The Night Manager: In Focus (Series Review)

The Night Manager (Season 2, 2026) marks the return of the thrilling English spy series. Once again led by the MI6* protagonist, Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) and his small team. This time, his dangerous mission is in Colombia.

Almost a decade ago, we watched the first season of this series in the early months of 2016. In that tale, the former British soldier Jonathan Pine managed to take down a notorious arms dealer, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), but…

MI6* was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It operates internationally to provide human intelligence, frequently working in conjunction with MI5 and GCHQ. The UK's foreign intelligence agency is also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). In short, MI6 is responsible for the covert collection and analysis of intelligence to support national security and foreign policy interests.

Series Review: The Night Manager (Season 2, UK, 2026) English

The Round Two of “The Night Manager” Versus The “Roper” Duel Has Another Cliff-Hanger End

Series Synopsis

Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) embarks on a new mission in Colombia involving a dangerous arms dealer, Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) and his seductive associate Roxana Bolanos (Camila Morrone).

As Pine infiltrates Teddy’s operation, he uncovers untold layers of secrecy and corruption.

Can he thwart the plot before it’s too late?

David Farr & Georgi Banks-Davies

It seems that the, David Farr, the show creator of “The Night Manager”, is a boxing fan. So far, we have seen two epic rounds (seasons) of an ongoing personal duel between the protagonist, Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) and the antagonist, Richard Onslow Roper (Hugh Laurie), in a new global arena. And, as the shocking finale scenes of the second season suggest, there is going to be a third round of another head-to-head confrontation between the British undercover agent, Pine and the British arms dealer, Roper. So, we sincerely hope that the viewers of this series will not have to wait for another decade for the next season.

Anyway, both the writer, David Farr and the director, Georgi Banks-Davies, have managed to surprise us with the twists and turns in this contemporary spy tale. No doubt, this spy drama is a clever and intelligent show. In fact, it is indeed an engrossing watch, almost like viewing a fine game of chess. The second season, and especially the last episode of the series, really pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. The twist in the tale is certainly going to send the shock waves. Kudos to both of them, David and Georgi, for keeping us engaged and committed to this modern-day espionage tale for a month.

And now we eagerly await the next season and seek a few answers.

Is the personal battle over for the manager?

Or is Pine going to find the next battleground and seek the final revenge?

Series Poster

Tom Hiddleston versus Hugh Laurie

For the better part of the second season of “The Night Manager” series, the viewers were led to believe that one more time, like the first season, Tom Hiddleston’s on-screen character (Jonathan Pine) has the advantage over Hugh Laurie’s character (Richard Roper). But then, in the following dialogue, Roper explained his life philosophy. Truly, Roper is a cat that has nine lives. So far, his following life mantra has served him well. Besides, his sleight of hand (remember the Cup and Ball Trick of season one) gave him a huge advantage over the Pine and others. In the end, his magic trick wins the day.

“I pride myself on being an adaptable man. When circumstances demand, I shed a skin and pick up a new one. No regrets. No nostalgia for the past. Nothing is so precious that it can’t be sacrificed. Nothing and no one.”

Richard Onslow Roper

In the end, both Tom and Hugh have managed to recreate the chemistry of on-screen tension and the mutual respect of the first season, once again. If one takes a close look at the characters portrayed by Tom and Hugh, then both of them are like a snake who shed their skins and recreates a new persona.

Even after almost a decade, both of them slipped right into their respective character with a natural ease. And their addictive performances raised the level of this spy drama. And, to reiterate, it seems that we are going to see more of them. In the good guy versus the bad guy, harsh reality wins.

Quite A Few Positives

➕The majority of its realistic story is set in Colombia. And given the current real-world geopolitical manoeuvrings, the South American nations are emerging as the new war zones. Maybe, in recent years 2020s, the natural resource-rich nations are attracting new kinds of colonialism. Isn’t it?

➕ The script writers neatly pulled a magic trick on the unsuspecting viewers, as we talked about in the above paragraphs. We did not see the impactful and outrageous season two finale scene coming, as we were too focused on wishing for some kind of happy and positive ending for Jonathan Pine.

➕ But that did not really happen in the end. In the end, Jonathan Pine and his small team were handed a soul-crushing defeat by his archenemy, Richard Onslow Roper. So, what is the way forward for both of them? Can Pine really seek revenge? Hmm, the answers are going to be intriguing ones.

➕ This spy series was more cerebral than the raw power of the brawn. Still, the action sequences were quite realistic. The background music did help in setting the mood (tense or otherwise) in scenes. We liked the natural beauty of Colombia as depicted by the high-quality cinematography in this show.

➕ Lest we forget, the talented ensemble cast in this show, including Diego Calva, Camila Morrone, Hayley Squires, Indira Varma, Diego Santos and others, played their respective roles quite convincingly. However, it is difficult to bid goodbye to a bunch of the lovely characters, especially the Oscar Award winner.

Series Rating

Conclusion

The second season of “The Night Manager” series is a mass entertainer, like the first one. And, one more time, the viewers will be scratching their heads after watching this gripping espionage drama. Even as we type, it is really difficult to wrap our heads around the twists in the tale. Anyway, enjoy!!

Key Details

Series Trailer

[Bonus YouTube Video Clip link - The Night Manager Season 1 Recap | Prime Video ]

Lastly, check out the Series Review of the “Slow Horses” (Season 5, UK, 2025) in our Focus Magazine. It is another British spy drama.]

Poster & Featured Image: The Night Manager (Season 2, UK, 2026) English Show | Pictures Credit: Prime Video.