"Freaking good" – US viewers and critics react to Bodyguard on Netflix

As Bodyguard hits Netflix, reviews from critics and viewers in America have started to roll in.

In the UK, the series one finale of Jed Mercurio’s BBC1 drama was the country’s most watched drama TV episode since current records began in 2002, attracting 17.1 million viewers across 28 days.

But how has the thriller about a bodyguard protecting the Home Secretary gone down across the pond?

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Well, all six episodes were released on Netflix on Wednesday 24 October, meaning that intrigued viewers have been able to binge the whole series at once.

In the UK, of course, the show aired weekly.

Indeed, the review on Vulture remarked on how “instantly bingeable” the drama is.

“The machinations of this series and the dynamics between its political personalities create a complicated puzzle that demands to be solved,” the article says.

“That’s one of the factors that makes Bodyguard so instantly bingeable: you can’t let go until you figure out how all those pieces fit together.”

• Bodyguard on Netflix: everything you need to know about the hit BBC TV series

However, other viewers think Bodyguard would be better if they hadn't watched it all at once... if only to reduce the stress levels.

Or just because it allows fans to relish in the suspense a bit more…

Amusingly, lots of American viewers have remarked on the British accents in the drama.

The difference in pronunciation can lead to some confusion. For example, Sergeant David Budd’s use of the word “ma’am” when addressing his seniors in the police force (and the Home Secretary) can make it sound like he is talking to his mother... or as Americans would say - his "mom".

The Hollywood Reporter’s review praises Bodyguard’s “pulse-pounding action and brain-bending twists” but concedes it can be “massively confusing” at times.

Deadline strikes a more negative note however, saying, “Unfortunately, full of filler where there should be thriller, Bodyguard just can’t get the job done, literally or figuratively.”

But judging by the early reactions online, Bodyguard could be about to win over a whole new audience on Netflix...

Bodyguard is available on Netflix internationally now

This article was originally published on 25 October 2018