As the finale of SAS Rogue Heroes begins, David is in Cairo in June 1942. Eve Mansour (Sofia Boutella) tends to his wounds. David Stirling (Connor Swindells) remembers hearing Tobruk had fallen before he fell. Then, he got very drunk and danced at the Empire Club. Eve reveals he stood on the table and told everyone that he loved her. David apologizes and blames that on the whisky. While he was delusional, he thought that he should officially declare Eve as his girlfriend. He even considered proposing, but it might be odd to do that while she removes puss from his groin. If he were to propose, Eve would remind him that there is a war going on and they’re losing. She gives him advice for meeting with the Prime Minister. Next, David meets with Winston Churchill (Jason Watkins) while his friends discuss Julius Caesar. Winston introduces David as the famous Phantom Major. David says hello to Field Marshal Jan Smuts (David Alcock) who is the Prime Minister of South Africa and General Auchinleck.

He tells them about his desert sores before talking to Winston in private. They discuss the SAS as Winston admits that their new brand of warfare is needed more now than ever. Auchinleck (Adrian Lukis) has been too cautious causing Tobruk to fall and Rommel to advance within 50 miles of Alexandria. Malta is their last hope. Although it has been hammered repeatedly, it has not surrendered. Churchill wants the Island of Malta to be saved. He is going to send two convoys of supplies from Gibraltar and Alexandria that must get through. David has a free hand from Tripoli to Greece so he should do whatever he thinks is best to achieve this goal. If they succeed, Winston will recommend to the army council that the SAS become a regiment with David as commanding officer. David says he would be achieving what he set out to achieve. He asks for Churchill’s autograph and calls it a souvenir to remember the day. They get the General’s signature as well.

Before David leaves, he is told to do whatever it takes. Winston tells the General that he is letting slip the dogs of war. David creates a note asking the reader to give him every possible assistance with the signatures at the bottom. He goes to the other members and tells them he has new instructions from Winston Churchill. They’re asked to go to the mess hall and take off all their clothes. Once they go inside, David explains that they’re naked because Dr. Gamal (Amir El-Masry) is there to see them. He is going to make sure that they’re fit and ready for what is ahead. First, he is going to check them for desert sores and open ulcers. They need to be fit because their moment of truth has come. David confesses they’re about to embark on a mission that one-third of them will not return. He tells them how two convoys will be going to Malta and Hitler will throw every plane he has at them. They will simultaneously attack six airbases along the Mediterranean coast.

They will have to use a submarine to reach Crete. David has already got a submarine as well as 50 extra Jeeps to go with the 50 already promised. They will begin their glorious expansion after they get treated by Dr. Gamal. Later that night, Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell) asks which airfield they’re going to take. He is tasked with targeting the Berka satellite airfield. Andre Zirnheld (Tom Hygreck) will take Berka satellite airfield number two. That will allow them to compete for the most number of planes destroyed. Captain Berge (Virgile Bramly) will take the submarine to the Gulf of Malia off the coast of Crete. He’ll meet Captain Alexander Norton and they’ll attack the airstrip at Heraklion together. Augustin will take Derna and Martuba using a stolen German truck. Berge says he has offered the services of Bruckner and Essner, their two native Germans. Paddy says he’d keep his gun close if he was crossing enemy lines with Walter Essner (Paul Boche).

Paddy believes David got too many pats on the head and he is now dizzy. He thinks David is being ambitious, but David says there is no time to be unambitious. David says he will be taking Benina after he argues with Paddy for a bit. Paddy argues he is giving himself the best chance to get the highest score before David admits he is bringing back the blackboard. David tries to convince him that they have to fight as one or they will fail. He knows Paddy refused the doctor’s ribbon so he wants him to go get his ulcers scrubbed. Paddy remembers when this regiment used to be unknown and unobserved. He thinks they’re going to be reckless in pursuit of David’s lofty ambition. David admits it is true, but he believes they can win if they do things his way.

Outside, some of the men are loaded into the German truck and reminded that they need to look defeated. The group approaches Berka and splits. Paddy yells to Andre to tell him not to fire a shot until the moon sets. The other groups travel towards their respective destinations. The men in the German truck prepare to cross through an Italian checkpoint. The guards check their papers and briefly harass the prisoners before allowing the truck to continue. The men in the truck suggest they should start preparing the fuses since they’ll be at Derna airstrip in half an hour. Berge meets with Alexander Norton (Ralph Davis). At the Benina Airfield, David tells his men that they’re going to raise bedlam with their new toys tonight. Paddy and his men get into place outside Berka airfield number one. Andre’s men reach number two. At Crete, the men are told not to think about it and just do it instead.

