Rogue Heroes Season 2 has arrived on MGM+ after debuting on BBC One, and anyone looking for an exciting diversion will find the wait worth it. The season opener is a wild adventure full of action, sarcastic humor and dark comedy as it continues the story of the iconic Special Air Service (SAS), adapted from the book of the same name by Ben McIntyre. The series is definitely not for everyone, but those who like their adventure shows to be tongue-in-cheek will have a lot of fun.

Season 2, Episode 1, “Episode One” reinstated Rogue Heroes like no ordinary military TV show. After an almost eerily calm opening scene, the episode descends into chaos – both on and off screen. Even when the characters have slowed down, the series continues to grab the viewer’s attention with rock music tracks and unmissable graphics. There are times when it almost becomes too much, but no one can say the show is playing it safe.

Rogue Heroes Season 2 Pulls No Punches (Literally)

Season 2, Episode 1 begins violently and rarely slows down

Rogue Heroes — also known as SAS: Rogue Hero — is the fruit of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, which might surprise some viewers. The two shows are completely different; one is a gangster series and the other is a war drama. But both of them are not at all shy. It takes two scenes to Rogue Heroes The season 2 premiere is going to get lopsided. Paddy Mayne’s reaction, stuck in Egypt instead of attending his father’s funeral, is to destroy an entire table in a crowded restaurant, then attack the multiple military police who came to subdue him. Of course, he ends up in a military prison, but only after significant damage has been done.

The scene is only briefly foreshadowed by Paddy’s narrative, in the form of a letter to his mother explaining what happened and how upset he is about it. So there’s still a huge element of surprise when he starts destroying property – and then a second curveball when he decides to eliminate the military police. Many shows would have ended with the table breaking, feeling like the emotional point had been proven, but Rogue Heroes goes the extra mile. This creative choice sums up the entire rest of the episode and, indeed, the series as a whole. That and all the characters in it just take a bit more.

There are two more action scenes in the season 2 premiere: one during the training of the newly reinvented unit, and then the episode-ending assault on Italy, which marks the start of the invasion of Europe by the Allies. Audiences looking for excitement will definitely find it right from the start. There’s also a relatively refreshing lack of gore in the opening episode; even though there are dark situations, Knight never feels the need to throw them in the audience’s face. He makes his point and moves on. But anyone new to the series, or more accustomed to standard war films and TV series, will definitely be shaken by Rogue Heroes“more cavalier approach.

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Rogue heroes sometimes struggle with their character

The addition of Gwilym Lee is a highlight of the season 2 premiere

Under all the punches, screams and shots, the scenario of Rogue Heroes The Season 2 premiere is that the SAS are on the chopping block after the events of Season 1. This prompts the introduction of Lt. Col. Bill Stirling, played by Gwilym Lee, who audiences will know from his roles as Brian May in the biopic Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody and DS Charlie Nelson in Midsomer Murders. Lee just finished a three-season run on Hulu The Greatand although both shows are historical pieces with a healthy dose of humor, his role in Rogue Heroes has a completely different purpose.

Bill is essentially the right man to the shenanigans of Paddy and the rest of the unit – which he early on renames the Special Raiding Squadron (SRS). He’s the foil that keeps the group on track and keeps the show from just being a free-for-all. Lee is wonderful in the role, in the same way he was wonderful as Brian May. He brings a grounded presence that allows the other characters to stand out even more. He also has the task of providing much of the necessary exposition, which he does effortlessly. The real pleasure will only arrive when Bill finds his brother David, whose status as a prisoner of war is affirmed very early on and who appears in the final scene of the premiere. But there’s enough about Bill to make him interesting.

Rogue Heroes Season 2 also adds a few new members to the team, in addition to bringing back old characters. This is where he runs into a problem common to many war projects: having a large cast that blends in somewhat. Especially when most of the soldiers have the same brutal personality, it’s hard to latch on to anyone other than Paddy and Bill – and Withers the dog, who provides the best moment of levity in the entire episode. Amid the team’s infighting, audiences can spend a few minutes with an adorable dog and turn the volume down a few notches. There’s also a side story with Eve Mansour and Dudley Clarke back in London, but all in all, Eve confirms what the SAS/SRS are already doing, so the dog ends up being more fun.

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Rogue Heroes’ music and visuals set the show apart

They could also become a distraction for some viewers

Another element of Rogue Heroes what makes the show distinctive is the way it is presented. Its visual language and use of rock music make the series as aggressive as the characters it follows. The on-screen titles that tell the audience where and when a scene takes place couldn’t be bigger, and the creative team has fun crossing out and updating some of the on-screen text, like when the SAS is renamed SRS. In a way, this is helpful, especially for anyone who doesn’t know their military history or needs a refresher. In other ways, these choices may be a bit overkill.

For example, highlighting Paddy’s breakdown with a rock song, and then having the camera slow down at certain points for added visual emphasis, makes the whole sequence feel like a scene from a Guy Ritchie film. None of this seems to add anything to what is already a surprising moment. Especially because actor Jack O’Connell is totally unleashed, it would have been more effective to just let the fight scene exist on its own and let the audience simmer for those few breathtaking minutes. it may not fit the tone of the series, but it would have been an even more exciting watch.

Visually, the use of black-and-white footage can also take viewers out of the narrative, even though it provides context about the state of the world in relation to the characters’ mission. But the biggest flaw of Rogue Heroes The season 2 premiere shows just how dark the climactic nighttime action is. This is a major moment, as the SRS team clears the way for the invasion force behind them, which in turn officially kicks off the attempt to liberate Europe from the Nazis . But even considering it’s a nighttime engagement, the scenes are too dark for the audience to follow, so viewers have to guess what’s happening from the sound and dialogue. It is only in the final moments of the fight and the wide shot of the arriving fleet that the epic scale of the situation truly becomes apparent. Rogue Heroes Season 2 is a lot of fun breaking away from war tropes, and it certainly doesn’t rest on its laurels, but it also has some problems – as does the regiment it follows.

Rogue Heroes airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. on MGM+.

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Release date

October 30, 2022

Creator(s)

Steven Knight

Cast

Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Allen, Jacob Ifan, Sofia Boutella, Corin Silva, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Bobby Schofield

Benefits

• The show does not lack action or humor.
• Gwilym Lee is a welcome addition to the Season 2 cast.

Disadvantages

• Some battlefield scenes are too dark to appreciate.
• New audiences may find the music and graphics offensive.