The Night Manager‘s initial run in 2015 helped sell the idea that Tom Hiddleston had more to his talent than simply showing up as Loki. Setting up a two-hander, Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie served as brilliant foils. Their adaptation of the iconic John le Carré was a masterful showcase of spycraft. The announcement of seasons two and three was surprising. Without an obvious guide forward, The Night Manager treads new ground while giving Hiddleston another showcase role.
The Night Manager Season 2 Plot
Ten years after the events that brought down Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) continues to run surveillance operations for River House. Hidden under a pseudonym, he now works for Rex Mayhew (Douglas Hodge) after Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) retires from the service.
However, Pine stumbles into an operation tied to Roper’s dangerous ambitions. In Colombia, arms dealer Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) promises to overthrow his government; he just needs the money to get it done. Using this in, Pine works the case and hopes to upend Teddy’s plan. However, Teddy proves far more dangerous than even Roper.
Tom Hiddleston steps back into the role as if nothing has changed.
We’ve seen Tom Hiddleston shine across many movies and shows. Without needing to be a “prove it” showcase, he seamlessly fits back into the role. Hiddleston knows how to portray the stiff-upper-lip agent, but his emotional vulnerability leaks out in spurts. The character wants to believe he can shift the world with his actions, but this opens him up to misunderstanding how far people will go to keep their secrets. Making Pine into a character that is both exceedingly human and also a master spy makes for fascinating television.
Related: Olivia Colman Reveals Her Hidden Skill At Doing 1 Impression That Would Make Even Tom Hiddleston Proud
Unfortunately, the cast around him is not quite as intriguing as the previous season. Camila Morrone and Diego Calva are both good, with each showing incredible chemistry with Hiddleston. Morrone steps into the femme fatale role and wears her indignation about her experience on her face. However, the writing underserves her at times, making her seem like a wildcard. Meanwhile, Calva is intriguing in the back half of the season, but in the first few episodes, he feels like a paint-by-number character. He’s still one of the best parts of the show, but The Night Manager‘s uneven writing leaves us wanting more.
Meanwhile, bringing back Colman and Laurie for bit parts feels like a mistake. While Colman has a small storyline, Laurie gets some shine in flashbacks. However, integrating them into the show also forces The Night Manager to pick up threads from a storyline that seemed complete. Neither gets the opportunity to shine as much as they did in season one, which only makes us miss the perfection of the last time out.
High-level le Carré espionage still hits the spot, but some stories fall flat.
When The Night Manager channels the messy stories of backstabbing and intricate spycraft, the le Carré vibes are immaculate. The patience in the editing and the lingering camera help set up the cold aesthetic many associate with le Carré’s work. Professionals being professional can sometimes be a joy unto itself, and when the series hits these marks, you can feel the precision.
Related: “All you can hope for in an adaptation is that you capture the tone and the feeling that you felt when you read it”: On Swift Horses Actors Daisy Edgar-Jones and Diego Calva and Director Daniel Minahan Talk the Poignant Romantic Drama (INTERVIEW)
Georgi Banks-Davies serves as the primary director of the season and does a good job at shifting the visual style laid out by Susanne Biar. Banks-Davies gives us a variation on the sun-drenched environments of season one, but with shifts to Spain and Colombia, adapts to the new environments well. Visually, she frames the characters to elevate the tension between them.
The other issue becomes a slightly overstuffed cast. Not only do many actors return, like Alister Petrie, Douglas Hodge, and even Noah Jupe, but the show gets an influx of new figures to fill out British Intelligence. Serving the fans of the first season while trying to introduce Haley Squires, Indira Varma, and Paul Chahidi into the fold does not give anyone enough time to develop. This might be the one drawback of the six-episode season, because instead, the new characters become thinly drawn figures that cannot compete with complex ones bursting to life in season one.
However, where The Night Manager goes wrong in season two is the impeccably serious tone throughout. The result is not always fun or even very intriguing. While the first episode is a stunning return, the rest never quite live up to that standard. Additionally, the somber tone stands in stark contrast to the success of Slow Horses. While they both deal with government secrets and international events, The Night Manager falls into lulls without some of the levity.
Related: 15 New Movies and TV Shows Coming to Prime Video in January 2025
This is nitpicking to be sure, as the adventures of Jonathan Pine are still better than eighty percent of shows on TV. However, season one was among the best shows of the year, and this season does not reach that standard. Everything is good, but nothing is exceptional. Judging against The Night Manager‘s own standard just left us wanting a little more. Maybe Season 3 can get us over the line.
Is The Night Manager worth watching?
Yes, The Night Manager is a well-made espionage show that scratches the itch for spycraft sickos like me. However, it is not as strong as season one, even as Hiddleston excels. With another season in the pipeline, the continuing stories of Jonathan Pine might evolve into something more unique. However, as it stands, it feels like The Night Manager is getting more insular rather than broadening the world.
The Night Manager airs on Prime Video on January 11, 2026. All six episodes were provided for this review.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
