'Under the Bridge': How Aiyana Goodfellow's captivating performance breathes life into Dusty Pace
Contains spoilers for 'Under the Bridge'
VANCOUVER, CANADA: Hulu's 'Under the Bridge' has been generating buzz for its deft blend of fact and fiction in telling the story of Reena Virk, a teen girl who was killed by her friends in 1997 in Canada.
The series is based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, which meticulously recounts the true story of Reena's tragic death as a result of bullying.
Starring Lily Gladstone, Vritika Gupta, Riley Keough, Izzy G, and Chloe Guidry in pivotal roles, the series adeptly weaves together real events and fictional elements to recount the story of Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta).
It is already clear that Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone), the lead police officer in the series, is a fictional character, representing a composite of the various officers who worked on Reena’s case.
Are there any other fictional characters in the series? Is Dusty Pace's (Aiyana Goodfellow) character based on a real-life person? Here's everything we know about Reena's friend in the series.
Is Dusty Pace based on an actual person who knew Reena Virk?
In the series, Dusty, along with Josephine Bell (Chloe Guidry) and Kelly Ellard (Izzy G), is part of the group that lives or hangs out at the Seven Oaks foster house. However, when Reena enters their circle, it becomes evident that Dusty shares a deeper connection with the newcomer than she does with the popular girls at Seven Oaks.
'Under the Bridge' is based on Rebecca’s book, which explores the teenagers involved in Reena's death. However, Dusty is not a character in the book.
Dusty herself is a composite character created for dramatic effect. In contrast to her friends, Dusty is portrayed as feeling genuine remorse for Reena's death.
By highlighting Dusty's guilt, the series delves into the complexities of human behavior and the profound consequences of choices made in critical moments.
Aiyana, the actress who portrays Dusty, spoke to The Wrap about the character's complex sense of loyalty. She said, "Dusty is an amalgamation of various characters. And although 'Under the Bridge' is based on true events, it’s obviously not a retelling.”
Her depiction of deep remorse and sadness can be seen as a representation of the complex emotions that others may have experienced following the tragic death of Reena.
What happened to Dusty Pace in Episode 6?
In 'Under the Bridge' Episode 6, Josephine and Kelly make two attempts to kill Dusty. Their motive stems from a fear that Dusty will inform the authorities about Kelly's role in Reena's death.
Kelly attempts to kill Dusty by spiking her drink with rat poison, but Dusty's body rejects the substance, causing her to vomit. Later on, Josephine and Kelly instructs Dusty to lie down on the railway tracks.
“All your problems go away when you die,” Josephine says. After receiving Josephine's advice, Dusty, overwhelmed by guilt, decides to take drastic action. She goes to a train station and, with a heavy heart, steps onto the tracks, intending to end her life.
However, just as the train is about to reach her, Josephine pulls Dusty away from the tracks, saving her life in a moment of desperation and despair.
It appears Josephine is unable to commit acts of violence as easily as Kelly. However, in the final scene, the police arrest everyone involved in Reena's killing. This includes Josephine, Kelly, and Dusty.
When will 'Under the Bridge' Episode 7 air?
'Under the Bridge' Episode 7, titled 'Three and Seven', will start streaming on Hulu on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
'Under the Bridge' is exclusively available for streaming on Hulu. The streaming platform offers an ad-supported plan for $7.99 per month and an ad-free plan for $17.99 per month. Yearly ad-supported plans are also available for $79.99.
'Under the Bridge' trailer