Once Paddy is ready to attack, they see explosions behind them. The soldiers at the airstrip see the explosions too and begin preparing. When the soldiers approach, Paddy is told they can’t do this so they should stand down. They’re told to stand down and get back to the rendezvous point. Walter worries that something is wrong with the stolen truck’s engine. The men believe they’ve stopped at Derna although they don’t know why. Walter tells them that the engine is misfiring and he needs to fix it. He tries to hurry to the repair shop since they’re running out of time. The men hope that Walter is a good man. Marc thinks he is since she has known him for two years. They cut themselves free. Augustin gets out with a rifle and begins moving around the truck. Walter gets what he needs. When he comes back, he is surprised to see Augustin out of the truck. They notice that Bruckner is missing. They’re approached by a group of soldiers. Bruckner is with them. He shoots and kills Walter.

Herbert (Moritz Jahn) tells Augustin that it is over and he will warn every airfield in the Mediterranean. Malta will fall and all of Africa will have the honor of serving the Third Reich. The others get out and learn that they’ve been betrayed. Marc is told to get out of the truck. Augustin tells him to be courageous. Marc shoots the explosives and kills himself. Augustin manages to flee to safety. In Crete, Georges manages to sneak through enemy gates and kill a soldier. In Benina, David yells for his men to butcher them as they drive towards the enemy. They begin shooting the enemy soldiers even though they’re unarmed. Once they’ve finished, Johnny (Jacob McCarthy) reminds them that he doesn’t add unarmed men to his tally. When the sun comes up, Georges and his group see a group of civilians being shot and killed. He is captured on June 19, 1942 in Crete. David makes it back and tells Paddy he got 15 Stukas and 18 Messerschmitts.

Paddy blames the French for not him not being able to get anything. He says Zirnheld and Jordan are already back. David admits he isn’t happy that they caught them off-guard and shot at them like Paddy did at Tamet. Paddy agrees with him that they’re the enemy whether they’re armed or unarmed. He tells David that he was wrong about Essner since Bruckner was the traitor. The whole unit was wiped out except for Jordan. Paddy tells David that they drink from the same well after all. Later, Dudley (Dominic West) meets with David and tells him that he has stopped drinking for three months. Dudley tells him that Eve was flown over to Alexandria three days ago on the orders of General De Gaulle. She set off back to Cairo yesterday afternoon and hitched a life from a mail plane. The Chief of the Cairo Bureau said the plane went down due to a terrible sandstorm.

David gets upset and claims everything he touches is gone. Dudley thinks he should go home, but David isn’t ready to yet. He tells David he’ll be at the bar so he can order him a car when he wants to go. David goes back to his men to tell them that the people they lost gave their lives to a winning cause. The relief convoys consisted of 17 ships and 15 were sunk by German aircraft, but two made it through to the letter. He tells them that they destroyed the planes that would’ve sunk those ships. While they were saving Malta, the Americans finally finished their extended round of golf and decided to help them. He explains that he will enter the lion’s den to search for a supply line through Gabes Gap to link up with the Americans. David confirms that they’re now an official British Army regiment. As David walks out of the camp, he reads a letter he wrote to his mother telling her what he did to help.

Paddy joins him for a drink. In Gabes Gap, David, Mike, and Johnny get trapped by the Germans. Johnny and Sadler run for it while David stays near the vehicle. He runs out of rounds and pulls out his handgun. Johnny and Mike watch. Johnny says he must surrender to survive. More vehicles arrive behind him before he finally surrenders. Mike tells Johnny that they better go find some Americans. Reg gets a note from GHQ telling them about David’s capture. Paddy is put in charge. Paddy says the blood will flow.

 

SAS: Rogue Heroes Review

The first season of SAS Rogue Heroes turned out to be a mixed bag with some promising moments sometimes overshadowed by underwhelming scenes. Two of the most noticeable issues that may annoy viewers is the lack of historical accuracy even though this is mentioned sarcastically at the beginning of each episode and the soundtrack. Even if it wasn’t mentioned, viewers are going to immediately realize that much of what is happening has been glossed over like putting lipstick on a pig.

The soundtrack was good, but it probably would’ve been better to pick songs from the era instead. On the plus side, the cinematography and acting were great. The characters actually had charisma and just needed more time to develop although some have already been killed. The overall narrative or story was pretty much wafer-thin since it was never allowed to turn into anything other than a brainless shoot-em-up.

In a way, SAS: Rogue Heroes feels like a lost opportunity without any real direction or meaning. It isn’t thought-provoking or emotional in the least, but viewers may still enjoy the drama for what it is. Given the lack of direction, uninspired writing, and overly dark scenes, it can be watched in the background without missing anything important. Those looking for an over-the-top action show without any real consequences will enjoy this though.

The finale scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of SAS: Rogue Heroes can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our work at this link.