Rogue Heroes (Season 2) Series focuses on the swashbuckling battles fought by the gutsy British SAS Soldiers Unit in Italy. Incidentally, it offers an entertaining account of the grim World War Two (WWII) period.
Inspired by true events…
But be aware…
This is NOT a history lesson
Series Review [Spoiler-Free]: Rogue Heroes (Season 2, UK, 2025) English
In FOCUS: When the British Spear in World War II decimated the Axis Powers
Founded in 1941 by David Stirling, the Special Air Service (SAS) serves as a prominent special forces unit of the British Army. In case you have come across this show for the first time, then also check out the FM review of the Rogue Heroes (Season 1/2022) Series in our Focus Magazine, to get an idea.
World War II in Brief
Before we delve into the season 2 of the series. Let us revisit the history of the brutal World War II. During World War II, the Axis Powers, which included Germany, Italy, and Japan, were countered by the Allied Powers, spearheaded by Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, five additional countries joined the Axis alliance: Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Croatia. Finally, the Allied Powers won the horrible Second World War, even though, millions died. It is often the case that history is recorded from the perspective of the triumphant.
Steven Knight
Steven Knight, the show creator of the (SAS) Rogue Heroes (2022-2025) has recreated the World War II battle saga in a flashy and flamboyant style. Inspired by the historical tales of bravery narrated in “SAS: Rogue Heroes (2016) Book” by Ben Macintyre, Steven Knight has sprinkled a fair amount of fearlessness, recklessness, madness and audacity into its adaptation for the small screen. However, do not expect depth and mature take on war.
Furthermore, Steven gives us well-etched-out characters and their typical British humour. Besides, the battle sequences were well-choreographed and a bunch of tragic war scenes made us emotional. All of these ingredients induced pathos, laughter, excitement and adrenaline rush among the average viewers like us. No wonder, once again (like the Peaky Blinders series), Steven Knight manages to make war history, an interesting watch. Also, the second season finale suggests that D-Day is going to be SAS’ next mission in Season 3.
Poster
Main Characters
The Special Air Service (SAS) Unit moves onto its next mission on a new terrain in the second season. Away from the deserts of Africa, they entered Europe to defeat the armed forces led by the dictator of Fascist Italy. But the style and gutsy ways of SAS soldiers remained intact. With David Stirling (Connor Swindells) still in jail, Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell) leads the special armed unit.
In this season 2, Paddy Mayne leads from the front and he has certainly emerged as the tough, foul-mouthed, charming and intelligent leader of the pack. He is forced to make many difficult decisions. We loved almost all the soldiers in the original SAS unit and their supporters. But they did not have much to do, except perhaps, Eve Mansour (Sofia Boutella), Bill Stirling (Gwilym Lee), Reg Seekings (Theo Barklem-Biggs), etc.
Ensemble Cast
We liked the entire ensemble cast of the show. However, the performances of Jack O’Connell (Paddy Mayne), Sofia Boutella (Eve Mansour), Connor Swindells (David Stirling), Gwilym Lee (Bill Stirling), Theo Barklem-Biggs (Reg Seekings) did manage to impress us. Maybe because their characters were given more time and extra depth than others.
Rating
| Focus Magazine (FM) Rating of the Series | 3.85/5 |
Conclusion
Despite its name, the Rogue Heroes were a charming and delightful lot, who entertained us on a baser level. On the first of January 2025, it was a wonderful show to binge-watch.
Key Details
| Genre | Action, Drama, Thriller, War |
| Original Language | English (UK) & a bit of Italian, German, French, etc |
| Season | Two (2) |
| Episodes | Six (6) |
| Show Creator | Steven Knight |
| Writers | Ben Macintyre (Book) & Steven Knight |
| Director | Stephen Woolfenden |
| Main Cast | Jack O’Connell (Paddy Mayne), Sofia Boutella (Eve Mansour), Connor Swindells (David Stirling), Gwilym Lee (Bill Stirling), Jacob Ifan (Pat Riley), Theo Barklem-Biggs (Reg Seekings), Stuart Campbell (Bill Fraser), Jacob McCarthy (Johnny Cooper), Bobby Schofield (Dave Kershaw), Corin Silva (Jim Almonds), Jack Barton (John Tonkin), Mark Rowley (Jock McDiarmid), Matthew Thomas-Robinson (Detachment Soldier), Jack Flower (Detachment Soldier), Luke McCarthy (Detachment Soldier), Dominic West (Dudley Wrangel Clarke), etc. |
| Networks | BBC, EPIX, MGM+, etc. |
Trailers & Synopsis
Season 2 of Rogue Heroes presents a scenario where the unit confronts the possibility of disbandment, striving to demonstrate its relevance once more. So, in this dramatised historical series, David Stirling (Connor Swindells) and Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell) recount the formation of the British Army’s Special Air Service (SAS) during the direst moments of World War II.
Notably, a surprising ally emerges in the form of David Stirling’s rigid and formal brother, William Stirling (Gwilym Lee), who commands the SAS unit in David's absence. The six-part series in the second season poses a critical question: Will the impetuous Paddy Mayne comply with the rules to ensure the unit's survival, or will his disdain for authority hinder their progress?
Lastly, check out the fun action scene: Nothing gets in the way of a good tale | SAS Rogue Heroes - BBC | YouTube.
The Poster and Featured Image of the Rogue Heroes (Season 2/2025) Series are credited to MGM+ and BBC.