A Game Of Thrones Star's Thriller Miniseries Is The Perfect Weekend Netflix Binge

By the time Richard Madden came to star in 2021's "Eternals," he was used to playing characters torn between love and duty. No more was that obvious than in 2018's "Bodyguard," in which the actor portrayed a PTSD-plagued soldier tasked with protecting a hawkish Conservative Home Secretary. Madden left "Game of Thrones" in 2013 after having played Robb Stark for three seasons prior to his death in the infamous "Red Wedding." Next to that, "Bodyguard" might just be his best role to date, and you can stream the entire series in one weekend, easy.

The show is created, written, and executive produced by Jed Mercurio, creator of one of the best British crime dramas ever made, "Line of Duty." With "Bodyguard," Mercurio switched from police procedural to political/crime thriller, following Madden's war veteran David Budd as he begins working as a Specialist Protection Officer for London's Metropolitan Police Service. As a soldier, Budd served in Afghanistan, and remains haunted by his experiences even while he does all he can to ignore his obvious post-traumatic stress disorder. It doesn't exactly help that his assignee is ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), who is proudly pro-war and supports increased surveillance powers for the military. Budd suddenly finds himself torn between his own beliefs and his duty to protect his new charge.

"Bodyguard" is mercifully short relative to many other streaming series. The crime thriller comprises just six episodes, making it an easy watch for those looking for a premium series that doesn't require hours and hours of investment.

"Bodyguard" became a big hit in the United Kingdom, where it originally aired on BBC One and drew record viewership figures. It also garnered critical acclaim. At the time of writing, "Bodyguard" maintains a 93% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 71 reviews. Particular praise went to Richard Madden for his lead performance, with Melinda Houston and Debi Enker of the Sydney Morning Herald writing, "Madden plays Budd like a time bomb poised to detonate, revealing a man scarred by his wartime experiences." Similarly, Karen Han of Vox surmised that "the series is ultimately Madden's," adding that the leading man "handily proves he's capable of much, much more than brooding as King in the North."

But there's more to "Bodyguard" than Madden. The show is a perfect Netflix miniseries you can binge in one day, thanks to the fact it's a single season of just six episodes. As of now, there are no plans for a second season, making "Bodyguard" a nicely self-contained thriller. But just because it's easily imbibed doesn't mean it's simplistic. Jed Mercurio crafted an intelligent political thriller with a very simple premise that allows him to dramatize the clash between upper and working classes — liberal and conservative politics — with explosive and compelling results. 

It also allows him to address important real-world political issues surrounding military intervention and surveillance, making for one of the best crime shows on Netflix right now and one of Mercurio's most memorable projects — which, considering his filmography, is saying something. "Bodyguard" is available to stream on Netflix right now.