge” episode 4, “Beautiful British Columbia,” looks at the past to trace the origins of hope, anxiety, and fear that drove Reena’s parents and grandparents. One of the issues with Rebeca Godfrey’s book is the lack of a comprehensive portrait of Reena Virk or the Virks. Thankfully, the series goes the extra mile to offer us a poignant story of immigrants who overcome insurmountable odds to keep alive their dreams. Manjit Virk’s book, “Reena: A Father’s Story,” has helped the makers tell the story of Reena’s parents. Written by Stuti Malhotra and directed by Nimisha Mukerji, “Under the Bridge” episode 4, “Beautiful British Columbia,” takes a little break from the tense and shocking events of the present to show how it all started. Spoilers Ahead.
Under the Bridge Episode 4 “Beautiful British Columbia” Recap:
Finding a home away from home
“Under the Bridge” episode 4 opens with Reena’s voiceover juxtaposed with visuals of newly born Reena Virk, who has just become the single most source of happiness for her parents – Manjit (Bally Gill) and Suman Virk (Ilahi Rayani). “Stories have no end and no beginning,” says Reena as she guides us to the story of her grandparents to understand Reena’s life better. It is 1951, and Reena’s newly married maternal grandparents arrived in British Columbia, Canada. With Wood Guthrie’s iconic song, “This Land Is Your Land,” playing in the background, the young couple reach their new home.
Mukand and Tarsem Masihajjar acquaint themselves with the new homeland. They have a daughter, Suman. But it’s not easy getting accepted by the local community. “Go Home,” says the sprayed message on their garage. On Suman’s 1st birthday, no neighbors accept their invitation to the birthday party. But the doorbell rings, and two white women greet Tarsem to talk about Jehovah. They are invited inside, and the ostracized Hindu couple become Jehovah’s Witnesses because they want to belong to a community.
How does Manjit Virk meet Suman Masihajjar?
The narrative jumps to September 1997 – two months before Reena’s murder. Reena is so excited to have her friends at home. Kelly’s stiff and haughty mom, Susan, drops Kelly, Josephine, and Dusty (Aiyana Goodfellow) at the Virks. Susan turns down Suman’s (Archie Panjabi) invitation to stay for dinner and leaves. It’s apparent Kelly and Josephine have come to the Virks to have ‘fun’ at the expense of their host. Their ulterior motive is to humiliate Reena and her parents. Manjit Virk (Ezra Faroque Khan) tries to appease Suman, hoping that welcoming Reena’s friends would strengthen their bond with their teenage daughter.
Manjit reminisces about a time when they did things against their parents’ wishes. It is 1979, and young bearded Manjit has come from India to visit his sister, Amarjit (Rahat Saini), in Canada. She takes her brother to a party at a Punjabi family’s house. Amarjit hopes her brother finds someone in Canada and can stay there without worrying about his tourist visa expiring. Manjit is against what his sister is suggesting. Soon, however, Manjit intervenes during a delicate family situation and saves young Suman. The Masihajjars – the party host – think they have found a suitable match for their daughter, Suman. Finding an Indian-origin Jehovah’s Witness is tough, and they are happy that the guy is an engineer. Suman isn’t pleased about the arrangement, and this is when Manjit rescues his future wife. He takes her outside with him, and they introduce themselves.
The self-centered girls visit the Virks
In the present, i.e., September 1997, Reena takes her friends to show around her house. At Reena’s room, Josephine notices that the room doesn’t have a door. Kelly looks at the things in Reena’s room like a hawk, and her gaze falls on the pet parrot in the cage. Later, the trio intrudes into Suman’s closet, fascinated by the jewelry. Suman says the earrings (jhumkas) belong to her great-great-grandmother and how it was passed to each generation of women in the family, and will go to Reena when she is older. Josephine takes a saree from the closet and offers it to Dusty to wear. As Suman teaches Dusty how to wear a saree, Kelly leaves for the washroom. But she goes to Reena’s room and takes out the parrot from the cage. We imagine the worst, as Kelly has no good intentions in visiting the Virks.
In the past (in 1979), Manjit and Suman got to know each other. Suman says it wasn’t easy for them until they found a community – the Witnesses. Manjit shares that he comes from a family of Sikhs, and that’s why he has a beard. Manjit wanted to be a paratrooper, but he was crushed when he couldn’t achieve that dream. Suman’s dreams are simple: she wants a nice man who shares her values and a family with him. Manjit recalls how his armyman dad was largely absent, which made him yearn for a family. So, all Manjit needs now is a happy family, too.
What happens at the dinner?
