After a long wait of nearly ten years, British spy thriller The Night Manager is back with its second season. Its first season, which released in 2016, changed the way viewers view detective stories. Now its second season has been released on Amazon Prime Video, which is full of expectations and curiosities. The 2016 original series was based on the novel by John Le Carré and was considered a ‘benchmark’ due to the strong performances of Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman.
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The biggest challenge with Season 2 was that it no longer had a direct literary blueprint (the book). The makers have tried to take the story in an unknown direction while maintaining the feel of Le Carré’s world. The Night Manager is a series that is brilliant, watchable and often thrilling, but also largely traditional in its approach to detective storytelling.
The Night Manager Season 2: The Story
Jonathan Pine is no longer hiding in hotel corridors or behind a luxury yacht in Season 2. Now operating under the name Alex Goodwin, Pine leads a secret surveillance unit in collaboration with British Intelligence. The peaceful life he finds at the end of Season 1 doesn’t last long. A surprising encounter with the past draws Pine back to the threat he helped eliminate in the case of the global weapons network and Richard Roper. This leads Pine to Colombia, where a young and ambitious arms dealer, Teddy dos Santos, is rising up the ranks in the crime world. Unlike Roper, dos Santos is less flamboyant and has a different personality than his predecessor, and thus a different threat. The story of the season revolves around Pine’s mission to infiltrate this organization. Although the story has a strong premise, the pacing relies heavily on established spy thriller conventions. Infiltrations, secret meetings and unexpected double crossings happen easily, but are rarely surprising. The season decided to maintain a constant flow of tension, keeping things real, but also predictable at times.
The Night Manager Season 2: Directing and Writing
In fact, Season 2 takes a deeper look at the cyclical nature of intelligence work. Old enemies make way for new enemies, and peace never comes with victory. The character’s return to active duty in Pine’s intelligence suggests that leaving such a world is just an illusion. However, it does not say or support anything concrete in this regard. The fact that the series is divided into six episodes is actually an advantage because it allows the story to move forward at a reasonable pace. The opening episodes are deliberately kept at a slow pace. The pace picks up a bit in the second half with a focus on the details of the operation. The finale has a conclusion, but the outcome feels a bit anti-climactic after the dark ending of Season 1.
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How is season 2?
Early reactions to this season, which was released yesterday, have been mixed but positive:
Sleek and Grip: Season 2 is quite ‘sleek’ to watch and its cinematography keeps you engaged. The tension of the espionage world can still be felt.
Traditional approach: Critics believe that while the first season was known for its unique writing style, the second season has become a bit ‘conventional’ in terms of detective storytelling.
The Magic of Tom Hiddleston: Tom Hiddleston is back to his charismatic best, and his presence creates a magical effect on screen.
Conclusion: Should you watch it?
If you are into spy stories, international conspiracies and ‘slow-burn’ thrillers, ‘The Night Manager’ season 2 should definitely be on your watchlist. Even though it feels a little simpler than the first season, its thrills and Tom Hiddleston’s acting make it a ‘watchable’ one.