Television Review: The Night Manager

Synposis: After seeing classified information about an arms deal, Johnathon Pine, a hotel night manager, is determined to seek justice for the murder of a woman. But in order to do so, he must infiltrate the killer’s circle, a notorious arms dealer determined to make money through destruction.

Evil can have a charming smile, though. Pine must win over Richard Roper, the man behind it all, and gain his trust in order to gain evidence against the man.

Things become more complicated when he starts to fall for Roper’s lover and Pine knows that everything – even the world – is at stake.

Programme: The Night Manager

Company: The Ink Factory 

Date: 2016

Rating:  4.25/5

When it comes to television shows, I’m always late getting to them! I am currently still watching Breaking Bad for the first time and have only just watched The Night Manager, after wanting to see it since it aired. Oops?

I was dubious about it – surely it couldn’t be as good as all the hype surrounding it? But I was proved wrong! The first few episodes were enjoyable and engaging, but by the final couple of episodes, I was gripped. Definitely a case of wanting to watch the next episode immediately!

At only six episodes long, The Night Manager packs a lot into each episode, with both action and character/relationship developments taking place at a fast pace. The pacing emphasised the tension and there were moments where I was holding my breath, waiting to see what would happen.

The shows excellence comes from the cast, there is no doubt about it. Has there ever been a cast that oozes such charm?

Tom Hiddleston as Johnathan Pine was the ideal choice. Pine might be charming, but it is Hiddleston’s smile that makes that charm, that effortless way he switches between the tormented soul to the charming liar. He brought the character to life, revealing all of Pine’s strengths and weaknesses in just a few looks. I have to admit, I was curious to see Hiddleston in a role other than Loki, and his acting was superb.

Hiddleston isn’t the only one to be a charmer though. Hugh Laurie as Richard Roper was also a great choice. Laurie makes Roper dangerous through his friendliness and charismatic nature; you can never predict a character who can smile while stabbing you in the back.

Although those two made it for me – especially their interactions with one another – the rest of the cast were also strong. Olivia Colman was a force to be reckoned with in her role as Angela Burr and Elizabeth Debicki was a beautiful and mysterious Jed Marshall.

Personally, I felt the power of the show comes from how prominent the threat of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction are in today’s culture. It was a threat that we had all heard about in the news etc and this brought it home that it isn’t a man always set on the destruction of the world who is the most dangerous, it is the ones who just see it as a business transaction.

The writing was exceedingly well done. In the latter episodes, I had my doubts about the characters, just as Angela had her doubts about Johnathon. When the writing can mislead and suggest doubt to the audience while not putting them off a character completely, you know a master is behind it! It’s been a long time since a show gripped me the way in this manner!

I am now interested in reading the book and seeing how the two compare. But although I came to The Night Manager late, I’m incredibly glad to have finally got around to seeing it.

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