Nearly a decade after its first release, it redefined the modern spy thriller. night manager is finally back for its sophomore season. Season 2 sees Tom Hiddleston reprise his role as Jonathan Pine, a hotelier-turned-agent who returns from a quiet life to the international arms trade.
Early praise: ‘Better than Bond’
Early social media reactions suggest that the long wait has not diminished the show’s impact. A viewer on
Praise for the new cast, particularly Diego Calva and Camila Morrone as the antagonists, highlights a refreshing dynamism that complements Tom’s return. Another fan was equally excited after the premiere: “Boom! Just finished the first two episodes of The Night Manager on iPlayer and it’s fantastic!!”
The production quality and pace also received high marks from longtime fans. One comment read, “Watched both episodes and it’s great. I was skeptical and it took me about ten minutes to get used to the atmosphere, but the second episode in particular is in full swing. Loved the first glamorous and then the party scenes at Teddy’s house. Anyone who’s ever watched TV was seeing the twist coming, but it was dropped in the middle of episode 2, so it obviously wasn’t a big surprise.”
But for many, Tom’s screen presence remains the highlight. One fan wrote, “Hiddleston is truly a sight to behold.”
Reaction: Missing pieces and ‘terrible dialogue’
However, this season was not without its critics. Some fans considered the change in tone and the absence of major season 1 powerhouses like Olivia Colman (Angela Burr) and Hugh Laurie (Richard Roeper) a major hindrance. One disappointed viewer didn’t hold back, writing: “#TheNightManagerS2 is rubbish, it’s so boring, completely devoid of laughs. The characters take themselves so seriously – so hammy – and Tom Hiddleston’s fake “whiskey sodden” speech is making me want to puke. So horrible.”
Olivia Colman’s lack of screen time has been a recurring theme in negative reviews. Fans noted that his absence left a void that the new characters have yet to fill. “Just finished episode 1. I’ll probably watch episode 2 tomorrow. It’s slow going in the beginning because they have to set up a lot of stuff, but started to pick up pace by the end of the episode. Also seriously missing Olivia Colman. It’s okay, but season 1 was better. The lack of Olivia Colman is annoying. I was hoping she’d show up after a certain amount of time, at least in the beginning. No. It’s just some unnamed character we see for the first time. I don’t know. Olivia Colman’s character could do that job.
Other viewers expressed frustration at the lack of continuity in relation to the wider cast of the original series, with one fan asking: “Where’s Olivia Colman??? A brief scene is nowhere near enough. Hopefully she’ll be back soon, so far it’s definitely not as good as the first season and I feel like Roper and Burr’s absence has left a big gap. Also would have liked a little more resolution as to what happened to the other characters, no mention of Jade/Sandy etc.”
Ultimately, some found the writing to be a step down from the high standards set by the original le Carré adaptation. One scathing critic claimed: “I don’t remember there being such terrible dialogue between the characters, it feels like the show was originally filmed in Arabic and then dubbed into English. Every character except Tom is beyond difficult.”
Decision
Whether you see it as a sophisticated thriller or a show that misses its original heart, The Night Manager Season 2 Undoubtedly the most talked about television show of the week. As the season progresses, fans are eager to see whether Jonathan Pine can recapture the magic of the first series or whether the absence of the original antagonists has left a huge void to fill.