‘The Night Manager’ Season 2 Review - Shadows of Roper’s Legacy

The Night Manager, based on John le Carré's novel, returns for a second season over a decade after its 2016 premiere. Season 2 begins years after the first, delving into the lingering shadows of Roper's empire via new threats and old traumas. The first two episodes bring Jonathan Pine to a post-Roper world, setting up a Colombian arms cartel intrigue reminiscent of the original's high-stakes cat-and-mouse game.

The first episode quickly establishes the series' tone, beginning with a bleak flashback set four years after the events of Season 1. In Syria, Jonathan Pine meets with a retired Angela Burr to confirm Richard Roper's death—his body, bearded and malnourished from imprisonment, is identified in a morgue without official records to maintain concealment. This scene, which features a brief but credited cameo by Hugh Laurie as the body, emphasizes the concept of unfinished business: even after death, Roper's influence haunts Pine and sets the stage for a story about disciples carrying on his legacy.

Two years later, Pine lives in London under the alias Alex Goodwin and leads the "Night Owls" section, an MI6 surveillance team that monitors unlawful activity at luxury hotels. Pine, suffering from insomnia and hidden trauma, lies to his therapist about his health, emphasizing his delicate mental state. The plot begins when his squad discovers Jaco Brouwer, a South African mercenary from Roper's past, during a routine operation involving the Bulgarian mafia. Eavesdropping reveals Jaco negotiating a shipment to Cartagena with a British intermediary, Adam Holywell, who references a "chief" as Roper's "true disciple." This lead draws Pine back into danger, as tracing Holywell connects to Mayra Cavendish, the head of MI6's supervisory council, suggesting internal corruption.

The episode builds to a tense climax in Barcelona (or Colombia, in some accounts, although Barcelona is consistently referenced in multiple sources as the meeting location). Pine's team tracks Jaco to a hotel rendezvous with Teddy, who detects a setup, executes Jaco and two of Pine's agents (Waleed and Graham), abducts Roxana after killing her guard, and detonates a bomb. Pine narrowly escapes, but the chaos leaves his cover potentially blown and his team decimated. The ending, with Teddy calmly departing amid the destruction, mirrors Season 1's explosive confrontations while introducing Teddy as a charismatic yet ruthless antagonist.

Building directly on the first episode's cliffhanger, Episode 2 shifts focus to rebuilding and deeper infiltration, emphasizing strategy over immediate action. It opens with fallout from the Barcelona explosion: Mayra disbands the Night Owls, placing Sally on leave and denying any official involvement. Pine, presumed dead by MI6, hides in Wales until Basil Karapetian tracks him down. Revealing himself as the architect of Pine's Alex Goodwin identity, Basil shares suspicions of Rex's murder and MI6 aiding Teddy in perpetuating Roper's arms empire. Joined by Sally, they forge a new alias for Pine—Matthew Ellis, a rogue Hong Kong financier, to exploit Teddy's financial woes.

The trio tips off Medellín prosecutor Alejandro Gualteros to impound Teddy's shipment and freeze Barquero's accounts, creating an opening for "Matthew" to offer bailout funds. In Colombia, Pine ingratiates himself with Teddy's lawyer, Juan Carrascal, through a rigged tennis match and a gala invitation. He reunites with Roxana, now Teddy's reluctant associate (claiming prisoner status due to her shipping firm's utility), and coerces her to vouch for him. Teddy probes Pine's background evasively during the event, while attempting to bribe Alejandro, who refuses, per Sally's guidance.

The episode culminates in a tense lunch and party at Teddy's estate. Roxana warns of Teddy's desperation for $20-25 million, negotiating her freedom for cooperation. Teddy pitches an investment, doubling funds in three months, no questions asked- and Pine fabricates a backstory of embezzling from a bank, needing money laundered. Feigning intoxication, Pine falls into a pool, allowing Teddy's casual interrogation, which he navigates flawlessly to secure the deal.

Season 2 effectively reinvigorates the series' intrigue, merging traditional aspects (undercover guises, moral gray areas) with novel surprises like Teddy's paternity and institutional degeneration. Hiddleston's nuanced performance anchors the story, conveying Pine's internal erosion without resorting to overt drama, while the ensemble, particularly Colman in cameos and newcomers such as Varma's calculating Mayra, adds depth. The show is visually spectacular, with a soundtrack that heightens suspense, and it attacks the armaments trade's hypocrisy through luxury veneers that conceal abuse. Directed by a mix of returning and new talent, it maintains high production values while delving deeper into themes of legacy, betrayal within intelligence agencies, and the psychological cost of undercover work.

Final Score – [7/10]
Reviewed by: Greg Becker