The Rosie the Reviewer Podcast

Welcome to Rosie the Reviewer, a Dutch-Canadian female-led WW2 media podcast. A new episode airs every Friday!

Episodes

Find all Rosie the Reviewer episodes here.

Ep 64 – The Devil’s Brigade – The Birth of the Black Devils on Monte la Difensa

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on the 1968 WWII film The Devil’s Brigade, a movie full of misfit characters, Italian mountains, and a whole lot of bagpipes. Based on a real American-Canadian commando unit known as the Devil’s Brigade or the Black Devils, the film mixes adventure with questionable casting choices (why does everyone look 47 or up?) and a fun hour long training session. We talk about William Holden, snake collections, the birth of the Green Berets, and good old Americans scrapping with Canadians. Also: fake red berets, what’s up with that?

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04/07/2025

Ep 63 – Clare Mulley on the Women Who Fought – Polish Paratroopers, Nazi Test Pilots & Churchill’s Favourite Spy

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by award-winning historian Clare Mulley, author of The Spy Who Loved…, The Women Who Flew for Hitler, and Agent Zo. We talk about Polish paratrooper Elżbieta Zawacka (Zo), Nazi-resisting test pilot Melitta von Stauffenberg, and the razor-sharp Christine Granville. Clare shares how she builds trust with her readers, balances storytelling with historical rigour, and restores women to their rightful place in the WWII record. And, this episodes is full of stories about the heroic women Clare writes about. You’ll want to pick up a book or two after this!

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27/06/2025

Ep 62 – X Company Season 3 – Closing Up Camp X

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we break down the final season of X Company, the gripping Canadian WWII spy series set at Camp X. We discuss what worked, what felt rushed, and what made us yell “girl, no, don’t kiss that Nazi!”
Season 3 brings heavy losses, moral complexity, and a too early farewell to our favourite Canadian covert operatives. From Krystina’s subterfuge, Faber’s redemption arc, to how the show handles antisemitism, resistance, and trauma without easy answers.
Bye, X Company. Gone too soon.

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20/06/2025

Ep 61 – X Company Season 2 – The Dieppe Raid, Enigma Machines, Ian Fleming and David Stirling Nods

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on Season 2 of X Company, the tense Canadian WWII drama set at Camp X. This season brings higher stakes, deeper trauma, and a brutal reckoning with the Dieppe Raid. We talk Alfred’s Magneto cage, the complexity of Faber and Sabine’s marriage and a certain “code machine that looks like a fancy typewriter”. Yes, the Enigma makes an appearance. Plus: tortured romances (literal and metaphorical), and Aurora absolutely going off-script.
We also get into the real-life inspirations behind the season, from David O’Keefe’s Dieppe theory to the heartbreaking Canadian casualties. And no one is safe, emotionally or narratively. Not even Tom.

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13/06/2025

Ep 60 – X Company Season 1 – Canada’s Secret Spy Camp X Meets Gritty WWII Drama

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we dive into the explosive first season of X Company — the 2015 Canadian WWII drama about five secret agents trained at Camp X, Canadas’ spy training camp. From high-stakes sabotage in occupied France to moral grey zones and surprise betrayals, we explore what makes this little-known show so gripping. We talk about the character arcs we love, historical accuracy, and the surprisingly brutal tone. Expect fake dating, trauma flashbacks, Nazi hypocrisy, and a that one guy from Schitt’s Creek.

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06/06/2025

Ep 59 – The Narrow Road to the Deep North – Australian POWs and the Burma Railway

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we unpack The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the harrowing new WWII series starring Jacob Elordi as Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans. Based on Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel, the show follows Dorrigo’s life before, during, and after his time as a POW forced to build the Burma Railway. We talk symbolism, adaptation choices, and why every character in this show feels trapped—by war, by love, by legacy. Plus, we ask, once again, why is it so f*cking dark?

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30/05/2025

Ep 58 – Other Than Honorable – A Riveting Debrief with Spy Fiction Author Matt Hartman

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we sit down with Matt Hartman, retired US Navy Chief Petty Officer and author of the WWII spy thriller Other Than Honorable. We talk about writing spy fiction, morally complex heroes, the feeling of Berlin on the brink of war and what it’s like building a Jason Bourne-ish spy with zero suave and actual consequences. From the emotional roots of Ridge Frost to Hartman’s enigma rabbit holes, this one’s got historical deep cuts, an awkward leading man and a leading lady who might be more competent than the man himself. We love spy shit.

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23/05/2025

Ep 57 – A Call to Spy – Women of the SOE in Focus

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss the 2019 historical drama A Call to Spy, which follows the real-life wartime missions of Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Vera Atkins — three extraordinary women recruited into Churchill’s Special Operations Executive during WWII.
We explore what the film gets right, where it fictionalises, and how the true stories behind these women are even more astonishing than what made it to the screen. We also reflect on why telling these stories now matters more than ever, as the generation that witnessed them is rapidly disappearing.

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16/05/2025

Ep 56 – Le Grand Cirque – A Sortie into France’s Forgotten Fighter Ace Pierre Clostermann

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we embark on a cinematic sortie with Le Grand Cirque (The Big Show), the 1950 French film based on the bestselling memoir by ace pilot Pierre Clostermann. While the movie tries to be authentic with vintage aircraft footage and Free French pride, we found it weighed down by a lack of character depth and narrative, especially compared to Clostermann’s vivid, emotionally resonant book. We discuss Clostermann’s daring missions, the film’s historical context, its unique multilingual quirks, and why this underrated French perspective on WWII deserves more attention, perhaps from Hollywood—preferably with subtitles next time.

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09/05/2025

Ep 55 – Inglourious Basterds: Tarantino’s Bloody, Brilliant WWII Fantasy

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we dive into Quentin Tarantino’s explosive alternate history film Inglourious Basterds (2009). From Christoph Waltz’s unforgettable performance as the chilling Hans Landa to the film’s masterful tension, spaghetti-western style, and cathartic violence, we break down why this outrageous WWII fantasy still captivates audiences. We also explore the real-life echoes behind the “Basterds,” Tarantino’s bold music choices, and what makes alternate history so tricky — and thrilling — when it’s done right.

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02/05/2025