The Night Manager Explained
Identifying the Source
Renowned spy writer John le Carré published “The Night Manager” in 1993. His first novel after the Cold War became a New York Times Best Seller, with praise for its lofty political themes alongside compelling tension and characters. Paramount Pictures quickly bought the film rights, tapping Oscar-winning screenwriter Robert Towne to adapt. Unfortunately, le Carré’s storytelling was too complex for a short-form format. Two decades later, the BBC, along with Ink Factory in association with Character 7, commissioned a six-episode serial with David Farr attached to write. Farr had the skills and the modern means of Peak TV to do le Carré’s story justice, as he had previously worked on the acclaimed spy drama, “Spooks,” which was created by Character 7’s Stephen Garrett when he was with the production company, Kudos.
New Intel
John le Carré’s novels tended to be products of a very specific time. 1993’s “The Night Manager” explores the legacy of Cold War era policies that expanded international criminal enterprise. In addition to illegal arms, Richard Roper also trafficks narcotics, and is dealing with a Colombian cartel looking to militarize. It’s a very different backdrop from the belated adaptation’s focus on geopolitics after the Arab Spring. But it’s tragically not different enough. Both stories look at criminal empires as a byproduct of Western espionage and capitalism that thrives on bureaucracy. Never mind corrupt officials collaborating with criminals out of financial and national security interests. The show goes even more cynical by giving Roper the façade of a philanthropist who secretly exploits humanitarian crises. Otherwise, the TV show closely follows the book’s plot to dramatize these themes.
The Operation: Episodes 1-3
In 2011, Sophie Alekan enters the Nefertiti Hotel with evidence of the Hamid family’s role in British entrepreneur Richard Roper’s illegal arms trade. The British night manager Jonathan Pine falls in love as he tries to secure her asylum in the UK, but Sophie is murdered when he fails. Four years later, Pine is working in Switzerland when he has a chance encounter with Roper that he brings to the attention of Angela Burr of the Foreign Office’s International Enforcement Agency. Pine is ultimately able to infiltrate Roper’s organization by thwarting his son’s staged kidnapping, despite the vicious scrutiny of Roper’s right hand, Lance “Corky” Corkoran. Pine eventually heads Roper’s front company Tradepass under the alias Andrew Birch. But despite Burr’s best efforts to hide “Operation Limpet” from potentially corrupt superiors, its existence reaches Roper.
The Assets
“The Night Manager” establishes its theme of dual identities right alongside its protagonist. We meet Jonathan Pine protecting affluent hotel guests from riots in Egypt, then bonding with local staff as they celebrate the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. The humanization of the vilified elite extends to Richard Roper, an apparent humanitarian and family man who can always excuse his actions. The truth is that he’s a monster, particularly toward his secretive American girlfriend Jemima “Jed” Marshall. Everyone is leading a double-life, with Pine’s handler being changed from a man in the book to the pregnant Angela Burr, seemingly to partly symbolize the omnipresence of multiple identities. These philosophies manifest in both character arcs and political circumstances. Even Roper’s awareness of Jed’s son in New York reflects the fragility of secrets in the information age. If nothing else, these layers add to the suspense of Pine’s infiltration.
Closing In: Episodes 4-6
Tradepass heads out for a humanitarian mission in Syria as a cover for an arms deal. Pine has begun an affair with Jed, and Burr has managed to flip Roper’s lawyer Juan Apostol. She also identifies Roper’s colleague “Halo” as MI6 commander Geoffrey Dromgoole, who is protecting the arms trade to serve the UK’s geopolitical stronghold. Unfortunately, Operation Limpet is shut down after Dromgoole helps Roper avoid arrest and kill Apostol. Pine saves himself by confiding in Jed and collaborating with her to frame Corky, whom Pine then kills. Then it’s off to, of all places, Cairo’s Nefertiti Hotel to hand off the weapons. There, Roper catches Jed trying to steal documents and deduces her affair over torture. She would have been trafficked if Burr didn’t go rogue to break into Roper’s room. Meanwhile, Pine sabotages the weapons shipment and diverts the clients’ $300 million payment. With Dromgoole’s corruption exposed, the proper authorities promptly arrest Roper. But he’s bound for a fate worse than prison when the clients commandeer the police convoy. This departs from the book’s ending, in which Burr negotiates Pine and Jed’s release by allowing Roper to get away. Le Carré’s bleaker vision appears to epitomize how he was more focused on politics than the show’s philosophical character study. Or perhaps Roper’s demise and Pine’s plans to move to New York with Jed were meant to imply to audiences that there would be no second season.
Debrief
“The Night Manager” won rave reviews for its deep suspense, themes and characterization. Among its many accolades were seven BAFTA TV award nominations and 12 Emmy nominations. Actors Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman all won Golden Globes. Moreover, the British-American co-production brought over 9 million viewers to BBC One per episode, before generating even more buzz during its run on AMC. The show’s success directly inspired the BBC to commission the similarly acclaimed 2018 adaptation of le Carré’s “Little Drummer Girl.” And yet, it took years of sustained popularity on streaming to inspire whispers of a revival. Finally, in April 2024, the BBC and Prime Video announced that they had renewed “The Night Manager” for two additional seasons. Now writer David Farr faces the daunting task of starting from scratch.
Redeployment
The revival of “The Night Manager” is working without source material. But Season 2 does pay homage to John le Carré’s original premise with the addition of a Colombian former business associate of Richard Roper. Teddy Dos Santos’s criminal enterprise is the latest target of Jonathan Pine, who has spent the last eight years running covert operations for MI6. The series also brings back Olivia Colman, with a new cast that includes Diego Calva, Camilla Morrone and Kirby Howell-Baptiste. This follow-up also promises to be more action-packed, but there are many intriguing dramatic questions. How has Pine been affected by a life of deception and death? And how will the spycraft and themes be affected by a whole decade of real-world political turbulence? The heads of production company The Ink Factory, who are also le Carré’s sons, claim they didn't want to move forward until Farr delivered a concept worthy of their father's legacy. Whether Prime Video will deliver on January 11, 2026, fans are eager to return.
How excited are you to come back to “The Night Manager?” Check into the comments below.