The problems between Reena and her parents intensify at the dinner table. Reena is disappointed that they didn’t order takeout. But Manjit himself has made the pizza, and is happy to serve to his daughter’s friends. Manjit requests everyone to say a prayer before the dinner. While Manjit says the prayer, Reena observes Kelly and Josephine mockingly looking at the proceedings. Then, Manjit probes into a sensitive topic, which, despite his good intentions, doesn’t come out well. First, he asks Dusty about the difficulty of living in a group home away from the family. Manjit tries to indirectly emphasize to Reena how the family is so important, yet it sounds condescending.
Then Manjit talks about his own absentee father and suddenly turns his focus on Josephine, inquiring about her background. He hits a nerve when he speaks of how Josephine was let down by people who were supposed to protect her. Reena and Suman try to make Manjit stop saying anything more. But he doesn’t, which leads to Josephine’s outburst. She calls Manjit ‘a retard,’ and leaves the table. Reena shouts at her dad and goes after Josephine.
The human search for belonging
In the past, at a different dining table, we watch a conflict between the older and younger generations. Suman officially introduces Manjit to her parents. Suman reveals to her parents that after dating Manjit for a few weeks, she wants to marry him. The Masihajjars scoff at the idea and point out that Manjit doesn’t belong to their faith. While the father, Mukand, storms out of the restaurant, the mother, Tasrem, tells her daughter about Manjit’s ‘real’ intentions to marry Suman. She brings up the fact that Manjit’s tourist visa has expired. Manjit’s sister, Amarjit, can’t sponsor him due to her financial difficulties, so Tasrem suggests he is only marrying Suman for Permanent Resident Card.
Reena is disheartened after Kelly’s mom picks up the girls from the Virks. At the closet, Suman finds her family earrings missing, and Reena’s pet parrot, Smooch, is nowhere to be found. Suman confronts her daughter about the missing earrings and wants to report her friends to the police. Manjit instructs Reena to stay away from the girls. But Reena swears at her dad and says how much she yearned to be friends with Josephine and Kelly. Manjit says Reena is economically and socially better than those girls. However, Manjit can’t understand that his teenage daughter wants something more than familial love: a group where she can belong and not be looked down on for the way she looks.
Under the Bridge Episode 4 “Beautiful British Columbia” Ending Explained:
What is the terrible idea the evil Josephine offers to Reena?
In the past, Manjit was also not content with familial love. Manjit went against his mother’s wishes to marry Suman and be with someone with whom he thinks he belongs. The young Manjit made a sacrifice, leaving his roots and converting to Jehovah’s Witness. He shaved his beard and chose to be with Suman for the rest of his life. The parents’ and children’s needs and wants might be different, but they all search for people where they can gain a sense of belonging. It’s tragic that Reena Virk is so alienated from her family and peers that she seeks out the attention of the two vicious girls.
Reena visits Seven Oaks to apologize for her dad’s inconsiderate behavior. Josephine and Kelly ignore Reena. But when Reena asks Kelly about her mom’s earrings and Smooch, Kelly yells at her. Josephine intervenes, asking how Reena could live in that repressing atmosphere. When Reena replies she absolutely hates living with her parents, Josephine gradually injects a horrible idea into Reena’s mind. Josephine says she has a better life at the group home than at her mother’s house. All she had to do was tell a lie. Josephine suggests Reena can do the same and get out of her miserable life at home. Subsequently, Reena goes straight to the Seven Oaks supervisor to say something about her dad.
Why did the police arrest Manjit Virk
In the past, Suman discretely walks out of her home to marry Manjit. While Suman’s dad is totally against it, mom Tasrem blesses her daughter and bestows their family earrings upon her. In the present, Manjit is happy to discover their lost pet, Smooch, sitting outside a tree. He takes the parrot inside and is interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Manjit opens the door to find a couple of white police officers ordering him to come outside. Once he steps out, Manjit is handcuffed. When Suman asks what’s happening, the police officer says Manjit is accused of abusing his daughter. Reena herself has testified to a social worker that Manjit molested her.
“Under the Bridge” episode 4, “Beautiful British Columbia,” ends with a profoundly tormented Manjit being taken to jail. Meanwhile, Reena gets her own room at Seven Oaks. Reena’s voiceover once again insists that stories have no beginning and end. Like their parents, Suman and her husband Manjit started their lives anew, hoping to find solace in the family unit. But the dreams and hopes are corrupted and twisted by the place that won’t accept people for who they are. Now, it becomes clear why Manjit and Suman felt immense relief when they received the news of Manjit’s expungement. It also reveals why Cam and Rebecca felt the media might begin its witch-hunt against the Virks if it got hold of this information.
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