"Spy thrillers weren't yet often seen on the small screen to the degree that they are now, which allowed the series to stand tall as one of the first of its kind. Now, ten years later, shows like it are a dime a dozen, with each new one feeling more like an imitation of each other. It's hard to find a series like this; one that carves out a unique place for itself among its peers."
"During a mandatory check-in with MI6's therapist, he's asked if there is anything keeping him awake at night. Of course, Jonathan answers no, but it quickly becomes clear that in his time with Roper, Jonathan lost a part of himself. His memories at times force him to come undone, sometimes to his detriment, yet other times, we watch as he unspools in front of unexpected, albeit sympathetic foes."
When The Night Manager first aired in 2016, spy thrillers were rare on television, allowing the series to feel singular. Ten years later, similar shows have proliferated, but season two preserves a distinctive place among peers. The story picks up four years after season one, with Jonathan Pine assuming the identity Alex Goodwin and leading a unit that monitors suspicious hotel activity. The new role proves dangerous and forces confrontations resembling his past infiltration of arms dealer Richard Roper. Jonathan's mental health becomes a central threat, revealed during a mandatory MI6 therapy check-in where he denies insomnia despite losing parts of himself. Traumatic memories cause him to unravel at times, sometimes harming him and at other times exposing vulnerability in front of sympathetic foes. The suspicious death of his boss Rex Mayhew links to Colombian traffickers led by Teddy Dos Santos, escalating external danger.
Read at Roger Ebert
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