Reminiscent of the the Showtime series Homeland, we have a hero who may or may not be who he seems, he may in fact have been turned. But, this time, not by a foreign power, but instead by internal forces, possibly within both British society and government.
The Story: Set in and around the corridors of power, Bodyguard tells the fictional story of David Budd (Richard Madden), a heroic but volatile war veteran now working as a Specialist Protection Officer for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London’s Metropolitan Police Service. When he is assigned to protect the ambitious and powerful Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), whose politics stand for everything he despises, Budd finds himself torn between his duty and his personal beliefs. Responsible for her safety, but is he actually her biggest threat? Is this guy a Hero or the Enemy?
The cast: Bodyguard is an intensely taught thriller that is wonderfully acted. But, I am personally not very comfortable with the depiction of combat vets being a threat. But, I must confess, I heard radical guys in the military talking cryptically about what it would require to take over the government during the First Gulf War, and it was from my time of enlistment that we got that murderous pos Timothy McVeigh. After that, I looked back on those guys and wondered if any of them were privy to what happened. It creeped me out. With that said, I think what bothers me about the depiction, uncontested members of the previous administration labeled Vets as the greatest threat to peace within the country. That pissed me off. So, like many vets, am cautious when I see vets being shown as a threat in a film or series. But, I bite my lip, and continue watching this show. To be honest, I am enjoying watching the plot unfold.
Now, I am only two episodes in, but, I can say that so far, this is a stellar production.