Rogue Heroes Season Two Review

For our review of the last season of Rogue Heroes, click here.

The first season of Rogue Heroes (otherwise known as SAS: Rogue Heroes) offered up a different kind of WWII drama where the titular group of British soldiers were unleashed into the unforgiving desert landscape of Cairo. Running at an irregular pace that made it feel both too slow and too fast, it still left plenty of chaos in its wake as the ragtag group came into their own as a team than ran to the beat of their own drum with careless abandon. This made them so interesting and compelling to watch across the six episodes of that first season. Their evolving dynamic over the course of the season was a blast as leads Jack O’Connell and Connor Swindells emerged as true stars. With their chemistry carrying much of that first season, O’Connell’s Paddy Maine, and his unhinged energy, took it to another level. When it comes to the newest season, the situation has become a lot more serious. Operating on a proverbial island for so long, it was time for them to leave the comfort of the desert and truly join the fight, now without Swindells’ David Stirling following his capture as a prisoner of war. As the unit moved from Egypt to Italy, the change in setting proved to be big.

Following the events of the first season, the SAS was left on the brink as their future moving forward was in doubt. With David Stirling captured, command of the unit was essentially left to Paddy, a position he was reluctant to accept. Little did he know, the SAS were given the chance to prove themselves once again thanks to David’s older brother, Bill Stirling (Gwilym Lee), as they were tasked to travel to Italy to assist with the liberation of the country from the hands of the Germans and Mussolini’s fascist government. Operating for so long in their own corner of the desert and playing by their own rules, killing nazis and leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. The level of camaraderie amongst the unit proved to be a powerful thing and uprooting by shipping them off to Italy threatened to disrupt that dynamic. This adjustment came with a learning curve as their cavalier behavior would not translate in this new battlefield where there were more civilians present. That learning curve could be felt as their new reality appeared to affect them once it was clear that the stakes were raised this time around.

Meanwhile, the loss of David seemed to affect Paddy the most as he was the real leader of the unit and someone he had come to respect. Bill just wasn’t the same when it came to his dynamic with him, but Bill was well aware of what he was stepping into after getting well-versed by his younger brother about Paddy and his many eccentricities. Like most of his unit, he continued to hold onto the memories of what he considered to be the “good old days” in the desert where David played a major role. Largely disconnected from the rest of the war, the SAS quickly found themselves faced with its harsh realities as they saw the consequences of their actions as part of a war that was much bigger than them. Once again, the unit was tasked to hit Italian soil first, operating behind enemy lines as a means to clear a path for the oncoming allied forces.

As opposed to the first season, there is more action as the pace of the season improves overall, using expositional text and archival footage to move things along. Along those lines, a more serious tone allows the series time to explore the characters on a deeper level as they adjusted to being in a war. Being tested both physically and mentally, the most notable is Jack O’Connell’s Paddy, bringing layers of pain to the normally erratic character, he had some growing up to do as he truly came into his own as a leader. For those wondering about the whereabouts of David Stirling, he lingered around. A prisoner of war imprisoned in a remote Italian jail, he spent a large part of his time writing letters to Bill, Paddy, and Eve, and plotting his eventual escape. Showing up just enough to remind viewers that he still exists, the season could just as easily have left him on the sidelines. Speaking of Eve, she was her usual pesky self. Always having an angle, she systematically worked to get closer to Paddy and the SAS while also lobbying the British military to assist in the liberation of the currently occupied France.

Delivering more in the action department, what was ultimately more compelling about this season of Rogue Heroes is what it does with its characters. Kept afloat by its performances, its cast all deliver for the most part, with their chemistry standing out even more this season. These characters (and the cast), at this point, are tried and tested and it shows across the performances. The stellar chemistry across the members of the SAS, and the members of a newly created unit, made for engaging characters to become invested in. However, the best part of the season is O’Connell’s aforementioned performance as Paddy Mayne. He brings more depth to the wildest of wildcards as he tries to maintain a strong face, in spite of the realities he and his unit were facing, while longing for his best friend and the memories of his time in the desert. Putting his range on display, he was a consummate delight to watch as Paddy’s arc kept the season going.

At the end of the day, the newest season of Rogue Heroes is an improvement over the first as its more serious tone leads to more compelling results.

still courtesy of BBC

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.