It was after the fact and the positive reviews that I watched The Night Manager, and I did so not quite sure what to expect as all I had heard was that it was good. The shows lays out its stall with an adult edge; having darkness to the plotting and the characters, while also enjoying the glitz and tension of it all. I was not totally sold on the journey of Pine to 'inside man' however the pace that made it less convincing also meant we moved beyond that quickly.
The episodes move around nicely from locations as well as from the inside world and those of the intelligence teams in London. This movement is combined with a mix of violence, sexual intrigue, tension, and dialogue driven drama. The combination of themes and locations and plots works pretty well and keeps each episode moving pretty well. The high production values allow for great locations which are then beautifully presented; it also means we have plenty of strong cast members. Hiddleston is not actually that great as a performance but he does have charisma which holds the attention. Laurie is better as a villain while Hollander, Colman, Akhtar, Harewood and others are all good value.
It is not quite as good as suggested though. It does have plotting weaknesses, and the dark edge and adult tone is very much presentation and not as deep in the characters and material as one would like. The conclusion is a bit too neat and tidy in particular. As a result it does feel like a good fit for the Sunday night slot, and is not as brilliant as it appears, even it is enjoyable with an easily digestible darkness.
The episodes move around nicely from locations as well as from the inside world and those of the intelligence teams in London. This movement is combined with a mix of violence, sexual intrigue, tension, and dialogue driven drama. The combination of themes and locations and plots works pretty well and keeps each episode moving pretty well. The high production values allow for great locations which are then beautifully presented; it also means we have plenty of strong cast members. Hiddleston is not actually that great as a performance but he does have charisma which holds the attention. Laurie is better as a villain while Hollander, Colman, Akhtar, Harewood and others are all good value.
It is not quite as good as suggested though. It does have plotting weaknesses, and the dark edge and adult tone is very much presentation and not as deep in the characters and material as one would like. The conclusion is a bit too neat and tidy in particular. As a result it does feel like a good fit for the Sunday night slot, and is not as brilliant as it appears, even it is enjoyable with an easily digestible darkness.