SAS Rogue heroes

[Boffle]

I can't find a thread on this?
Season 1 was the best TV of the year imo in 2023. I'm just rewatching season one before I start S2.
I love it. The characters, the history, the settings and the music ( well the punk and rock).
I'm aware that Paddy Maine's family are unhappy with it but it's a fictional account and even if inaccurate I love Jack O'Connell's version.

I liked series one, watching this one but I'm not convinced yet. O'Connell's depiction of Mayne just seems so ott. He was apparently widely respected by all his men and not the sweary psycho portrayed. I know it is a drama not a documentary but if you put someone's name to a character I do think they should do them justice.

It is enjoyable to watch though, find Eve the French secret service woman a bit ridiculous.

I don't think Paddy Mayne works as the main character. In s1 he was one of a cast of nutters and seemed eccentric and weirdly charming. Now as the lead he's psychotic and irritating, and his accent doesn't seem quite straight.

Yes was much better with Stirling and Jock Lewes as the main characters and Mayne not leading. Obviously Jock tragically was killed and Stirling a pow so I understand that Paddy had to take over but why have they made him so extreme?! It just seems an insult to his memory as yes he was a forceful character but also well respected.

Found the scenes with the men in the sea drowning just horrific, I hadn't even heard of these gliders and the Sicilian attacks so it is a good series for highlighting the missions that aren't well known.

Totally agree with all of this except that Eve is utterly ridiculous, and quite annoying.

I suspect Paddy Mayne may have been a psychopath in the scientific sense i.e. he was able to see that the success of the mission depended completely on not saving the drowning men. That doesn't mean he was out of control in the way he's portrayed, the reverse is usually true.

DH is distantly related to one of the founder members of the SAS, one who was supposedly calm and sensible. However reading his autobiography we just got the impression he was just a bit less psycho than the others and emotionally crippled by horrendous PTSD.

Paddy Mayne also comes over as very extreme, even in a group of extreme individuals - TBH they probably wouldn't have respected him if he wasn't extreme.

Marking place as also couldn't find a thread.

Wish I had rewatched series 1 because I can't remember who is who and vaguely remember what happened

I agree Mayne is far too OTT and psychotic.

'Paddy Mayne also comes over as very extreme, even in a group of extreme individuals - TBH they probably wouldn't have respected him if he wasn't extreme.'

Yes by all accounts he was a very formidable character but also well respected and well liked. This series makes him out to be an unlikeable, arrogant knobhead and if you google him he was anything but.

MIL refused to watch anymore episodes after Ep1 Season 1 as she couldn't believe lovely Uncle x would have sworn, ever.

While somehow we didn't think that was true, we also took it that Rogue Heroes is only very very loosely based on reality and much more based on having a hit TV show.

It wouldn't surprise me if all the families hate it.

Sorry I haven't read the replies in full because despite starting the thread I am still on season 1. I'm a slow watcher, especially if I like something. I do the opposite of binge watching and make it last as long as possible.

we also took it that Rogue Heroes is only very very loosely based on reality and much more based on having a hit TV show.

I'm sure that's true but I have no problem with that because I find it riveting entertainment.

I love how it’s interspersed with true footage and a timeline of historical events.

I am very much enjoying it.

Loved series one but series two has jumped the shark for me, more than once. Paddy has become a caricature and the cell visit was completely unbelievable.

I love it. I think season 2 is brilliant - it's watching a descent in to madness for them - why they are like they are. Heartbreaking at times.

It does state it's not a history lesson!

Watching s2 e1 now. Totally heartbreaking that they had to leave the men in the water unrescued. But I totally understand why they simply had to.

On a "normal" battlefield you have Medics and you save who you can.

But this was a Special Operation. Planned as much as possible. No room for error. No contingency plans. Do or Die stuff.

It's like in Chess. You sacrifice pieces to win the game.

Series 1 was brilliant. Series 2…..what have they done?? Dreadful rubbish- the cell visit, bringing Eve back to life then her appearance on the frontline. Absolute BBC tosh. I bet the families of Paddy etc are livid.

I don't think anyone expects a history lesson, although tbf it does seem accurate regarding their missions, but as I said earlier if you put a real name to a character they should try to emulate them more accurately. Paddy Mayne was a well respected leader, yes he was known to be hotheaded and certainly didn't do anything by the book but O'Connell's arrogant arsehole depiction seems a very disrespectful take on him.

Maybe he calms it down a bit as the series goes on though I doubt it. They should've got a Northern Irish actor to play him, I wonder if his accent to Irish people is like Dick Van Dyke's was to English people!

I find it unwatchable due to the stupid music. I wish you could turn the background music off like you can with video games.

I've watched the first episode and a bit of the second and I'm finding the characters (especially Paddy Mayne) extremely annoying and unlikeable. I did watch the first series and I had forgotten that I felt the way about that series as well. I know it's supposed to be stylised but the dialogue is either aggressive swearing or dull poetic musings. I've read the book so hope it gets better

I was reading about the glider landings on the invasion of Sicilly. I knew about Operation Mincemeat and a bit about the landings but I didn't know about Operation Ladbroke. The glider landings seem to have been a disaster due to many reasons with 65 gliders releasing too early and over 250 men drowning in the sea.

Hopefully lessons were learnt about glider operations

Operation Ladbroke - Wikipedia

The gliders on Dday were generally a success. Si many they did learnfrom Scicily. We recently visited Pegasus Bridge where they were aiming for and most of them landed very close by. Though some men were sadly lost in crashes. Gliders landing did seem very dangerous.

Dh is obsessed with this.
I'm not watching it myself but the music is annoying me as it's modern ( ish ) stuff but it's the 1940s ! He thinks it's cool.
They all seem very unlikeable too

I’ve really enjoyed this and I think Jack 0 Connell has been great. Binged watched it all I’m going to read the books.

I love the music! Well the rock / metal. AC/DC just goes so well it's an inspired choice.
Not so keen on the 1940s stuff though.

It's written by Stephen Knight who wrote Peaky Blinders - it is one of his things to use anachronistic music which suits what is going on.

Paddy Mayne definitely settles down and grows into the command as the series progresses and it becomes far less glib about what they're all going through.

Definitely picks up by ep 4 and becomes less silly, the battle scenes are quite horrific. It all seems so futile for the tiny amount of ground that they have held.

What is the point of Eve though and why is she always dressed as if she is going out for dinner or about to participate in a photo shoot?! Surely she could've dressed like a local to fit in or just infact dressed down a bit. Loose the heels and the posh clothes.

I agree I'm up to ep4 as well and I agree it gets better. I laughed when Eve turned up on the boat, wearing a cut off top, so silly.