The second series of The Night Manager concluded tonight with a merciless and often implausible finale that departs from the style of John le Carré. Tom Hiddleston's Jonathan Pine fails to bring down Hugh Laurie's Richard Roper, who kills his own son Teddy (Diego Calva) and escapes justice. Olivia Colman's Angela Burr also meets a bloody end in the French snow, leaving the series without the retribution it seemed to promise.
This lack of resolution contrasts sharply with the first season, where Roper was delivered to his enemies by Burr and Pine. The show's need for Roper as a charismatic villain is clear, but the implausible plot twists, such as Teddy's rushed conversion from guerrilla leader to daddy's boy, undermine the credibility that le Carré prized.
The series has been criticised for reducing supporting characters like Camila Morrone's Roxy to bit parts, while focusing on the father-son dynamics between Roper and Teddy, and Roper and Pine. However, Pine's relationship with Teddy feels less plausible than his earlier intrigue with Jed, and his sympathy for Teddy seems to forget that Teddy killed his colleagues.
Despite these flaws, the series retains some charm, with Hiddleston as a suave cypher and the BBC investing in a British spy franchise. But the ending feels like a bridge to an inevitable third season, rather than a satisfying conclusion.
