It’s Been 9 Years Since The Night Manager Premiered. Here’s Everything to Remember for Season 2

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Nearly ten years ago, The Night Manager premiered on Prime Video and quickly became a huge success. The six-part series, adapted from John LeCarré’s 1993 novel of the same name, follows Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), a former soldier who works as a hotel night manager, as he goes undercover to expose Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), a notorious arms dealer. Before spy thrillers dominated streaming, The Night Manager stood out with its impressive cast – Hiddleston, Laurie, and Olivia Colman all won Golden Globes – beautiful international settings, and a suspenseful story that focused more on clever strategy and secret operations than action-packed violence.

Jonathan Pine, also known as Alex Goodwin, is back in action. Nine years after stopping a major arms deal and capturing Roper, Pine has gone undercover once more, teaming up with investigator Angela Burr (Colman) as part of MI6. When a former associate of Roper appears in London, Pine and Burr uncover a conspiracy in South America involving a Colombian arms dealer and a security breach that feels eerily familiar. Though the original author, John le Carré, didn’t write a follow-up, the show’s creator received his approval for a second season before le Carré’s passing in 2020. Tom Hiddleston, who plays Pine, shared with The Guardian that he’d always hoped to reprise the role, and the show’s creator made it possible.

It’s been a while since the first season, so you might need a refresher on all the exciting events. Luckily, with Season 2 starting this Sunday (and Season 3 already planned!), we’ve created a quick guide to remind you of the important details and plot points before Pine embarks on his next risky adventure.

How did Pine become a spy?

In 2011, we’re introduced to Jonathan Pine, a charming night manager working at the luxurious Nefertiti hotel in Cairo. During the Egyptian revolution, he develops a connection with Sophie Alekan, the girlfriend of wealthy and reckless Freddie Hamid. Their relationship becomes complicated when Sophie gives Pine evidence of Hamid’s secret dealings in chemical weapons with arms dealer Richard Roper. Pine secretly passes this information to Angela Burr, an investigator with an international law enforcement agency. However, the information is leaked to Roper, who cancels the deal and has Sophie brutally beaten, ultimately leading to her death.

Okay, so it’s been four years, and our guy Pine is now working the night shift at a fancy hotel in the Swiss Alps. He’s still really haunted by the loss of his former lover. Then, wouldn’t you know it, his old enemy, Roper, just happens to show up as a guest! Pine sees a chance for payback, grabs Roper’s SIM cards and sends them to his contact, Burr, but initially wants out of the spy game. But Burr, who has her own reasons for wanting Roper brought down, tracks Pine down in Switzerland and talks him into one last mission – to get inside Roper’s operation and finally get justice for Sophie. Pine, feeling like he’s got nothing left to lose, agrees, and that’s when things really kick off – Operation Limpet is a go!

What happens when Pine joins Richard Roper’s inner circle?

To gain Roper’s trust and remain undercover, Burr instructs Pine to create a false criminal history. They then orchestrate a kidnapping of Roper’s son, Danny, allowing Pine to rescue him and appear heroic. Roper, impressed by Pine’s bravery, ignores the concerns of his second-in-command, Corky, who vows to kill Pine if he discovers any lies. Pine handles Corky by revealing his drinking problem and then cleverly takes control of Tradepass, the company Roper uses to secretly sell weapons disguised as farm equipment. Adopting a new identity, Andrew Birch, Pine operates within Roper’s Majorca estate, secretly sending vital documents to Burr while maintaining a low profile.

As I followed Roper’s movements, I found myself increasingly drawn to his girlfriend, Jed. She eventually figured out who I really was and started planning her escape from what was clearly a really damaging relationship. Back in London, things were getting complicated for Burr. She discovered that some high-ranking officials within MI6 and the CIA were actually protecting Roper and his operations, and they were actively hindering her investigation, even threatening her as she got closer to the truth. Everything really escalated when we all ended up at The Haven, a secluded military base in Syria where Roper was showing off his weapons to potential buyers. It was horrifying – Roper’s men casually killed a father and son who wandered onto the base, and in a brutal fight, I was forced to kill Corky to maintain my cover. It was a terrible situation, but I had to keep up the pretense to get closer to Roper.

The following morning, Pine informs Burr that Roper’s supposed aid shipment – actually a cover for weapons – is moving towards the Turkish border. With assistance from their American contact, Joel Steadman, Burr directs the U.S. military to intercept the cargo, but they only discover agricultural supplies. While Roper successfully halts Operation Limpet with this deception, Burr and Pine continue their investigation after discovering Roper plans to complete the arms deal in Cairo with Hamid and Barghati, another wealthy buyer of weapons.

How does Season 1 end?

The season ends with Roper checking into the Nefertiti hotel. While there, Jed learns the combination to Roper’s safe, which contains proof of illegal arms dealing. He secretly tells Pine the code, letting Burr access it remotely from the hotel while the group is at a casino. Meanwhile, Pine poisons Hamid’s drink and, after offering him a ride home, drowns him in the pool to avenge Sophie’s death. Later, Pine joins his old coworker and members of the Muslim Brotherhood at the weapons storage facility, where they plant explosives on the trucks, set to detonate by cell phone.

The next day was a disaster. I saw Jed trying to put the certificate back, and it came out that she’d been helping Pine feed information to the enemy. Luckily, Burr managed to save her from one of Roper’s guys. Meanwhile, Roper’s team finally figured out Pine was the mole and took him to the weapons stash. When Barghati arrived, they made Pine finish the deal, but he double-crossed everyone! He set off explosives and transferred a huge $300 million payment out of the Tradepass account, leaving Roper owing Barghati a fortune. It was a total mess!

When Roper returned to the hotel, Burr and Joel were waiting with the Egyptian police to arrest him for illegal imports and conspiracy to murder. This time, MI6 wouldn’t help him, as he’d previously made a deal with Burr’s team. As Roper and his colleagues were arrested and put in a police van, he still thought he’d be free in a few days. However, Barghati and his men hijacked the van, taking Roper to an unknown location, suggesting his imminent death. Burr simply stated, “He deserves it.”

In the end, things turn out well for Pine. He lives, receives justice, and shares a final farewell with Jed, who goes back to the United States to be with her son.

What’s in store for Season 2?

Pine has changed a lot since the start of the series. He’s been through tough times and become more jaded and hardened by his experiences with Roper’s global power. In the second season, he’ll be forced to deal with these feelings when he encounters a new arms dealer and a captivating woman who once again put him in danger. Even though a decade has passed, Roper’s influence still affects him. This time, can Pine finally break free?

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2026-01-09 17:07