Bodyguard episode 5 review: David Budd’s government conspiracy

Bodyguard episode 2

Tonight, Bodyguard episode 5 wasted little time raising the stakes, and right when you didn’t think that there was a way for this show to get even more intense.

Yet, here we are. In the wake of the death of Julia Montague, David Budd was on the warpath to uncover what he felt was a vast government conspiracy to take her out and discredit her. To make matters worse, he was being set up as a possible patsy or an unreliable witness.

To make matters even worse, near the end of the episode David found himself sent off from duty after it was revealed that he tried to take his own life last week. The entire case was built against him in a fashion where it was more than clear that he would have a hard time bouncing back from this. How could he, given everything that he was accused of and the evidence that was against him? He had to turn in his gun and also his blue card; because of all of this, on paper it feels like he doesn’t have all that much of a future.

Yet, do you really think David’s going to give up on this? He recognizes the fact that he was screwed over by someone, and he’s now desperate to figure out who. The evidence that he has is obvious, whether it be the death of Julia to someone outing the romantic connection that the two had. He feels on an island, and as though he is the only person who can make things better.

This was the strength of Bodyguard tonight, as the show did a rather brilliant job of setting the stakes for David moving into the finale. He is now a man completely on his own, desperate to find some sort of answers for what really happened without a whole lot of support. He’s left to investigate on his own, knowing that if someone catches him, let alone exposes his work, more than just his career will be in jeopardy. He still has a family and other people he cares about, and those people could also be in danger.

CarterMatt Verdict

Bodyguard episode 5 reminded us once more that this show is as intense and as well-acted as any on British television this year. While we would argue that the writers could do a better job when it comes to establishing clear adversaries and building them up further, watching David become more and more like the boy who cried wolf does make for compelling television very much in its own right.

Related Be sure to get some other news regarding Bodyguard moving forward!

What did you think about Bodyguard episode 5 overall? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments!

Meanwhile, remember that you can like CarterMatt on Facebook now in the event you want some other information regarding the series. (Photo: BBC.)

Love TV? Be sure to like Matt & Jess on Facebook for more updates!