The Night Manager's Devastating Finale: Creators Reveal All About That Explosive Ending
The second season of The Night Manager concluded with a Shakespearean tragedy that left audiences stunned. In a brutal six-minute sequence, the BBC drama eliminated multiple major characters, delivering one of television's most devastating finales in recent memory. Screenwriter David Farr and director Georgi Banks-Davies have now opened up about those shocking deaths and what lies ahead for the critically acclaimed series.
A Finale That Refused to Play Safe
The season two climax saw Olivia Colman's dogged intelligence operative Angela Burr gunned down at her French home, with her young daughter nearby. Teddy Dos Santos, the illegitimate son portrayed by Diego Calva, received a bullet to the head from his own father. Meanwhile, Tom Hiddleston's haunted operative Jonathan Pine was left bleeding in the dirt as enemies closed in. Richard Roper, the world's worst man, emerged victorious with his freedom restored.
"Those big decisions come quite early," reveals David Farr, admitting he essentially began with the ending first. "And in a weird way, you hook everything off that. I've got to earn that." The screenwriter certainly earned his bleak conclusion, moving away from John le Carré's original source material to craft six episodes that found frisson in daring storytelling and powerful performances.
What Next for Jonathan Pine?
The good news for devastated fans is that Farr is already writing season three, promising it will arrive "somewhat quicker" than the nine-year gap between the first two seasons. "There's an exciting urgency behind what we're doing now," he explains, while cautioning against rushing production at the expense of quality.
But the burning question remains: is Jonathan Pine actually dead? "I think we can say it's ambiguous," says Farr with a laugh. Director Georgi Banks-Davies adds: "You can never trust The Night Manager." Given the current television landscape where established franchises are prized assets, killing off their carefully nurtured Bond-like protagonist seems implausible unless Hiddleston has other plans.
The Loss of Angela Burr
While Pine's fate hangs in the balance, there's no ambiguity about Angela Burr's demise. The indefatigable thorn in Roper's side met her end in a seismic shock that will leave a significant hole in the cast. "Olivia will always take the most creative, radical, bold choice as an actor," Banks-Davies explains. "She'll always back that choice. But of course, it's bittersweet, because she's such a fundamental character in the show."
The director describes the cast as a family of "incredible people who've stuck together to tell this story," making Colman's departure particularly heartbreaking. "But I wouldn't be surprised in season three if she just came for a coffee," Banks-Davies adds, highlighting the genuine off-screen relationships that fuel the on-screen chemistry.
Roper's Descent and Teddy's Tragedy
Hugh Laurie's Richard Roper remains a masterclass in entitled menace, his drawling bonhomie concealing something rotten beneath. Banks-Davies describes him slowly descending into madness in isolation, having lost everything that gave him comfort and status. "He's been through a really traumatic, horrendous experience," she says. "He's lost the things that gave him comfort and gave him status. Doesn't have a beautiful home in Majorca. All of his belongings have gone."
Farr observes that Laurie maintains a deceptive surface: "He still manages, in a very English way, to skate on the surface and yet you know what's going on." This makes Roper's terrible acts even more shocking when they occur.
The season's most poignant trajectory belongs to Teddy Dos Santos, whose doomed relationship with Pine provides the emotional ballast. Farr knew from the beginning this season would focus on "the other son" - not Danny from the first series, but Roper's illegitimate child from Colombia. "I just knew that this was going to end in a tragedy," Farr explains.
Diego Calva delivers a remarkable performance, slowly scraping away Teddy's chic veneer to reveal profound vulnerability. "Diego got it so much," Farr enthuses. "Every line, he just knew what was behind it. He just understood everything, where he came from."
Looking Toward Season Three
As The Night Manager prepares for its next chapter, the creative team remains committed to maintaining the high standards that have made the series appointment viewing. The shocking finale has set the stage for what promises to be another compelling season, with questions about Pine's survival, Roper's next moves, and how the show will address the absence of key characters.
"Pine and Teddy in another story, in another lifetime, can be together," reflects Banks-Davies on the season's central relationship. "They are the same. They've been through the same traumas. They've lost the same parents. It's this idea that we're forced apart, and what's pushing us apart when we should recognise our shared humanity."
The director concludes with the series' underlying philosophy: "I feel like it's not about what makes us different. It's about what brings us together." As viewers await season three, they can reflect on a finale that dared to be bleak, bold, and unforgettable.
