My Critique of Bodyguard
Bodyguard’s defining achievement lies in its sustained nerve-shredding tension, bolstered by a procedural specificity that elevates the protection-drama beyond gimmick. Its greatest asset is Richard Madden’s tightly coiled performance, which grounds escalating conspiracies in recognisably jagged post-conflict trauma.
Yet the series often tilts toward pulp, sacrificing character plausibility for twist velocity and recognisably genre-bred shocks. The self-serious tone and occasional clumsiness around contemporary security politics can feel less like incisive critique and more like efficient, algorithmic provocation.
Compared with the more textually grounded The Night Manager or Line of Duty’s clockwork precision, Bodyguard leans harder on spectacle and cliffhangers, flirting with the very tabloid sensationalism it half-intends to indict. For modern viewers, its value endures as a slick, zeitgeist-capturing barometer of anxieties around surveillance, institutional opacity, and the toll of state service.
As a landmark BBC thriller, it matters for its audience reach and cultural afterlife, even if its politics read as thorny but ultimately superficial.
Principal Characters & Performances
Police Sergeant David Budd
Richard Madden anchors the entire series as David Budd, a Metropolitan Police officer in the Royalty and Specialist Protection branch. Budd is a complex, layered character defined by his past as a British Army veteran of the Afghanistan War.
The role demands a tightrope walk between steely professional competence and profound psychological vulnerability.
Madden portrays Budd’s post-traumatic stress with a quiet, internalised intensity, manifesting in panic attacks and flashbacks that threaten his focus during critical protection details. His performance is physically commanding during action sequences, yet deeply fragile in private moments, particularly those with his estranged wife and children.
The character’s central conflict is his ideological opposition to the hawkish policies of the politician he is sworn to protect. Madden masterfully conveys this tension through subtle glances and restrained dialogue, making Budd’s journey from dutiful officer to a man questioning entire institutions utterly compelling and believable.
Home Secretary Julia Montague
Keeley Hawes delivers a standout performance as Julia Montague, the ambitious and politically divisive Home Secretary. Hawes avoids easy caricature, presenting Montague as fiercely intelligent, strategically ruthless, yet occasionally revealing glimpses of vulnerability.
Her chemistry with Madden is electric, driving the series’ central relationship.
Julia is a master of political manoeuvring, pushing for expansive new surveillance powers that put her at odds with colleagues and security services. Hawes captures her calculated charm and relentless drive, making her a figure you simultaneously admire and distrust.
The character’s presence looms large over the entire series, shaping the narrative even beyond her physical time on screen.
Her dynamic with Budd forms the core of the show’s early episodes, exploring the dangerous blurring of professional and personal boundaries within the high-stakes world of close protection.
Notable Support and Guest Stars
The series is bolstered by a strong ensemble cast who flesh out its intricate world. Gina McKee is excellent as Commander Anne Sampson, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command.
She embodies institutional authority and ambiguity, often serving as a formidable obstacle to Budd.
Sophie Rundle brings grounded emotional weight as Vicky Budd, David’s estranged wife, portraying the collateral damage of his trauma with empathy. Vincent Franklin is perfectly cast as the sidelined Minister of State for Counter-Terrorism, Mike Travis, his frustration providing a political counterpoint.
Pippa Haywood as Chief Superintendent Lorraine Craddock and Paul Ready as special adviser Rob MacDonald add further layers of bureaucracy and intrigue. Nina Toussaint-White appears as Detective Sergeant Louise Rayburn, while Stuart Bowman plays Security Service chief Stephen Hunter-Dunn, each representing different facets of the sprawling security state the narrative interrogates.
Key Episodes & Defining Stories
Episode 1
The premiere episode is a masterclass in immediate immersion. It opens with a prolonged, unbearably tense sequence on a train where David Budd negotiates with a potential suicide bomber.
This set piece established the show’s reputation for nerve-shredding realism and introduced Budd’s decisive, trauma-informed instincts.
Following this, his assignment to protect Home Secretary Julia Montague sets the central ideological conflict in motion. The episode efficiently builds its world of Whitehall politics and police procedure, establishing key players like Julia, Commander Anne Sampson, and David’s superior, Chief Superintendent Lorraine Craddock.
Fans remember it for that breathtaking opening, which announced Bodyguard as a thriller of the highest order. It matters because it perfectly establishes David Budd’s character, his skills, his damage, and the impossible professional situation he is about to enter, hooking viewers from the very first minute.
Episode 4
This episode represents the series’ dramatic pivot. Dealing with the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic attack, it transforms the show from a protection thriller into a full-blown conspiracy drama.
