This series had me suspicious of almost everybody.... The police were Suspicious... The politicians? Extremely Suspicious... The intelligence agencies? Definitely suspicious... Even the main character was Suspicious.
Bodyguard follows David Budd, played by Richard Madden, a former soldier and now police protection officer... After stopping a terrorist attack on a train, David is assigned to protect Julia Montague, the British Home Secretary, played by Keeley Hawes and this is where things become complicated because Julia is not exactly a popular politician... She is ambitious, controversial and pushing for stronger surveillance powers, which makes her enemies both inside and outside government.
David, on the other hand, is dealing with his own personal problems. His experiences in Afghanistan have left him with serious psychological scars, and although he is very good at his job, he is clearly not okay... That is one of the things I liked about the series.
David is not presented as some perfect action hero who never makes mistakes. He is skilled, brave and observant, but he is also emotionally damaged, unpredictable and sometimes difficult to understand.
Richard Madden did an excellent job with this character... He plays David like a man who is constantly trying to hold himself together. Even when he is standing quietly in a room, you can feel that something is happening inside his head... Sometimes he looks like he wants to protect everybody, Other times he looks like he might completely lose control and that uncertainty makes him interesting.
The opening train sequence was also an excellent way to begin the series. It immediately creates tension and shows David's ability to remain calm under pressure, even when everything is going wrong.. After that, the series keeps increasing the pressure.
There are terrorist attacks, assassination attempts, secret meetings, political games, police investigations and possible conspiracies and just when you think you've figured something out, the show introduces another piece of information that makes you question your own theory.
Keeley Hawes was also very good as Julia Montague.... Her character is not written as a simple villain or a perfect politician. She is intelligent, ambitious and sometimes cold, but there are moments where you understand why David becomes conflicted about her... Their relationship is one of the most interesting parts of the series... David is supposed to protect her, but he doesn't necessarily agree with her politics. He is also dealing with personal feelings, professional boundaries and the constant possibility that she may be hiding something... That creates a strange tension between them and honestly, the show knows how to make a simple conversation feel dangerous.
A person can be sitting in a car, talking quietly, and somehow the scene feels more stressful than an actual gunfight... That is one of the strongest things about Bodyguard... The tension.
The series doesn't always need explosions to keep you watching. Sometimes it just shows David looking at someone for a few seconds, and you're already thinking.. “What does he know?”
The political side of the story was also interesting. It explores corruption, surveillance, terrorism, power and the way government institutions can hide information from one another but I won't lie, some of the politics became confusing at certain points...
There are so many departments, agencies, officials and secret connections... Still, the confusion also works in the show's favour because the characters themselves don't have the full picture.
Nobody seems to know everything... Everybody has an agenda and almost everyone is keeping secrets..
The action scenes are well handled too, especially the attacks and protection sequences. They feel tense because the show makes it clear that David cannot control everything, no matter how experienced he is but the series is more psychological thriller than full action show.
The real battle is often happening inside David's mind... His trauma, paranoia and emotional instability make it difficult to know whether he is seeing the situation clearly or whether his personal experiences are affecting his judgment... That was my favourite aspect of the story.
However, the series is not perfec... Some of the twists feel a little too convenient, and a few characters make decisions that seem designed mainly to move the plot forward.
The romantic side of David and Julia's relationship also feels rushed, considering how quickly everything develops and while the ending is clever in some ways, I can understand why some viewers felt that the explanation was not as satisfying as the buildup.... Still, I enjoyed the journey.
Bodyguard is one of those series that makes you say, “Just one more episode,” and suddenly you're halfway through the night.
It is tense, unpredictable and very easy to binge.
The six-episode format also works well because the story doesn't drag unnecessarily. Every episode adds another layer to the mystery, and the show keeps you moving toward the final reveal.
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Rating: 99/100