The Night Manager series 2 episode 4 recap: Richard Roper reveals plans for world domination – funded by British intelligence
A reappearance, a death, and an explosive revelation or two
The Night Manager series 2 picks up pace every single episode, and episode 4 was no different with Richard Roper finally revealing the truth about his evil plans – here’s a recap of what happened.
In the latest trip to Colombia (Sunday, January 18), Jonathan Pine finally had the proof he needed to expose the British-backed overthrow of the Colombian government… But with Teddy no longer trusting him, his life was constantly in great danger. And that was BEFORE Gilberto Hanson – aka Richard Roper – discovered his role in it all.
Here’s a handy recap of The Night Manager series 2 episode 4, and what we learnt about Roper’s plans, and the involvement of British intelligence.
***Warning: This recap includes spoilers from The Night Manager episode 4 ahead***
How did Richard Roper fake his own death?
At the end of episode 4, Jonathan Pine – and viewers – were shocked to discover that Richard Roper was alive. After what felt like a long week wait, we finally discovered how he’d managed to fake his own death. After receiving a message from Pine, Angela Burr met up with him in Columbia. And she told him the whole sorry tale of how she’d identified Roper’s body as dead, even though he was very much alive.
Angela told Jonathan: “The night before the identification, Richard Roper walked into my room. He’d done a deal with his Syrian captors, how to get out of it, and how to pay back all the money he owed them [300 million dollars]. I had to declare him dead, and retire from ‘The River’ [MI5 headquarters]. If I refused him, he would kill us both, and send people to London to murder my child. So I did what he asked. The Roper disappeared from the face of the world.”
That is, until now. With Mayra’s help, Roper is back, planning a coup in Colombia. If he succeeds, he’ll pay back his Syrian captors, and he’ll be free. Richard Roper plans to return to the UK, and he’ll be put up in a lavish country estate 25 miles outside of Oxford funded by British intelligence. Mayra is giving Roper the huge estate “as a little thank you”, backed by Whitehall. As well as the huge property, Mayra has provided the arms dealer with a passport to return to the UK.
Turns out Mayra and Roper go way back…
Night Manager series 2 episode 4 recap: What is Roper planning?
For the moment, Richard Roper is a “prisoner” of the Columbian hills. Or that’s how he feels. But once he’s paid off his creditors (with the money made from the shipment in Colombia), he’ll be “free” to return to the UK, reunite with his son, and continue his plans for world domination.
In the meantime, he told his old buddy Sandy Langbourne that they “could run this continent [South America]” as “conquistadors”. Sandy, out on parole on licence after the events of series 1, heard Roper’s plans to “rebuild the empire”.
Richard Roper said: “Back in Syria, in my desert hole, at first I dreamt of revenge against Burr and Pine. Then I realised that was a waste of energy. So I got to know my captors, charmed them with my stoicism and good humour. A bit of bribery, or the promise of it. Sent the offer up the chain – to return to Mr Barghati and his friends everything they’d lost. Three hundred million.”
The arms dealer than laid out his evil plans to “buy Colombia”. He said: “What if you could own a country by buying up the local militia, arm them to the teeth, kick start a revolution, and get the whole thing paid for by whoever stands to gain.”
British intelligence’s involvement with Roper
In Angela Burr’s words, there’s a “civil war in the British intelligence establishment”. And Richard Roper is the proof.
Roper, backed by the British government, is funding Colombian Jose Cabrera’s revolution. In short, causing chaos in the country, in a bid to make money from it.
Roper is “bringing in arms for Cabrera’s revolution”, and “Mayra Cavendish and her investors are footing the bill”. In a chilling conclusion, Tricky Dickie added: “And if I can do it here, I can do it anywhere.”
Roper is “one shipment away” from being “free” and returning to the UK.
Night Manager series 2 episode 4 recap: What happened to prosecutor Alejandro?
Prosecutor Alejandro, carrying crucial evidence about Roper’s arms shipment, nearly escaped Colombia. But not quite. Teddy and his shady crew intercepted Alejandro’s mission, and abducted him.
Despite a warning from Roxana, Jonathan wasn’t able to save him in time. Teddy shot Alejandro in the head. Seconds later, Jonathan arrived and there were more guns fired. At that time, Teddy saw who was shooting at him – his so-called Hong Kong investor Matthew Ellis. At that time, he knew he’d been had.
But, of course, that filtered back to his dear old dad Richard Roper, too. Hearing that the “investor” had been a fake, Roper demanded to see a photograph of Matthew Ellis. And, of course, he saw it was his old nemesis Jonathan Pine.
Game. On.
What else happened in The Night Manager series 2 episode 4?
- Basil Karapetian managed to trick Adam Hollywell into talking – thus exposing his alliance with Mayra Cavendish. He told Basil: “I was approached by Mayra, we’re old pals from Singapore. She said she needed my address book [for] cooking something in Columbia.” For a “few hundred million”, Adam’s investors get “a whole country”. Of course, Columbia comes with copper, oil, lithium – “the whole goose”. In short, Adam is helping “fund a regime change”.
- It became more and more obvious that Teddy Dos Santos was just a boy desperately seeking his dad’s love and approval. But there were several indicators that Roper didn’t feel exactly the same way.
- Under suspicion, Teddy was keeping Roxana a prisoner. He believed (correctly) that she copied the shipment list and gave it to the prosecutor Alejandro. However in the closing minutes of the episode, Jonathan broke her free.
