The second season of SAS Rogue Heroes is a huge disappointment. Where the first season of SAS Rogue Heroes was refreshing, this second season turns out to be a very poor result. It is a kind of in-between season in which it only becomes clear at the end what it is - hopefully - really about. This season is mainly an ode to whining. Paddy keeps complaining for an entire season that his SAS is not being used properly. Bill, the brother of David Stirling, who was captured in the first season, should especially listen to this. Bill is assigned to manage the SAS and add a new division to it. That is not exactly appreciated by the old guard of the SAS.
The humor of the first season is barely present. The series has started to take itself too seriously, which means it lacks a wink. The sophisticated mix between image and sound also lags far behind. The music played quite a major role in the first season. The hard rock songs fit well with the images that were shown. This does not come to fruition due to the largely absence of action scenes. This season is much more about waiting for new orders. That gives Paddy plenty of room to whine about what is being done to him and his mates. It is of course difficult to put good music there.
Where the first season was refreshing, this second season turns out to be a very poor result.
The action that is shown perhaps shows the biggest problem. The Germans and Italians are mainly defenseless victims. They shoot a lot but hit few. Even when it concerns well-trained Germans who have been serving in the war for some time. The SAS shots often hit their target. It's clear that we're watching a series created by the victors. It lacks historical awareness and realism. This was disguised in the first season by the humor used and the fact that history was only magnified to create a flashy story.
The only exception to this elegy is the episode in which Reg, played well by Theo Barklem-Biggs, takes care of an Italian family. Reg becomes increasingly depressed about fighting and killing opponents. It causes a mental crisis. This crisis is intensified by everything that is happening around him. His sometimes lethargic state makes it difficult for his colleagues to cope. After all, they are more into fighting, fooling around with each other and above all not having difficult conversations about feelings with each other. This makes it extra difficult for Reg to deal with his feelings.
This season is mainly an ode to whining.
In addition, the series scores on David Stirling's story. His captivity and attempts to escape make for a nice story. Especially when the change of power from Italians to Germans takes place. On the other side of the spectrum you can say that there are also many nonsensical storylines that have little added value. For example, the usefulness of Eve Mansour and Dominic West is a big question mark as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes I understand the added value, but in general the question is what their role delivers.
This season is a big disappointment. It seems like what made SAS: Rogue Heroes so much fun is gone this season. A lost season and clearly a prelude to the next, especially if you watch the last episode. By the final scene you know enough, the only question is whether there will be any viewers left another season.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
