David Budd is a war veteran, denying the PTSD wich destroyed his family life. He works now for the police, protecting diplomats and VIPs. Travelling on a train with his two children, he notices suspicious movements. Intrigued, he intervenes and surprises a panicked young woman wearing an explosives belt. The train is stopped, the police arrive, and Budd convinces the young terrorist to surrender. After this heroic act, he is assigned as the principal protection officer (PPO) for the Home Secretary, Julia Montague. She is determined to push through a law that strengthens security at the expense of individual freedoms. She intends to use this text to become Prime Minister. Needless to say, she makes a lot of dangerous enemies. Budd will have to use his military skills and also navigate an unfamiliar arena: politics.
A gripping story that combines adrenaline and reflexion
Adrenaline comes first, with fights, explosions, mutliple threats… The introductory sequence sets the tone. Between terrorist attacks (sometimes thwarted, but not always), vengeful snipers and organized crime, the action is non-stop. An unexpected twist at the end of the third episode lends a darker tone to the rest of the series.
Reflexion is also present : security or liberty ? We cannot have both ! What resources can be deployed to counter terrorists who will stop at nothing? How far are we prepared to go? The series also shows the divisions that run through the various departments in charge of protection: New Scotland Yard, the secret services, the government. These divisions don’t help the investigation and seem to play into the hands of the criminals. Yet they are also a guarantee that no one person can exert too great an influence on a nation’s destiny.
Richard Madden is perfect in a complex and beautiful role : war veteran, suffering PTSD, but bold, extremely brave and efficient when facing imminent threats, he is also a loving father, a lost and fragile husband, and a man.
Miniseries, 6 episodes (60 mn), 2018, BBC One / Netflix
WITH : Richard Madden as PS David Budd, Keeley Hawes as Julia Montague MP, Sophie Rundle as Vicky Budd, Gina McKee as Commander Anne Sampson, Pippa Haywood as CSI Lorraine Craddock, Ash Tandon as DCI Deepak Sharma, Nina Toussaint-White as DS Louise Rayburn, Tom Brooke as Andy Apsted, Stuart Bowman as Stephen Hunter-Dunn, Michael Shaeffer as Richard Longcross, Vincent Franklin as Mike Travis, Paul Ready as Rob MacDonald