SAS Rogue Heroes

This is an outrageously over the top take on a mostly true story. Some people have been moaning that the soundtrack, mainly rock and punk are wrong for this show, as is the bad language but I think it gives it a real punch, and I'm in no doubt that bad language would have been rife in this unit of men.

It's superbly acted and the one hour episodes just fly past, which made me very happy to see the whole series was available to watch on the BBC iplayer to binge watch.

It's full of mad characters that you can't help but love and feel for, and the whole show makes you wish it was longer.

All in all I cannot fault this show, or it's soundtrack.

The second series grates with. Jack O'Connells awful faux Irish accent. It's too focused on his character unlike Series 1 which was more rounded. After fifteen minutes he just tires you out with his drawl.

My grandpa was in L Section as it was known in WW2. He wasn't a swaggering cartoon character but the real deal. Quietly stoic and a gentleman.

As for cinematography it is very high quality with good continuity and authentic sets. The costumes are realistic although it was practically unheard of to see a woman in trousers in that period so I would criticise it on that.

Series 2 doesn't have the same energy as Series 1. More dialogue and less action...

Having read the book this series is based on and having read the incredible bravery of men such as Paddy Maine. I thought Steven Knight and the BBC have done an amazing job of bringing these characters who I had only previously read about bought to life. These men may have been part of the British Army but in reality they were mercenaries, who conducted there own war by there own rules. This really is a high quality production with authentic weapons uniforms all forms of transport. And the raid scenes on the various airfields are as good as anything Netflix or even Hollywood could come up with especially the raid in episode 6 which is truly spectacular.

All the performances are excellent. In particular Jack o Connell as the mad fearless Irishman Paddy Maine. 9/10.

Having watched all 6 episodes of this new series, I can confidently say each chapter continues to build upon the established foundations of its previous installment with a genuine energy & enthusiasm I can't help but appreciate; creator & executive producer Steven Knight partners with the brilliant director Tom Shankland & together, the two of them have taken a risk & approached this adaptation in refreshingly self aware way with their artistic representations of historical events which seem (for the most part) utterly absurd, so neither try & depict them as anything other than that.

In fact "SAS: Rogue Heroes" unapologetically embraces its quirkiness & revels in its own peculiarity, confronting the craziness of its protagonists (& the surreal circumstances they regularly find themselves in) head on, having the bravery to simply enjoy the silliness of its own premise & therefore, never feels the need to compensate by over explaining or complicating anything, trying too hard in order to sell the outlandish narrative to prospective audiences who are watching etc. Ultimately, you either believe it or you don't, it doesn't really care - as long as you're having fun. Any further research (for accuracy) can be done in your own time - but the launch is too busy reflecting the majority of its characters, defying orders & rebelling against conventionality, happily doing its own thing - in spite of what others may think of its creative choices.

Of course, I can comprehend that shift in tone & direction may be a shock for fans of Knight's previous hit "Peaky Blinders" (distinctively serious in its brooding melancholy) since they've grown accustomed to similar "vibes" consistently being present throughout other projects (helmed by the writer) like "Taboo" & his macabre retelling of "A Christmas Carol" (until it almost predictably became his brand) but this arguably seems like the antidote; an audacious divergence from what we'd typically expect from him, acting as a pleasing palette cleanser which is far less heavy & easy to digest. Of course, that's not to everyone's personal tastes (so nobody is obligated to be satisfied by this sudden differentiation), but I like it - & think others shall too. After such a massive cultural phenomenon, I'd additionally argue this thematically feels like the perfect follow-up to that high point in his career; chronicling an ensemble of young, underestimated, mismatched, rag-tag underdogs (descendants from legends) who wish to thrive, carving out a new legacy in their own space, stepping out from under their forebear's shadows, liberating themselves from what they perceive to be the stifling shackles of "normality" & solidifying a possible future whilst freeing each other of the burden of expectation from what came before, in the past. Quite fitting, considering the circumstances of its release, wouldn't you say? One could even surmise the message it conveys is deliberate - especially since tales of journeying in to the desert are often synonymous with finding one's self again, after grappling with loss of / identity.

I actually enjoyed Rogue Heroes much more than I thought I would. I was entertained from the very first episode to the last. I was so into it I binged the entire first season (which is only six episodes but still) in a day and a half. I was already a fan of Jack O'Connell and Alfie Allen from some of their other work and both are great here too. This is the crazy true story of how the S. A. S. Was formed and the enormous impact they had on the war. On top of the show being wildly entertaining, the soundtrack is just as good. I just read this has been renewed for a second season and I can't wait.