David Budd is now a suspect, injured and psychologically adrift, interrogated by his own colleagues.
The narrative shifts to focus on institutional mistrust, security failures, and political manoeuvring in the vacuum left by the attack. Gina McKee’s Commander Sampson comes to the fore, embodying the system’s cold scrutiny.
Richard Madden’s performance here is a standout, portraying a man physically and emotionally shattered yet clinging to professional discipline.
It’s a key episode because it changes the entire game. The central protective relationship is gone, replaced by a murky puzzle where allies are unclear and every institution seems compromised.
It deepens the show’s critique of power and sets the stage for the final unraveling.
Episode 6
The feature-length finale is a relentless culmination of all the series’ tensions. David Budd, now abducted and forced into a suicide vest, must navigate a surveilled London to prove his innocence.
The episode is a marathon of tension, culminating in a public standoff that became a defining television moment.
It pulls together threads involving organised crime, political ambition, and security service plots, providing resolutions while maintaining a gritty, plausible tone. The supporting cast, including Gina McKee, Sophie Rundle, and Vincent Franklin, all converge as the conspiracy is exposed.
Fans remember it for its sheer narrative payoff and sustained climax. It matters because it successfully lands a complex plot without sacrificing character, staying true to Budd’s journey while delivering the taut thriller action the series promised from its very first scene.
The World of Bodyguard
Bodyguard is firmly rooted in a contemporary, recognisable London. The show meticulously builds its environment from the corridors of power to the modest flats on housing estates.
We see the stark contrast between David Budd’s personal life in a flat on the Whittington Estate and the opulent, secure spaces inhabited by politicians like Julia Montague in Battersea.
The series centres on the Metropolitan Police’s Protection Command, depicting its procedures with a convincing level of detail. Motorcades, threat assessments, and security sweeps are shown not as glamorous action but as meticulous, high-pressure work.
This extends to the Counter Terrorism Command offices and government briefing rooms, creating a fully realised ecosystem of state security.
This world feels immediate and authentic because it leverages real anxieties and settings. The transport infrastructure, public events, and government districts are not just backdrops but active elements of the plot, making the threats feel plausible and the stakes tangibly high.
Origin Story
Bodyguard is the creation of writer Jed Mercurio, commissioned by the BBC in 2016. It was produced by World Productions for BBC One, with filming taking place primarily on location across London.
Directors Thomas Vincent and John Strickland helmed the episodes, establishing its distinct visual style.
The production team, including producer Priscilla Parish and cinematographer John Lee, worked to create the series’ grounded, tense atmosphere. Composers Ruth Barrett and Ruskin Williamson developed the score that heightens the suspense.
From its inception, it was conceived as a six-part serialised drama, designed to blend political intrigue with personal trauma.
Narrative Style & Tone
The series is a tightly wound political thriller that uses the grammar of a police procedural. Its style is defined by a restless, often handheld camera that stays close to David Budd, immersing the viewer in his psychological point of view.
The editing, by Steve Singleton and Andrew John McClelland, is sharp, driving the pace.
The tone is one of sustained paranoia and institutional realism. It avoids melodrama, instead building tension through procedural detail, bureaucratic dialogue, and the constant threat of violence.
Flashbacks are used sparingly to illuminate Budd’s trauma. The narrative trusts the audience to follow complex political and security machinations, balancing conspiracy plotting with raw character drama.
How is Bodyguard remembered?
Bodyguard is remembered as a cultural phenomenon that achieved rare crossover success. It broke BBC viewing records, becoming the most-watched drama in a decade, and sparked widespread media discussion and spoiler anxiety.
Its blend of explosive thriller set-pieces and sophisticated political conspiracy captured the public mood.
The series earned critical acclaim and awards, including a Golden Globe for Richard Madden and a National Television Award. It prompted conversations about the portrayal of trauma, state surveillance, and terrorism in drama.
While it faced some criticism regarding its depiction of a suicide bomber, creator Jed Mercurio defended its narrative choices as reflecting contemporary threat landscapes.
Ultimately, it is recalled as a benchmark for British television thrillers. Its impact lies in proving that a complex, politically charged narrative could achieve mass appeal through impeccable execution, compelling characters, and masterful control of tension.
In Closing
Bodyguard stands as a high-water mark for the British television thriller. It combines a career-defining performance from Richard Madden with Jed Mercurio’s intricate plotting and a palpable sense of contemporary anxiety.
For anyone who appreciates drama where every detail matters and the tension never lets up, it remains essential viewing.