I've experienced my share of brutal hangovers, but I can barely fathom how Pine must be feeling in Episode 3 of *The Night Manager* Season 2. And yet, considering he was miraculously able to keep his cover story intact despite being intoxicated, drugged, and lovingly cared for by a dangerous gun-runner, he must possess an iron constitution. Even his pillow talk revolves around mission-critical matters. The shipments apparently contain under-the-table British weaponry, but Roxanne's word isn't enough. He needs irrefutable proof. Hence, we're plunged into a world of espionage.
Needless to say, the show is now settling into its classic rhythm. I've already noted that Season 2 is striving to emulate the shape of Season 1, and that continues here. However, the raw tension of these trademark elements is undeniably compelling. A particularly striking instance occurs early in Episode 3 when Pine agrees to go into business with Teddy and has to sign a document entailing a $20 million donation to Teddy's "charitable" endeavors. Pine has to call his "bank" in Belize—in reality, just Sally trying to shuffle funds from the Roper slush fund—and is instructed by Teddy's lawyer, Juan Carrascal, to put the call on speakerphone. It's all beautifully effective.
This vibe persists until the money transfer. Sally explains that it'll take 12 hours due to stringent new banking regulations in Belize. Meanwhile, Teddy sends his man Viktor to keep an eye on Pine and Roxana, who have to clandestinely cavort along the beachfront while exchanging secret information about the layout and security systems of Teddy's premises. You don't need me to tell you that Pine sneaks in, narrowly avoids capture, and secures some new intelligence.
The money transfer serves as a nicely suspenseful ticking-clock device. In theory, it shouldn't be too much of an issue, but back in Blighty, Mayra discovers Rex Mayhew's secret account and deliberates with Basil on how to proceed, temporarily halting the transfer. This is bad news for Pine, as his overconfidence in the transaction causes him to take a risky approach with Teddy. He interrupts their lavish, slightly sensual dinner to reveal what he knows about the stuck shipment. He's playing the long game, trying to flesh out his character with more detail, but it makes him look suspicious. When the money hasn't landed within the allotted timeframe, he's on the verge of being dumped overboard from Teddy's boat, tied to an anchor. In true spy-show fashion, the money arrives in the nick of time, salvaging Pine's trust with Teddy. But it was a tightrope walk.
I mentioned "sexy" earlier, which I'd like to elaborate on. The Night Manager Season 2 is still pushing the angle of legitimate sexual chemistry between Pine and Teddy, and Episode 3 really commits to this aspect, with a three-way dance—it's a love triangle, see?—between these two and Roxana. I'm not sure how well this angle would work with a different cast, but Diego Calva is an extremely compelling screen presence, able to portray a charged sexuality and a latent sense of danger in almost equal measure. He hasn't had any "big" moments yet, but he's remarkably good in this role, and the homoerotic angle is only working because of him. Hiddleston—though it's really Pine, unsure of where the dynamic is going—looks a little lost.
If the tension in this episode comes from the money stuff, the surprise comes from the connection to Season 1 becoming even stronger. In the previous episode, it was hinted that Richard Roper was Teddy's father, which felt like a decent way of tying the two plots together. But here, that connection takes a more dramatic turn. Pine overhears the name "Giberto Hanson" and instructs Sally to look into him, which she does, learning that he supposedly died 17 years prior. A fake identity assumed by somebody else, then. No big deal. But that somebody else turns out to be Richard Roper himself, whom Pine discovers at the very end of the episode.
Now, considering we saw a very bearded Hugh Laurie dead on a Syrian mortuary slab in Episode 1, this is quite the twist. How did Roper manage to fake his death so convincingly? Was Angela Burr, who identified him alone, potentially in on it? These are big questions, and it'll be up to the rest of the season to answer them satisfactorily. As a midpoint turn to liven things up, though, this will certainly do the job.
