Bodyguard viewers were shocked to discover that the Home Secretary Julia Montague (played by Keeley Hawes) was killed off at the end of the third episode, and the show's creator, Jed Mercurio, has opened up about his decision to write in the shock twist. Chatting to Radio Times, he said: "I like to try to do things that move the story on, and with Bodyguard I wanted to have this event mid-series that would completely alter the dynamic."
© Photo: BBCJed opened up about the plot twist on Bodyguard
The writer, who also penned the popular show Line of Duty, continued: "I remember watching TV as a kid and, whenever there was some sort of jeopardy involving the hero, I could reassure myself that they were what I'd call a 'can't-die' character, so everything would be okay." Game of Thrones fans will be quick to recognise this style of writing, as the show is similarly well-known for killing off its main characters without any warning. Chatting to the sci-fi magazine Galaxy's Edge, he said: "Once you've accepted that you have to include death, then you should be honest … and indicate it can strike down anybody at any time. You don’t get to live forever just because you are a cute kid or the hero's best friend or the hero. Sometimes the hero dies, at least in my books."
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Although Jed and Keeley Hawes have confirmed that Julia was killed in the episode, fans of Bodyguard are not so sure, with one suggesting that her death has been faked. One person wrote: "This is just a nuance of Romeo and Juliet isn't it. She's not really dead. He (tried to) kill himself. Last name Montague. Cracked it #Bodyguard." Discussing the episode on Twitter, one person wrote: "Julia is not dead, it's a ruse to keep her safe and to draw out the people behind wanting her dead. She knew David would be in bits cause they love each other so she got someone to put blanks in his gun... so it didn't turn out like Romeo and Juliet."
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