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Richard Madden in character as David Budd, who looks concerned while covered in blood
Richard Madden in character as David Budd, who looks concerned while covered in blood Photograph: Sophie Mutevelian/World Producti/PA
Richard Madden in character as David Budd, who looks concerned while covered in blood Photograph: Sophie Mutevelian/World Producti/PA

'Barely credible – but who cares?': your Bodyguard reviews

This article is more than 5 years old

The Guardian said the BBC drama’s finale was an “ultimately unsophisticated resolution” – now it’s over to you

‘Such a good start ended so very, very poorly’

Rushed, weak, disappointing – Bodyguard fell apart with extraordinary speed, betraying its haste with almost embarrassing levels of exposition and stepping so far beyond plausibility as to be plain silly. If someone had told me that an entirely different writing team had been brought in at the last minute to wrap it all up in the shortest possible time, and to hell with believability, I could believe this as the result. The entire, tediously prolonged, suicide vest scene was absurd. A big surprise, but only because such a good start ended so very, very poorly. Milton

‘Minor quibbles, but it’s been brilliant fun’

The whole section with the suicide vest was so tense because I kept hearing Jed Mercurio’s “no one is safe” mantra over and over. I kept waiting for the vest to detonate or a trigger happy police marksman to shoot. It kind of unravelled into a slightly unsatisfying exposition dump thereafter. I found Nadia’s heel turn as a skilled bomb maker not exactly unconvincing, and why confess now after playing the sacrificial lamb so convincingly? Minor quibbles, but it’s been brilliant fun. Barely credible at any stage – but who cares. So glad they didn’t resurrect Julia. mikebhoy

‘Gripping, with more twists and turns than Nureyev’

As compulsive a watch as in many a year, and thank you BBC for bringing it into our living rooms. Gripping, with more twists and turns than Nureyev, an entire spectrum of characters who made you hang onto every scene: this was undoubtedly outstanding television drama and will be very difficult to shift in terms of quality across the board. It was raw and uncompromising, but above all, it treated its audience with respect, without cutting corners. I only wish more dramas were like this. 25aubrey

‘It was good while Keeley Hawes was in it…’

The dialogue was appalling in places – for me [Jed] Mercurio has phoned in this [final episode]. It was good while Keeley Hawes was in it: she was an interesting character and Hawes is sparkling. After she’d gone it just got silly. Preposterous nonsense. TheVenerableBeads

‘The confession was straight out of a Scooby Doo episode’

Nadia’s reveal as the bomb maker was ridiculous and totally inconsistent with her character to date. Aside from how she managed to construct such “sophisticated devices” from prison, her sudden confession was straight out of a Scooby Doo episode. The only thing she was missing was a moustache to twirl. She would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for the meddling Budd.

Nadia in episode one. Photograph: BBC

On a separate note, Budd was unconscious when the suicide vest was strapped to him (his thumb was taped over the pressure sensor detonator, but there wasn’t any need for him to press down to maintain pressure). Why did this change when he regained consciousness? HeartOfGeranium

‘No amount of great acting, directing, fab music etc can detract from this appalling ending’

So many jump the shark moments. The “head shot authorised” so everyone can hear – but nobody can be arsed to take. Plus Budds’ amazing skills in escaping from not just a suicide vest but hundreds of police and a media helicopter. Plus the clunky and rushed dialogue. And truly awful “come on kids, me and your mum are back together, I just needed some counselling, let’s holiday.” Awful. No amount of great acting, directing, fab music etc can detract from this appalling ending. thedemonduckofdoom

‘Tense, but plotholes made it difficult to enjoy’

Excruciatingly tense in places, but so many plotholes made it hard to properly enjoy. A trained officer would never have sat with his back to the room as he did while having a drink with Chanel, which led to him being captured. Spouses are never let near those kind of scenes (suicide threats, not just bombs but jumpers too.) Often their presence inflames the situation. Similarly, any officer behaving like Rayburn did, shouting at David while he was still in the vest, would have been removed immediately. Tensions have to be managed down not up. Craddock being the inside woman felt like, “ah well, let’s just pick one” … and Nadia as bombmaker? Bombmakers don’t wear their own bombs! No organisation would willingly sacrifice someone with such expertise. Ventoux

‘Anjli Mohindra was outstanding’

Brilliant. Superbly acted all around, and I loved the way the story came full circle with David, who started out in episode one by preventing the detonation of a suicide bomb vest and ended up in episode six doing the exact same thing. Anjli Mohindra was outstanding; I knew Nadiya had been playing everyone the instant David mentioned his kids, but I hadn’t suspected her at all up until then. I’d been too busy trying to sort out all the other red herrings. I suspect, incidentally, that this is a hopeless plea, but please, Mr Mercurio, don’t write a second series. You couldn’t possibly do better than this. Genevastar

‘Richard Madden would fit right in as Bond’

I really enjoyed Bodyguard until tonight’s episode. The whole ‘man walks through London wearing a bomb vest’ was too much, and when I thought it was coming back to reality with him cutting the wires (which was genuinely tense) it jumped the shark again by him jumping over the wall and disappearing within seconds.

How can a person who is surrounded by the police (ok, they were a bit further back in the event it exploded) and in view of the helicopter flying above just vanish? That was too much I thought. Maybe I’m being harsh. The storyline was really enjoyable, but it went a bit OTT tonight to try and keep the “Budd solves it all” theory going. Then again, it shows Richard Madden would fit right in as Bond. Notadentist

‘I hope my submission of a Bodyguard series two script satisfies you…’

To the people who say it wasn’t realistic, I hope my submission of a Bodyguard series two script satisfies you. It’s six hours of watching a bloke standing in front of a door looking left and right, juxtaposed with him at home watching Sky News and eating ready meals. Not as good as series one, I admit, but “totally realistic”. Spoiler alert, at one point he thinks he might be getting a cold. (Or could it be an infection??? You’ll have to watch and find out!). Jimmee

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