Bodyguard

Jed Mercurio took a year off from his flagship series Line of Duty and created… Well, basically not admitted spin off, which “inherited" all the strong points (tangible graduating tension, ambiguous characters, understandable motivations, intense interrogation and dialogs) and the week points (a little too much coincidences, twists at all costs, slightly excessive conspiracy) from the Line of Duty. As long as he sticks to the characters who, during their inevitable journey to hell, try to put out the consequences of their actions, it's great. As soon as he moves away from the individuals to a high backstage game full of intrigue, it gets worse and it's almost like the new Dan Brown. Which is again the fact that the same goes for, wait for it, Line of Duty. (10/01/2018)

A series that for a long time looks like an update of John le Carré's chess games, but in the end may only go down in history as a captivating audition tape by Richard Madden for the role of James Bond. On my god! The boy has it - a killer look, vulnerable charm and a special fragility. His body changes smoothly before the eyes from a powerful machine to a completely scattered trauma factory. Unfortunately, everything else in this world does not have a firm foundation. Until the fifth episode, these are slow promises, which are scattered by the sixth episode, which is overwhelmed by twists, meaningless explanations and the explicitly stupid motivations of the central conspiracy. As a political thriller, Bodyguard is, after all, not a carefully thought-out chess game, but rather stupid screenwriting work with holes in the logic. Unfortunately, the ridiculous structure devalues ambitious attempts at drama and makes it clear that the smiling clichés about the relationship between the bodyguard and his trustee were not just momentary flings. It's actually a cheap, albeit nicely filmed and modern-sounding B-movie. Too bad. but Madden is currently top on my 007 list. (11/24/2018)

Bodyguard has almost everything: an ideal number of episodes, i.e. the length of the entire series, outline with good optics the thorny issues of contemporary terrorism, corrupt government agencies, double agents and the protagonist's post-war traumas that affect his mental health. The creators deftly combine all of these key screenwriting puzzles together to create a great collage of believable realistic-within-the-possibilities political/spy thriller/drama that is fast-paced, unpredictable and dense with plot. Compared to the US version of Bodyguard, this one feels like it's on steroids, including the love story. Give 007 to Madden! (11/07/2021)

This series belongs to the expanding part of production aimed at a female audience. I wouldn't look for any ideology influence in this particular case, it's simply a business calculation. It is the same case as with The Night Clerk, with the difference being that Bodyguard leans more toward the thriller genre, flowing better and making it easier for men to find their interest in it as well. The focus on female viewers is primarily manifested in the concentration on emotions and relationships at the expense of action, but also through an increased proportion of female roles in positions where you wouldn't expect it. The commander of the counter-terrorism team is a woman, in the position of a sniper, secured by - guess who - and explosives can be defused by someone other than a pyrotechnician. However, I consider these flights of fancy rather amusing and they don't bother me. In my life, I have watched many movies where women were just a soft cushion under a man lying in bed or a decoration by his side, so they have every right to such things. In fact, in the first four episodes, I had the feeling that I was watching a four-star series, but with each passing minute, more false tones crept into the script, and the last episode with the revelation of the conspiracy completely buried it. Strange motivations and incomprehensible confessing of villains, as in some bad classic crime series, were cracks in the ship's hull that led to the sinking of a promising attempt at a "female" thriller and ultimately manifested in a mostly mediocre result. The cast, led by Richard Madden, is definitely a plus -  he handles his role with ease, and you can believe in him in the role of a tough guy with his heart on his sleeve. Overall impression: 60%. (06/18/2021)

From the first second to the last, an unpredictable testament to all the virtues of British television. There is no shortage of surprising twists, including one shocking one, an attractive environment linked to its supporting themes, and engaging acting performances by all involved, led by the breathtaking Richard Madden, where the viewer is constantly in doubt as to whether the main hero will collapse, perform a heroic act, or just shoot everyone. It's a shame how it gets tangled up in its own web of intrigue right after jumping the basic twist; until then I thought I had a true television miracle in front of me, and instead it's at least a more than meticulous genre piece with an unbelievably high-octane climax. (11/04/2019)