The Night Manager Season 2 (2026) Review

I binged the first season of The Night Manager in preparation of watching the second season and I very quickly watched the second season in all of its glory now it is full released and here is my review of the show. The premise of the shows sees 9 years after the events of season 1, Jonathan Pine has started fresh, but when a figure from the past arrives he is forced into bad habits. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Jonathan Pine and he is once again fantastic. He is so charismatic in the role and I just love the complexity of his character. Hiddleston adds a lot of star power to the role and it makes Pine a great protagonist for the show. 

Supporting Characters

Olivia Colman also reprises her role as Angela Burr and she is once again great and is clearly relishing being back in this role. However, don't expect to see her as much as she is only her fleetingly which I assume is because of her busy schedule. 

Diego Calva plays Teddy and is the arms dealer that Pine is after this season. He took a while for me to be interested but when the show really delved into his character, I realised that this was an interesting character that just took some time to get used too. 

Camila Morrone plays Roxana and she is really good. She is probably the strongest female character that Pine has had to deal with while on mission. But the acting is really good here and it is actually cool to see a more ruthless character alongside Pine. 

Indira Varma plays Mayra and she is the main character from the MI6 plot line and she is good. She has become a regular on our screens over recent years and she gives another solid performance in this show. 

Story

The story, once it gets going is great. It shows the problems that Pine is going through and further fleshes out some of the supporting characters. The final episode is a truly great finale and does a great job of making me want more. However, this season was a bit slow for its first few episodes and I just felt the overall quality of the plot wasn't quite there for the first few episodes. 

Script

The script is really good. It has strong narrative threads throughout and has some truly shocking moments throughout. It still has that good balance between humour and drama, though it definitely leans more towards the serious nature of the show. 

Style

The style is great in terms of the visuals. It is a beautiful looking show and I loved how some of the grittier scenes were filmed and made it feel darker then the previous season. Though, I did enjoy the international feel of the first season, I mean Columbia is lovely, but it does feel a bit repetitive. The main issue, is the pacing which leaves the show feeling a bit slow over the first few episodes. 

Overall

Overall, The Night Manager Season 2 is a great show and a worthy follow up to the first season. It has a few more issues but is definitely worth a watch, especially for people who enjoyed the first season. 

Rating - 8/10

The Night Manager Season 1 (2016) Review

One of the biggest releases of 2026 is the new season of the acclaimed show, The Night Manager. I am a bit late to the party, so I thought I would finally watch the first season of the show before catching up on the new season. I have now done this and here is my review for thee first season of The Night Manager. The premise of the show sees a Hotel Manager, recruited by MI6 to infiltrate an arms dealers operations. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine and he is fantastic. He is so smooth and has so much charisma in this show, he has real depth and you aren't quite sure what side he is on and Hiddleston is great at making the audience care about this character. 

Supporting Characters

Hugh Laurie plays Richard Roper and he is also amazing in this show. He plays this evil weapons dealer and he revels in it, oozing charisma and cockiness. The chemistry between him and Hiddleston is excellent and for me was the best part of the show. 

Olivia Colman plays Angela Burr and she is the handler of Pine's mission and she is just great as Colman usually is. She is giving it her all and she just fits the role really well, she really nails it and is a great addition. 

Elizabeth Debicki plays Jed Marshall and she is really good. She is the younger wife of Roper and she adds plenty of mystery and intrigue to her role. You can tell she was going to be a big deal after this show. 

Tom Hollander plays Lance Corkoran and he is full of great moments and intense scenes. He has the biggest rivalry with Jonathan Pine and their scenes together are really good and adds some real intensity to the show. 

There are some other great performances and the whole cast really knock it out of the park here. 

Story

The story is really interesting, we see Jonathan Pine making friends with all of these arms dealers and whether he is enjoying it and what exactly his plan is. There is plenty of espionage and some great character moments to keep you invested throughout. However, I did think the storyline involving MI6 wasn't as interesting and came across as pretty generic. Also the ending felt a bit too clean and a bit abrupt. 

Script

The script is great, there is a lot of quick off the cuff dialogue that made these feel like real people. It is clearly meant to be sending a message and I thought it did it pretty well, there is a great blend of drama and dark humour that just really worked for me. 

Style 

This show is a very international affair and it is very cool to see this show travel all over the world and the characters getting into these situations under different backdrops. The show is paced really well and it certainly had me gripped throughout and wanting to watch the next episode. 

Overall

Overall, The Night Manager Season 1 is a Fantastic Show that really stands out from other crime shows. A great cast, great writing and great visuals make it a show that should be watched. 

Rating - 9/10