Rogue Heroes (TV Series) Episode #1.5 (2022) User Reviews

Very dramatic, leads to the series finale very well.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 6 February 2023]

Paddy is given the mission of training The Free French, in his own unique style, sterling leads a daring mission to Benghazi, with William Churchill's son a spectator.

Hard not to enjoy the sheer octane rush that was the penultimate episode of SAS Rogue Heroes, it's exciting, it's dramatic, it's also a little comical at times.

I had a feeling that The French were going to add a bit of something, and they didn't disallowed, they truly are a mixed bunch, including a couple of Germans.

Amazing production, scenes of an African town draped in Swastikas, that's not something you see very often, the visuals have been on point since the start.

I'm not sure by this stage how they're going to tie it up, considering that we're still in 1942, it seems likely that a second series is going to follow.

Very enjoyable, 8/10.

More story, less character development

[disgracedvicar · 7/10 · 3 November 2022]

An apparently rag-tag bunch of ill-disciplined scruffs watch two truckloads of well-drilled men united under the Free French flag assemble at their desert camp.

There they endure the unorthodox and potentially lethal training regime of Captain Mayne while the chaps go on a jolly to Benghazi.

As the port of Benghazi is firmly in Axis hands they have to resort to subterfuge, riding in a German truck thoughtfully provided by the head of British Intelligence in Cairo along with a passenger, Winston Churchill's son Randolph.

From here on in we seem to halt character development in favour of a straightforward, two dimensional (but entertaining) sequence of our chaps bluffing the somewhat thick Axis troops - the staple of most formulaic WW2 films.

Meanwhile Paddy has managed to unite the French against a common foe - himself. On David's return he learns the cost in a count of broken jaws (2), broken ribs (3) and teeth lying on the mess room floor (several). At least the piano remains intact.

The transport for Randolph Churchill appears and with it David's lover, the French Intelligence head, now that she has exposed her boss as a drunk and incompetent. She talkks with David as the effects of amphetamine and adrenalin are gradually calmed by barbituates. During that time she warns him that the lack of identification codes on the roof of his German truck may have a darker reason than just incompetence on behalf of those who supplied it.

We return to learning more of Paddy's motivations in a scene in his tent where he refuses to apologise to the French but admits to a grudging respect for them. Part of his seeming perpetual anger stems from the loss of his Irish friend Eoin McGonigal in their first disastrous operation. As David surmises, Paddy is unable to lay his ghost to rest until he can locate and properly bury his body.

And then, Paddy having shot a gazelle, a slap-up feed is organised for everyone, French included as , if not an apology, at least a move toward acceptance.

Cracks beginning to surface.

[W011y4m5 · 8/10 · 2 November 2022]

Although I appreciate the general direction this story's being taken in, I must also confess I really wish director Tom Shankland had leaned much further in to the emotional beats of this episode, mostly because they could've been wonderful - had he invested more time in to fleshing out the layered development of the show's characters. That's not to say that he does a bad job here but the last few scenes have so much possible weight - conveying a nuanced, unspoken progression that one character must make in order to move on, triggered by the frank discussion his captain catalyses by finally addressing the elephant in the room which everybody else is blissfully oblivious to (influencing a shift in the dynamic of their relationship & therefore, the story as a whole, since the bond they share is pivotal to the series' narrative arc) - I feel like the way in which it plays out is so unjustifiably fast & underdeveloped (hardly meriting that much attention), an insufficient amount of time is essentially invested in order to truly do the idea justice on screen. Of course, I'm aware it makes coherent sense in terms of the show's pre-established logic (how soldiers barely mourn their dead & learn to avoid forming attachments, exacerbated by toxic masculinity) for the vulnerability to be brief & fleeting, but considering how profound the loss this death has truly been felt, I personally would've liked a deeper emphasis on his grief, exploring it in further detail. Hence, I was unfortunately left wanting MORE - from both the performances he procured from the actors & the potential, brimming within the moments between the lines. On the other hand, I guess it's a period drama, set in 1941; the chances of procuring any kind of honest confession would be slim, since the consequences of doing so might have been catastrophic & jeopardised the trust in the group. You see what I mean? It's complicated & that complexity was missing for me, in short. The exchange seemed far too simplistic.

All in all, I wouldn't say this installment's necessarily underwhelming, but the fatigue of shooting a 6 x 60 minute series in scorchingly hot temperatures definitely seems to have kicked in here, as the energy present at the start is beginning to wane on screen & opportunities that have arisen during production (which - as demonstrated earlier - would've previously been pounced upon) are instead being unfortunately left by the wayside, thoughtlessly.

Plus, as the tone insists on relentlessly maintaining the punky rock "vibe" it's adopted from the outset, it feels increasingly as though the forced "mood" is coming at the expense of the story, encroaching on the crew's abilities to craft truly heartfelt, sincere moments which would likely conflict with the pre-established, jovial atmosphere. Consequently, it's preventing more meaningful conversations being had.

None of this undoes the brilliance of what came before, but by this point, the formula they've created to establish this show's identity should not be bordering on transforming in to a predictable gimmick so soon after its launch, in the very first season... Thus, it is veering perilously close sometimes, here.

Impressive, yet it doesn't quite hit the mark in every respect

[ahmadz839 · 8/10 · 15 November 2022]

This time around, there were a few highlights interspersed with the standard fare. To me, this episode's highlight was the development of Paddy's character through his interactions with the new recruits. Yes, we knew to some extent that Paddy was going through a period of grief, but his genuine inner workings are portrayed here, and towards the end, we begin to see some progress in his character. The remaining elements are standard fare for the show, although it lacks the dynamism of the earlier episodes. Not as good as the last couple of episodes, but still enjoyable.

Rating: 7.8/10 (Impressive)

Episode 5

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 4 December 2022]

The French soldiers arrive on the base and nobody in the SAS unit wants them, least of all Paddy who is tasked on training them.

Stirling manages to persuade Paddy to give the French soldiers a chance. He does it in his own inimitable way. The French soldiers build two 30 foot scaffolds while Paddy takes pot shots at them.

Meanwhile Striling is accompanied by Randolph Churchill, Winston's son as an observer as they make a raid on Benghazi.

Not an episode that will do much to improve Anglo-French relations. At least the French soldiers were multicultural, even with several Germans who were being racist to a Jewish soldier whose family had been taken away by the Nazis.

There was an humane side to Paddy who felt sympathy for the Jewish soldier. Paddy had an opportunity to take a shot at his feet but refused to do so.

The raid at Benghazi would had been better if I could see the action taking place in the dark. It seems to be a feature in this series, unfortunately my night vision is not so good.