The Night Manager - Anyone looking forward to it?

[AdriftOnMemoryBliss]

I'm not familiar with the story, but the trailers for it look awesome.

I can't see anything with both Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston in, as well as Olivia Colman being bad, can you?

Boss, I thought they would kill him off - can Roper really afford just letting Corky go armed with all the knowledge on the ex-boss AD with a grudge? Unless they will just watch him carefully and scare him to death into silence, or bump him off at later point if he starts any revenge, but then again it may be too late. So it's a bit odd they'd just let him walk out (well they may not yet).

I think the implication is that Roper is allowed to carry on his arms business by people in the UK government, I don't think its a covert contact in MI6. He has never been caught before due to his friends in government - he is useful to the government and as long as he remains useful he can sell as many arms as he likes. This is why Olivia Coleman is working with the US bloke - Roper does not have so many pals in the US establishment - but she's still trying to keep it as quiet as possible.

I'm wondering about Danny's mum. Where is she? It's not clear if Roper has custody of him or if he's just there for the summer holiday. Pine did ask him if he spent the summer with his dad but he could be at boarding school the rest of the time. My point is, if the mum is out there how much does she know about Roper and his dealings?

I've only just realised that I read the novel, or some of it, while stuck in a snowbound hotel in the US, years ago - not my usual fodder! All I remember (no spoilers!) is that Olivia Coleman's character was a man called Leonard, and that there is a disturbing torture scene on a boat involving genial baddie Hugh 'Twinkles' Laurie and Tom 'I look like I know the rules to the Eton Wall game, whatever character I'm playing' Hiddleston.

Tom Hollander is the best bit of this, for me, with Jed's cool hair getting best supporting actress.

I think there is no chemistry between them because she is a trophy for him. Remember how he said he went to New York to buy a painting and came back with her?

Her mother is calling her a whore so maybe she needs the money. She is clearly unhappy and in it for unfathomable reasons.

Tehlu I did stop breathing during the snooping scene too. Am enjoying the series very much. May have to read the book. Le Carre books are always good, though I've read a couple that were so pessimistic and grim that it made me sad for a long while after...

I'm really looking forward to reading the book after the series has finished. Tempted to start it now but I don't want to spoil watching to the end!

Last night's episode was okay. But I'm still waiting for the real action to start!

MissBattleAxe, I know she is a trophy but do you mean purely to show off, not so much as a sex partner? otherwise he is supposed to fancy her but this doesn't come across.
And from her side, she must need a heck of a lot of money to be with Roper and keep staying after witnessing an attempted kidnap AND someone hanging herself! she is an ex-model and could easily earn money modelling, or failing that, could go with any of the non-criminal American businessmen if she just wanted the money - plus she must have had offers from genuinely interested decent guys who are not poor! Why go for someone dangerous when she has a lot of choices? I still think something is fishy, either someone put her up to spy on him by having power over her child (his Dad?) or she owes something to someone and has been set up with Roper for a reason. If she genuinely made a mistake thinking R was a nice rich guy, and her snooping in his office was just to confirm to herself he's bad - why is she still there now (unless she now has interest in Pine, at a stretch)?

Good questions Love PG. I don't know. They're also a fairly new couple too, which is interesting. I wonder if she is a spy? Or too scared to leave?

Corcoran is going to go a bit bathsit at his demotion isn't he? And he's going to be more than a tad irritable when he finds out Pine is taking his place.

I think she doesn't know how to leave. How exactly would you leave the island? And she's also scared. And probably part of her is reluctant to give it all up.

(I fear I'm empathising too much ....)

also it wasn't clear at all why did the daughter of R's business partner hang herself at such early age? FWIW he himself didn't blame Roper, it's Olivia who sort of convinced him. There is probably more in the book - was it drug addiction? in which case sorry but it's not down to R but to her fater giving her access to drugs and not looking after her properly (she was not some tearaway child living with a wrong crowd by the looks of it).

Corky is fab. The bit where Pine referred to him as "your little friend" .... If I were Pine I would be very very very careful ...

She irritated me when she just dropped her dress in the sea and went off for her peachy bummed swim. Could she not have found a nice rock to pop it on.

Tsk.

So three more episodes to go, I hope the action will be cranked up from next week. I've had enough of the languid Mallorcan stuff.

It would be so uncomfortable to put back on, all wet and sandy...

Oh and one more thing! Natasha Little, her face has barely changed since her days as that scheming minx in This Life.

Never, she's not a prisoner, they are not married - why not just tell or ask Roper that she wants to leave? should have tried at least, he's not going to kill her for that. He doesn't think she knows anything about his criminal dealings, so why wouldn't he let her go? What else would he do - kill her on the island? and then anyone could tell the police (incl Pine).
Also don't forget they haven't been marooned on the island all this time - they were in Switzerland, then elsewhere in Mallorca with people at parties, so of course she could leave. Roper is not interested in obvious crime- he'd never risk jus tknocking someone off when the person isn't dangerous to him - he can find plenty other models.
Also she doesn't come across as a weak character. To me it seems like she is on a task (probably set up by someone else).

God its so boring! The first one was promising but now, zzzz.
Nothing ever seems to be explained. All of a sudden Pine is recruited and is a super duper spy with no training. Was he regular Army or supposed to be SAS?
Definitely struggling to hold my interest. Especially since House of Cards is back

as to giving it all up, she's definitely not enjoying it anymore (apart from maybe looking at Pine's swims) and has a sombre look all the time - and what a bore if you don't like the man you are with. She said she doesn't enjoy parties with strangers, and what a bore just swimming and eating all day for months for a young girl who's full of energy really. She's def perservering, not enjoying it.
And to repeat from my other post, she could have a pick of men with lifestyle/money if she is a New Yorker, they can be younger and actually can like her as a person, not to mention decent/law-abiding!

I didn't see episode three yet, but episode two seemed a bit confused as to whether it was a sort of thriller-y cousin of Spooks, or a bit of lifestyle porn, with a lot of lingering camerawork on the lavishly appointed restaurant terrace scene etc. And there's something slightly funny about international arms dealer gatherings looking like an illustration from a Boden catalogue, complete with sea background, crumpled linen, genial glass-raising, adorable children dancing etc.

Wasn't that Natasha Little judging the Great Interior Design Challenge?
I'm enjoying this programme but I found the new House of Cards boring, I'll have to try it again

Squoosh if you're expecting high octane action from le carré i'm afraid you'll be disappointed. He's more cerebral than bond/bourne!

I remember enjoying the Bourne books. But Le Carre is a very different kettle of fish.