The problem here is that Knight wrote himself into a corner. He had three great anti-heroes in Season 1 in the shape of Jack O'Connell, Connor Swindells and Alfie Allen. Allen is dead and Swindells is barely seen, in prison, until finally being released at the end of episode five (scheduling clash meant he was time restricted, or was Knight just playing a black joke on the actor?) leaving too much of Jack waffling on about pretentious crap in Sicily (Croatia) and Italy.
Also the plot about not picking up drowning airman because it would delay their landing is nonsense. The series dwells on the psychological effects of war more than the first, and maybe for these reasons above isn't so good.
Does have good lines like "I have to retrieve a donkey and then have breakfast with the Mafia". And "Special Air Service? You deliver mail?"
With Sofia Boutella, Dominic West, Bobby Schofield (so good in The Suspect), Gwilym Lee (by-the-book commander), Corin Silva, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Jacob Ifan, Jack Barton, Con O'Neill.
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Jack Barton |
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Series cinematographer: Stijn Van Der Veken |
As Q observed, the archive footage is nicely cut into the action. And indeed some of this story is true, like the defense of Termoli. Ends on 6th June...