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Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager which has reached its second season climax(Image: BBC)

After six weeks of gripping drama, the second series of The Night Manager reached its explosive finale on Sunday, February 1, leaving viewers captivated as revelation after revelation unfolded.

Eight years following the thrilling season one conclusion which drew over 10 million UK viewers, Tom Hiddleston returned last month to portray former British intelligence operative, Jonathan Pine.

Drawing on the characters conceived by John le Carré, the inaugural series of the BBC’s The Night Manager followed Pine working as a hotel night manager before being enlisted by intelligence officer Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) to penetrate the inner sanctum of international arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie).

Those watching the second series discovered Pine living under the alias Alex Goodwin – now a junior MI6 officer managing a modest surveillance unit in London – his existence reassuringly mundane.

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Hugh Laurie as Richard Roper had the upper hand(Image: BBC)

Then one evening, a chance glimpse of a former Roper mercenary triggered a call to action and thrust Pine into a brutal confrontation with a fresh adversary: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva) – who turned out to be Roper’s son, reports Wales Online.

And whilst Roper’s ‘death’ had been established in a flashback, a subsequent twist disclosed he was, in reality, very much alive, paving the way for the duo’s spine-chilling reunion. After weeks of gripping drama, the final episode saw Teddy betray his father – attempting to sabotage the plan to destabilise Colombia.

During nail-biting scenes, despite Pine’s efforts to intercept the plane carrying the weapon, he realised that Roper had switched the aircraft.

As the episode drew to a close, Roper gained the advantage and killed his own son Teddy before escaping the country and reuniting with younger son Danny in the UK. Meanwhile, Pine was offered 50 million dollars to vanish, leave Roper alone, and begin a new life while Angela Burr was murdered in cold blood – all laying the groundwork perfectly for a third series.

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Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos who was betrayed by his dad(Image: BBC)

Viewers flocked to social media platform X to share their reactions to the shocking finale.

One commented: “The Night Manager had one of drama’s great finishes. It really was one you’ll never forget. The cliffhanger of hangers.”

A second said: “This show is bloody insanely GOOOODDD.” A third posted: “WHAT AN ENDING WHAT A SHOW WHAT A CAST just don’t leave it another 10 years.”

Another added: “Always a twist.” And a fifth said: “Richard Roper is some guy.”

One fan posted: “Well that was splendid viewing and left nicely open for s3.” And another added: “I just hope it doesn’t take another 10 years for season 3.”

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Fans were unhappy by Angela Burr’s (Olivia Colman) brutal ending(Image: BBC)

However, others were unhappy with the conclusion especially the killing off of Angela. One said: “Well the ending of #TheNightManager was a disappointment especially killing off Angela. Bit flat if I’m honest plus having subtitles that are unreadable is pointless, i just zoned out when they were on the screen.”

Meanwhile, it’s now been confirmed what will be taking over The Night Manager’s coveted Sunday 9pm slot in the coming weeks. Lord of the Flies will debut on Sunday, 8 February.

William Golding’s Nobel Prize-winning novel from 1983 has been adapted for television by screenwriter Jack Thorne, known for his work on Adolescence, His Dark Materials, Help, and Enola Holmes.

An ensemble cast of over 30 young actors, many making their professional debuts, is led by Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy and Ike Talbut as Simon. They’re joined by fellow shipwrecked boys Thomas Connor as Roger, Noah and Cassius Flemming as twins Sam and Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice and Tom Page-Turner as Bill.

The Night Manager is available to watch on BBC iPlayer