‘Night Manager’ fans have one question after Season 2's jaw-dropping twist and honestly, same: ‘How is...’
BBC's 'The Night Manager' might just be chalked up to be that singular show which continues to capture audience imagination over a prolonged period of time. Despite the first and sophomore seasons of the Tom Hiddleston-led show being separated by a decade, fans of the show were quick to scan through the second season premiere, which aired on January 1, 2026. This was followed by the release of the second and third episodes on January 4 and 11, respectively. While the second season renewed the tale of Jonathan Pine, now known as Alex Goodwin, fans of the show were left unconvinced by the narrative direction of the most recent instalment.
The debut season of 'The Night Manager' was widely regarded as the best among its contemporaries when it first aired. Inspired by the famous John le Carré novel, the BBC show skilfully combined the correct proportion of espionage intrigue and emotional storytelling. Former soldier turned hotel manager Pine was recruited by Angela Burr, played by Olivia Colman, following a personal tragedy. His mission was to infiltrate the inner circle of the dreaded international arms dealer known as Roper, played to perfection by Hugh Laurie. The first season's finale saw karma finally catching up with Roper as a group of Syrian extremists abducted him following a botched ammunition deal. His ultimate fate was left undisclosed.
The sophomore season kicked off with Goodwin and Burr identifying Roper's body in a dusty Syrian small town. The show further explained that Goodwin heads the night surveillance unit at MI5, known as The Night Owls, and has no life outside of his work. When a figure from his past mysteriously shows up in London, and following the death of his superior, Mayhew, Goodwin scratches at the surface of another far-reaching conspiracy that leads him to the shocking discovery that Roper isn't dead. Fans of the show expressed their discontent with the narrative direction and storytelling of the sophomore season, with their primary criticism being aimed at the fact that the show's shift in tone was too drastic to forgive.
Taking to Reddit, one user remarked, "Seems to have shifted even more towards Bond and away from le Carre." Another user wrote, "It’s not as clever as Le Carré; the characters seem a bit too flat. Hugh Laurie will always put on a good performance, but the show is now less about genuine spycraft and agency one-upmanship and more about wearing fancy clothes in exotic locations." A third user had the following to say, "Hiddleston's new alias feels like a completely different character. The suaveness and intelligence have gone, and he now drinks (despite having made his reasons for not drinking clear previously). Why he decided to join the River House after the events of season 1 is anyone's guess."
However, the show did have its moments of saving grace, and other users were appreciative of the second season, with one user pointing out, "Roper is f*****g alive?! What the heck! So far so good, I think it’s worth the wait for 10 years." One more added, "How is Roper still alive???? WTH." Another user mentioned, "That was SO good! The stakes got higher, Roxy, Teddy, and Jonathan are now really playing each other while caring about each other at the same time? Like, I cannot wait for the next episode!" 'The Night Manager' season two airs new episodes every Sunday on BBC. The episodes are also available for streaming on Prime Video.
