A beloved espionage thriller made its long-awaited return to British screens as The Night Manager premiered its second series on BBC One on New Year's Day. This marked a full decade since the first series captivated audiences, with national heartthrob Tom Hiddleston, 44, reprising his role as former intelligence operative Jonathan Pine.
Mixed Reactions to a Slow-Burn Premiere
As the first of six new episodes aired, a common theme emerged among viewers on social media: the challenge of recalling plot details from a decade ago. Many admitted the premiere felt slow-moving and confessed to having forgotten key events from series one. Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts.
One viewer wrote: 'Sorry but the night manager? Does anybody even remember the last season? What’s the point.' Another echoed the sentiment: 'I remember it was good but apparently it’s been like a decade since it was on?? I can’t remember a show I saw last year let alone this!' A third noted the temporal gap, commenting: 'The Night Manager Season 2 referencing the Season 1 storyline like they didn’t have a ten year gap in between.'
Some were more critical of the pacing, with one stating: 'Enjoyed the first series of The Night Manager, but found the start of the second series very tedious. Hope it improves, but fear it won't.' Another viewer compared it unfavourably to another drama, saying they found the rival show 'much more engaging than The Night Manager.'
Returning Faces and New Alliances
Despite the divided audience response, the series boasts a stellar cast. Alongside Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, 51, returned as intelligence officer Angela Burr. A significant casting change saw Camila Morrone, 28, step into the role of the main love interest, Roxana Bolaños, replacing Elizabeth Debicki.
The narrative picks up four years after the explosive conclusion of series one. The story opens in Syria, where Jonathan Pine successfully blew up the arms deal orchestrated by the villainous Dickie Roper (Hugh Laurie) and siphoned off his $300 million. Roper and his team were arrested by local police, and his furious buyers seized the convoy.
In a gripping opening scene, Angela meets Jonathan in Syria to confirm Roper's fate. She reveals, 'There’ll be no official autopsy, no photos, no record of death... Richard Roper will remain a missing person.' The identification of Roper's body in a Syrian morgue, marked by a long beard suggesting prolonged captivity, seemingly closes that chapter.
A New Mission Unfolds
The new series expands upon John le Carré's original novel. Jonathan Pine is now living under the alias Alex Goodwin and running a quiet MI6 surveillance unit in London. His comfortable life is shattered by a chance sighting of an old Roper mercenary, which pulls him back into the dangerous world of arms dealing.
This leads him to a violent confrontation with a new adversary: the Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos, played by Diego Calva. To infiltrate Teddy's operation, Pine teams up with Roxana Bolaños (Morrone), plunging him deep into a deadly plot involving arms and the training of a guerrilla army.
The synopsis promises 'betrayal at every turn', forcing the MI6 operative to question who he can trust and how far he is willing to go. The tense action will see allegiances splinter as Jonathan races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilise an entire nation.
The series also features a strong supporting cast including Indira Varma as Mayra, Paul Chahidi as Basil, and Hayley Squires as Sally. Returning cast members include Alistair Petrie as Sandy Langbourne and Noah Jupe as Daniel Roper.
While the premiere divided fans, others were impressed. One viewer offered a balanced take: 'The Night Manager season 2 a bit slow to begin with but is getting interesting.' Another was more emphatic, declaring the first episode 'outstanding'. With five episodes remaining, the series has time to win over those who found its return a slow burn.
