Rogue Heroes charts the creation of the famed Special Forces unit SAS. Based on the book by Ben Macintyre.
If you told me someone was making a series about the birth of the Special Air Service (SAS), I’d grab my cup of tea, take a dignified sip, and mutter, “Finally, someone gets me.” But then you’d drop that it includes anachronistic 80s rock music, WWII guns that require a literal king’s permission to enter Morocco, and a lot of British lads behaving less like “stiff upper lip” gentlemen and more like extras from Snatch, and I’d have to sit down and reevaluate my life choices.
Enter Rogue Heroes, a series based on Ben Macintyre’s book charting how a ragtag bunch of misfit soldiers created the famed SAS during WWII. It’s part Blackadder Goes Forth, part Mad Max: Desert Edition, and all chaos – the kind of period war series that punches you in the face, apologizes sarcastically, and then steals your car.
Starring The Lad Squad: A Brief Rundown
Leading this merry band of chaos merchants is Connor Swindells (Sex Education). He plays David Stirling, a man described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” which also happens to be my Tinder bio. Stirling is a soldier who spends more time dreaming up crazy schemes than worrying about his lack of a commanding presence. Swindells does an admirable job holding the crew together – imagine a schoolteacher wrangling students with a flamethrower.
Then there’s Jack O’Connell (Unbroken, Skins), who seems to have signed up for a “World’s Angriest Man” competition and is winning. He’s Paddy Mayne, an Irish soldier who drinks, fights, and swears his way through North Africa like he’s lost a bet with life. O’Connell plays Paddy with an energy that says, “I don’t have time for your nonsense; I’m here to punch Nazis and chew scenery.”
Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) plays Jock Lewes – a much calmer soul in comparison. Jock’s the guy who looks like he’s always doing long division in his head while everyone else is throwing Molotov cocktails. Allen’s performance brings a nice counterbalance to the madness, though you can’t watch him without muttering, “Poor Theon Greyjoy.”
And last but not least is Sofia Boutella (The Mummy, Kingsman). Her role as Eve Mansour, a French intelligence officer, adds a needed female perspective to this testosterone-drenched sandstorm. She’s smart, sharp, and reminds the men that, yes, someone here still has functioning brain cells.
The Plot: Crazy Truths and Even Crazier Fiction
The premise? Stirling, Mayne, and Lewes decide that the best way to defeat Rommel and his merry band of desert-dwelling Nazis is to create a clandestine special forces unit. Their strategy includes jumping out of planes in sandstorms, blowing up airfields in the middle of nowhere, and – naturally – swearing profusely while they do it.
The craziest part? Most of it’s true.
Yes, the SAS’s real history is almost as unhinged as this show makes it seem. The stakes are high, the action is intense, and the wild “trust me, this’ll work” mentality feels like a group of drunk engineers trying to build an IKEA shelf with grenades. Stirling and co. didn’t play by the rules, and neither does the series – which is both its greatest strength and biggest flaw.
What I Loved (and Why You’ll Probably Love It Too)
Witty British Humor: The dialogue is drier than a sand dune and twice as sharp. Think classic British quips laced with profanity. There’s something inherently funny about watching men insult each other eloquently while Nazis explode in the background.
Crazy Situations That Are Mostly True: Look, if someone told me “soldiers parachuting into sandstorms” was a thing, I’d call them a liar. Turns out, it’s historical fact – and I’m here for it.
Period Piece Flashback Goodness: If you’re into retro war aesthetics, desert khakis, and vintage weaponry, this show scratches that itch like a burlap onesie.
Action, Action, Action: Gunfights? Check. Explosions? Check. Nazis getting obliterated in creative ways? Double-check. The pacing is solid, and the action feels weighty enough to remind you these guys aren’t just playing soldier.
What I Didn’t Love (Because, Yeah, I’m Picky)
Enough with the Swearing: Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy a good expletive as much as the next guy, but at times it’s like the scriptwriters got bonus points for every F-bomb. A little restraint goes a long way, lads.
Over-the-Top Characters: Yes, these men were mavericks, but occasionally, the performances crank up to “cartoonish.” There’s a fine line between “renegade soldier” and “guy auditioning for WWE Raw.”
Humor Overshadowing the War: War is hell, and while I appreciate the jokes, sometimes they undercut the gravity of what’s happening. Nazis weren’t stand-up comedy material – even if Stirling and crew seem determined to laugh their way through the desert.
You think Rogue Heroes is wild? The production story might be wilder.
The show uses authentic WWII weapons – not replicas. These bad boys were brought into Morocco from a UK vintage armorer, modified to fire blanks, and locked down tighter than my grandpa’s savings account. Due to Moroccan law, the producers even had to get a permit signed by King Mohammed VI to bring the guns in. If that doesn’t scream “commitment,” I don’t know what does.
And because no war series can avoid criticism, let’s address the elephant in the desert: the 1980s rock music. Yes, they scored WWII desert raids with AC/DC and Motorhead – and before you scream, “anachronistic travesty!,” hear me out. The director defended it by saying the SAS never played by the rules, so why should the soundtrack? Fair enough, but I’ll admit, it’s weird watching men in khakis storm airfields to Back in Black.
Oh, and did I mention this is one of the most expensive TV shows ever made for UK television? You can practically see the budget in every explosion, costume, and sandstorm.
The Verdict: 7.2/10
Rogue Heroes is an adrenaline-fueled romp through one of WWII’s craziest untold stories. It’s big, loud, irreverent, and at times, a little too much – but that’s kind of the point. You’ll laugh, you’ll wince, and you’ll probably Google, “Did these lunatics really exist?” Spoiler: Yes, they did.
It’s not perfect, but it’s good fun – and in a TV landscape filled with “prestige” dramas that take themselves too seriously, sometimes you just need to watch a bunch of men blow things up to Motorhead.
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