Bodyguard, episode 1 review: a thriller so tense you might forget to breathe

Anyone hoping for relaxingly cosy bank holiday weekend viewing – a lavish period drama, perhaps, or a picturesque rural whodunit – would have been shocked out of their sofa stupor by Bodyguard (BBC One). Starting with a suicide bomb attack and only becoming more breathless, this was edge-of-the-seat, shush-the-family fare.

Writer Jed Mercurio has held us in a vice-like grip for four series with the corrupt cop thriller Line of Duty, which remorselessly ratchets up the tension like a Tower of London torturer. His new creation was glossier but equally engrossing.

Line of Duty is renowned for its set piece interview scenes, which unspool at leisurely pace while remaining utterly hypnotic. Mercurio pulled off a similar trick here with the bravura opening sequence, which found Sgt David Budd (Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden), an Aghan war veteran now working for the Met, tackling Islamist terrorists on a crowded train. The action unfolded across 20 mesmerising minutes in a claustrophobic carriage vestibule and agonisingly hinged on a lost mobile phone signal. It was so riveting, I frequently had to remind myself to breathe.

As reward for his bravery, Budd – a sort of Scottish Jack Bauer from 24 – was assigned to protect the Home Secretary, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). He soon found himself torn between his duty and his beliefs. 

Mercurio’s skilful script trod the fine line between topical (there were clear echoes of the Thalys train and London Bridge attacks) and just vague enough (ambitious Montague was reminiscent of Theresa May policy-wise if not personally). It touched on timely issues such as military intervention overseas, state surveillance and social media. 

It was also commendable for putting female characters in positions of power – as well as the Home Secretary, the firearms chief, sniper, bomb disposal expert, broadsheet journalist and Budd’s no-nonsense boss were all women.

Accomplished as it was, this opener fell short of Line of Duty’s drum-tight perfection. Some dialogue didn’t ring true, notably when PTSD-suffering Budd and his ex-army comrades were ranting unconvincingly about politicians. Madden’s acting – all clenched jaws and moody glares – reminded me of James Norton’s blank performance in BBC stablemate McMafia. 

However, such quibbles quickly fall by the wayside. To maintain Bodyguard’s barrelling momentum, the second episode airs tomorrow night, cranking up both the pace and the quality. We’re hooked all over again.