Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio has admitted that both he and star Keeley Hawes did “milk it” when fans speculated that her character might not really be dead.
The bombing in the third episode, which killed her character Julia Montague, the Home Secretary, was a surprise twist and prompted fans to guess that her character might have secretly survived.
After Newsnight asked viewers for questions for Mercurio on Twitter, Hawes responded: “Is Julia Montague alive…?”
Speaking at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, Mercurio said: “It was something that did take us by surprise, Keeley as well.
Jed Mercurio (Ian West/PA)
“We were quite overwhelmed by the theories that were coming out.
“And we I suppose we did milk it, there were lot of tweets between us but we were texting each other at the same time to keep each other in the loop.”
Asked if he did consider that option, Mercurio said: “Of course, there were only really two outcomes.
“We examine everything, there certainly was that discussion.”
He added: “There was definitely intentional ambiguity and she doesn’t die in that scene, she survives and goes to hospital.
“The choice was that it was instant or there was something to play with dramatically and we thought it was better to have that ambiguity.”
Mercurio said he also considered showing her death on scene but said: “It was purely about the point of view and I think we are all familiar with some shows where you are thinking ‘How is that person witnessing that?’
“If we were staying true to David Budd’s point of view there was no circumstance he would have been allowed in.”
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