Fans of the gripping BBC spy thriller, The Night Manager, can breathe a collective sigh of relief: the inimitable Olivia Colman is back. Her return as the formidable Angela Burr in the highly anticipated second season has been a point of keen interest, especially following the shocking revelations in the opening episodes.
The Return of Angela Burr
The second season of The Night Manager, currently captivating audiences on BBC One, picked up the threads of espionage and intrigue established in the 2016 original. The first instalment followed Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) as he was recruited by Angela Burr (Colman), the determined manager of a Foreign Office task force, to infiltrate the operations of arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie).
Season two immediately plunged viewers back into the complex world of international crime. Early episodes featured a flashback where Angela identified what appeared to be Richard Roper’s body. This initial confirmation set the stage for Pine’s new mission, where he adopted the alias Matthew Ellis to spy on Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva). In a stunning twist that sent shockwaves through the fanbase, it was soon revealed that Teddy is, in fact, Richard Roper’s son, determined to continue the family’s illicit trade.
The biggest bombshell, however, arrived last week: Richard Roper himself was discovered alive. Despite being presumed dead, the villain resurfaced, operating alongside his son in South America under the stolen identity of Gilberto Hanson. This development left many viewers, and presumably Jonathan Pine, questioning Angela Burr’s initial identification and her subsequent whereabouts.
Colman’s Confirmed Comeback
After a period of absence that prompted concern among viewers, Olivia Colman’s return as Angela Burr was confirmed for the upcoming fourth episode, airing Sunday, January 18th. Her reappearance is timely, as Jonathan Pine will undoubtedly seek answers regarding the supposed death of Roper and the implications of his survival. The synopsis for episode four hints at mounting pressure: "Pine has the proof he needs to expose the British-backed overthrow of the Colombian government. But Teddy no longer trusts Matthew Ellis, and Gilberto Hanson is on his tail."
Colman’s character remains pivotal to Pine’s ongoing operations, representing the established authority he once served. Her guidance, or perhaps her own investigation into the misidentification, will be crucial as Pine navigates this perilous new landscape where his primary target is seemingly back from the dead.
Filming Challenges: Tenerife Becomes London
While Colman’s presence on screen is a major draw, the production faced significant logistical hurdles in bringing her back into the fold, largely due to her immense global demand. Executive producer Stephen Garrett revealed the complexities involved in scheduling scenes with the now-globally revered actress.
Garrett noted the amusing trajectory of Colman’s career since the first series in 2016, quipping, “When we started with Olivia Colman, I think she was on the cusp of royalty and sort of became royalty as we were making [the show back in 2016]. So, to bring back someone who we started with as a kind of princess in waiting who is now the Queen was fantastic.”
This elevated status created scheduling clashes. By the time the production team was ready to film scenes involving Colman and Indira Varma (who plays Mayra Cavendish), Colman was committed to another project, The Roses, filming in Cornwall. The original script called for a meeting in Hampstead House, London.
The Tenerife Transformation
The solution was an extraordinary feat of on-the-fly production redesign. Garrett explained that all primary London and British scenes were shot in the first three weeks of June. When Colman became available later, the crew was already filming in Tenerife. "I don't know if anyone's been to Tenerife recently, but trust me, the architecture of Tenerife is strangely unlike that of Hampstead," Garrett admitted.
The team had to undertake an "extraordinarily complicated process to rewrite the scene and reimagine it so we could find a building in Tenerife where Indira and Olivia could plausibly meet and we could caption it London, and you wouldn't go, 'Seriously?'" This commitment to accommodating their star, despite the geographical absurdity, underscores the value the production places on its ensemble cast.
The enduring appeal of The Night Manager lies in its stellar cast and intricate plotting. Olivia Colman’s return as Angela Burr promises to inject necessary clarity and authority into the unfolding chaos surrounding Pine’s undercover work. Fans can tune in every Sunday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer to follow the next twists in this high-stakes drama.
