The Netflix Not List: “Bodyguard:” a show that gives you everything and nothing at the same time

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Graphic by Kiera Wilson

Netflix doesn’t just release bad movies, but it also makes terrible shows. I have an intense hatred for Netflix Originals as many of them have terrible plot lines and actors despite their large budgets. “Bodyguard” is no exception. 

“Bodyguard” is about a war veteran named David (Richard Madden) who is assigned to protect the British Home Secretary (Keeley Hawes) who just so happens to be a very hated woman. After some intense events, he then goes on to chase around an agent named Longcross (Michael Shaeffer) to get some answers. The first season was released on Aug. 26, 2018, and it’s yet to have another. The show was well received, as many couldn’t, and still can’t, wait for the next season. However, I completely disagree, because I was left with nothing but disappointment. 

The trailer and start of the season were promising. I was on the edge of my seat for a majority of the time, and saying that I was hooked on this show is an understatement. As a result, I found myself ignoring things, like bad plot lines, excessive dead space and anti-climactic scenes, that would normally make me stop watching a show in an instant. I ignored all of these things while watching in hopes of getting my mind blown at some point. 

That was my first mistake.

First, let’s talk about the cringey scenes the show is riddled with. “Bodyguard,” like many other action shows and movies, has a good amount of “Are you stupid?” scenes. For instance, the police were confused on where a bomb went off while they were watching security footage frame by frame, which clearly showed where the bomb exploded.

Another issue is the quality of the series. “Bodyguard” is a British film, and although there are beautiful moments of cinematography, there are also really awkward moments. Sometimes, the show was completely fine, and other times, it felt like an English-dubbed anime. Plus there were large amounts of dead space that are supposed to feel intense, but in the end add nothing to the film. There was one specific scene where David is just walking around his apartment and that’s it.

My last issue with the show is the number of broken promises my heart had to deal with. The show had so much potential, but they put all their eggs into one basket, and once that basket broke, the show became a waste of time. There were many things that I looked forward to and none of them were fulfilled. What was Agent Longcross actually up to? For most of the series David was pursuing him, yet we got nothing from it.

All in all, I’d give this show a five out of 10. It deserves to be on the “Netflix Not List” purely for the consistency issues and lack of keeping an audience satisfied. One moment, you think it’s the best show in the world, and the next, you realize it is the worst.