Why Night Manager episode 5’s homoerotic Bond-style confrontation is the best thing about the show

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The Night Manager season 2 episode 5 spoilers follow.

What exactly does a Night Manager do during the night? Is it about espionage, romance, or hidden emotions – perhaps even falling for someone on the opposing side?

While fans were eager for the return of Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) in season two, the real buzz is about his romantic connection with Roxana Bolaños (Camila Morrone) and Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) – the three of them are captivating audiences.

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It’s hard to focus on spying when Pine is so preoccupied with trying to get involved with Teddy and Roxana.

It’s clear that Teddy is gay, but Pine’s sexuality is more ambiguous. Throughout this season, people have been speculating about Pine, with some believing he’s pretending to be something he’s not to manipulate others. However, there’s a genuine connection between them, and because Pine is still figuring things out, his sexuality could be fluid as well.

But the truth is, all the romantic tension between these three characters is a distraction, which is common in spy thrillers. The genuine connection, if you can call it that, doesn’t involve Teddy or Roxana at all.

Pine is truly fixated on Richard Roper, known as Dickie, and this week’s episode reveals that Dickie feels the same way.

The intense connection between these two men was always hinted at, even from the very beginning. Their animosity always seemed to have a deeper, more passionate root.

I was reading an interview with screenwriter David Farr in The Guardian, and he made a really interesting point. He basically said the world of spies has always been a place where things aren’t always what they seem when it comes to attraction. He thinks there was definitely something going on between Pine and Roper in the first season – a bit of a spark, you could say. We all talked about the three-way relationship, but honestly, looking back, I think we should have been paying more attention to Teddy’s dad, Dickie. He seems like the key to everything.

Even though many of us disliked how Roper was brought back and the storyline surrounding his return, it was still exciting to watch him and Pine finally meet again in the second-to-last episode of the season.

Some might have considered it dangerous for Pine to challenge his enemy so publicly, but as he’d already explained, he needed to reach Roper first, before Roper could find him.

However, it seems they’ve already started connecting and interacting, as evidenced by their conversation.

Pine opens the conversation with a catty jab at Roper, telling him that he “looks older.”

Already commenting on his looks, eh?

The two people spoke about mutual friends, but their conversation felt like a careful dance, each trying to subtly test the other. They chose their words very deliberately, worried about revealing too much or appearing vulnerable.

Pine eventually asks Roper to hand himself in and bring his collaborators down with him.

It doesn’t work, obviously, so Pine asks why Roper even bothered showing up at all.

“I hate mess, and I have inexplicable affection for you,” replies Roper.

Oh?

Then Roper makes Pine an offer – a way out, really. He proposes a new arrangement that could finally let Pine leave his double life behind for good. As a fan, I was really hoping Pine would take it!

This power play doesn’t work either, obviously, because Roper can’t be trusted.

“Even when you’re lying on Syrian concrete, you’re lying,” says Pine through gritted teeth.

There’s a disagreement between the women, but instead of threatening Pine with serious harm, Roper says something shockingly inappropriate.

“You dream of me every night, just as I dream of you.”

Sounds suss, right?

Okay, things really kicked off when Roper started running his mouth about my dad. I almost lost it – seriously, I had to fight the urge to just grab the knife that was sitting on the table and go after him right then and there. It was that intense.

It’s easy to dismiss their behavior as typical for young boys, but is it possible Pine is just letting off steam?

Roper and Pine aren’t the only male rivals who’ve shared nightly dreams, and this kind of connection is a common trope, particularly in spy stories.

These moments bring to mind the over-the-top villains James Bond often faces, particularly in the movie Skyfall (2012), where Javier Bardem playfully touched Daniel Craig’s face while Craig was restrained.

Raoul Silva, played by Bardem, says, “You’re recalling your training, aren’t you? What rule applies to this situation? Oh well, everyone has a first time, I suppose.”

“You think this is the first time?” Bond responds, implying he’s experienced with this kind of situation before.

The studio initially wanted to remove this line because they were worried audiences wouldn’t accept James Bond forming close relationships with male characters.

How would the television executives react to Roper constantly dreaming about Pine? And what about the very last line of the episode – Roper just plainly stating, “I want Jonathan Pine”?

Roper and Pine won’t have a romantic moment or elope in next week’s season finale, that’s for sure. However, similar competitive dynamics between men often involve underlying obsession and attraction, even if it’s never explicitly stated.

It seems Pine is more drawn to Roper than to Teddy, which could cause problems for their developing three-way relationship. With Dickie also involved, Teddy appears to be losing out.

New episodes of The Night Manager season 2 are available on Sundays on BBC One and through BBC iPlayer. You can watch The One Show every weekday at 7pm.

Okay, so the latest issue of Living Legends just dropped, and it’s all about Dolly Parton! I grabbed my copy – you can find ‘Dolly at 80’ at any newsagent or online for only £8.99. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan!

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2026-01-26 00:50