World on Fire season two is currently airing on BBC and follows the lives of individuals across Europe over the course of World War II. One storyline, in particular, follows Harry, played by The Little Mermaid star Jonah Hauer-King, and his men fighting in Africa. While the show has been full of drama, action and a little humour so far, episode five shocked fans with the death of a major character. Warning, spoilers ahead…
In the episode, while feeling dehydrated and listless, Harry decides to take his men on a mission to obtain water, against the advice of his fellow leaders. His close friend Stan reluctantly joins him for the outing when they are attacked by enemy soldiers, resulting in Stan being shot and killed.
Stan, played by The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison, was a big fan favourite, and viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their reaction. One person wrote: "Fans coming to terms with Stan dying only to be hit by Harry and Kasia separating in the next ep," with a gif of Jonah being hit in the head, while another person added: "It's war and people die but, why Stan." A third person added: "Stan broke the golden rule of military life never volunteer. Especially when a junior officer is getting bored." Finally, another fan posted: "Can’t believe Stan the Sarge copped it tonight."
While Blake hasn’t addressed his exit from the show just yet, the star has shared snaps from behind the scenes of the hit drama, writing: "Worked with some fantastic people in the sandpit." The photos revealed that the scenes were actually done using a green screen, and it looked like they had a lot of fun with the action sequences!
He also opened up about filming the new season to BBC, explaining: "The stunts are just so much fun to do! Whether it’s shooting rifles, ducking for cover, or hand-to-hand fights with Nazi soldiers. You don’t get to do those sorts of things on most other jobs. We’re obviously dealing with a very sensitive and important part of history so you have to treat it with a lot of respect.
"But equally you can't turn off that part of your brain that reminds you of being a young kid dreaming of being an actor, watching epic battle scenes, whether it be with swords and shields or ambitious movies like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. Being surrounded by gunshots and explosions makes your job as an actor so much easier because your body is pumping with adrenaline."
He added: "It’s important to realise that even when there's something that people might find humorous, upsetting or even far-fetched, all of it has come from real-life accounts that the writers have researched extensively. World on Fire is a fascinating watch - really dramatic, exciting and energetic. It’s full of great storytelling."