The second season of the BBC One's World War II drama, "SAS Rogue Heroes," explosively debuts, as the nascent commando unit, now helmed by the unpredictable Lt. Paddy Mayne (Jack O'Connell), ventures beyond the African deserts to spearhead an audacious assault on Italy. Penned by Steven Knight, the genius behind "Peaky Blinders," this six-episode saga unfolds in the spring of 1943, laying the groundwork for a heart-pounding, action-laden sequel to the SAS legend.
The episode kicks off with Paddy Mayne in Cairo, grappling with a melancholic and turbulent mindset, following the denial of his leave to mourn at his father's funeral. His anger, like a coiled spring, finally snaps, leading to a violent clash with the Military Police. This intense, opening sequence sets the stage for the series, highlighting Mayne's volatile temperament and the profound personal turmoil that racks his soul.
As Mayne finds himself incarcerated in a military prison, Lt. Col. Bill Stirling (Gwilym Lee), the brother of the captured David Stirling, visits him with a proposal. Bill, who toils in the shadows of military intelligence, uncovers a damning revelation: the British high command is contemplating the dismantling of the SAS. He suspects that Paddy's leave was deliberately denied to provoke a violent reaction, a stark testament to the machinations within the military hierarchy. Despite their differences, Bill enlists Paddy's help to salvage the SAS, aiming to forge him into the "sharpest point of the spear" in the relentless push to reclaim Europe.
In the bustling streets of London, French spy Eve Mansour (Sofia Boutella) convenes with British intelligence officer Lt. Col. Dudley Clarke (Dominic West). Eve, who cherishes letters from her beloved David Stirling, incarcerated in an Italian POW camp, is equally intrigued to learn that the SAS has been rechristened the SRS (Special Raiding Squadron) by Bill Stirling. This renaming not only signals a shift in tactics but also a transformation in the unit's strategic significance.
The narrative then pivots to the bustling Port of Suez, where the SRS, now augmented by fresh recruits such as Cpl. James "Jock" McDiarmid (Mark Rowley) and Lt. John Eliot Tonkin (Jack Barton), undergoes rigorous training for a daunting mission. A fiery altercation between Jock and Reg Seekings (Theo Barklem-Biggs) hints at the intertwined tension and camaraderie that will forge the soldiers into a cohesive unit.
Paddy Mayne's recitation of a poignant quote from William Blake's "A War Song to Englishmen" amplifies the sheer magnitude of their impending task, as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Stirling steps forward to brief them on the operation. Skepticism lingers among the soldiers regarding Stirling's rank and reputation; however, their doubts are swiftly quelled by the staggering revelation that the General Headquarters anticipates a fifty percent fatality rate for their forthcoming mission.
The SRS is entrusted with spearheading an extraordinary operation that encompasses 3,000 ships and a formidable force of 160,000 soldiers from the British 8th Army and the US 7th Army. Their directive: to assault the formidable coastal defenses of Sicily, which are fortified with machine gun nests, barbed wire entanglements, and treacherous minefields. The success of the main offensive hangs by a thread, contingent upon the SRS's capacity to neutralize these defenses before the break of dawn.
As the SRSReadies for their daring mission aboard the Ulster Monarch, Paddy Mayne delivers a grim update—Allied troops are stranded in the treacherous waters, their gliders having fallen short of the designated landing zone. He underscores the paramount importance of their mission, prioritizing it above any acts of mercy, thereby setting a harsh yet indispensable tone for the soldiers.
The emotional turmoil is almost tangible as the SRS approaches the Sicilian shore, their ears ringing with the desperate screams of their comrades stranded in the water. The intensity ratchets up as they plunge into a relentless firefight with the Italian defenses. Paddy's fervent battle cry, "Kill Italians!", galvanizes them into a fierce charge up the bluffs, leading to a grim and sanguinary confrontation.
Reg Seekings emerges as a beacon of bravery, his daring attack breaking the deadlock and compelling the remaining Italians to surrender. Paddy's astute observation that the enemy capitulated due to their belief in the attackers' superior numbers underscores the potent role of psychological warfare. The episode concludes with Paddy igniting a flare, a signal for the remainder of the attack to commence ashore. Meanwhile, news of the invasion reaches David Stirling in his POW camp, fostering a poignant and poignant connection between the frontline warriors and the captive hero.
This episode of "SAS Rogue Heroes" is a harrowing and immersive portrayal of war's physical and psychological turmoil, highlighting the SAS's unwavering bravery, the brutality of conflict, and the intricate moral dilemmas they confront as they valiantly strive to reclaim mainland Europe.
