The Night Manager's most surprising romance is probably doomed – but it's not too late for Teddy

*Warning: spoilers for The Night Manager season 2 episode 4*

The bullets sent flying were the least dramatic part of the shoot-out that brought The Night Manager's latest chapter to a close.

Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) finally revealed his true self to Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), in order to rescue an innocent teenager tricked into aiding the assassination of Alejandro Gualteros (Alberto Ammann).

But the sequence didn't play out like a typical double-cross, the likes of which spy fiction is filled with. The swelling music, teary eyes and anguished outburst made one thing clear: this was a matter of the heart.

Pine's earlier flirtations with Teddy certainly hadn't gone unnoticed (a gentle touch here, a stolen glance there), but even after last week's steamy dance scene, it remained unclear whether the deep cover agent was just exploiting him.

Well, consider that case closed.

In contrast to Pine's unhesitating brutality towards season 1 rivals Corky (Tom Hollander) and Freddie (David Avery), we can clearly see that he's distraught to be raising his weapon against Teddy – despite having legitimate cause.

Both Hiddleston and Calva deserve high praise for this powerful stand-off, but especially the latter, who is dragged through a dizzying cycle of confusion, heartbreak and fury as Teddy wakes up to his deception.

It's gut-wrenching enough to make you briefly forget who the 'villain' is in this scene, which is impressive given that one character just executed a public servant for no other reason than he couldn't be bought.

To Calva's credit, even in the grotesque inhumanity of that action, we can still see the dying embers of a soul in Teddy – which is perhaps what draws Pine to him as well. It begs the question: can he be redeemed for his many grave sins?

Well, the seeds might already be planted. In episode 4, we saw how slippery Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) can be to even his own flesh and blood – but it could come back to haunt him.

After decades spent at arm's length as a secret love child, Teddy tells Roper that he wants to be formally acknowledged as his son in return for helping him through the darkest period of his life.

Roper ostensibly accepts the deal, but later, he cruelly dismisses Teddy, making it clear to old pal Sandy (Alistair Petrie) that he views Danny (Noah Jupe) as his only true heir.

For now, Teddy remains oblivious to this rejection, making his attempts to please his father all the more heartbreaking – from personally making him breakfast to lying when their kidnapping plot goes awry (admittedly, not the greatest bonding activity).

But should Roper's disdain become apparent, could Teddy be so aggrieved as to turn his back on his own father? It's a plausible path forward, but probably not one that leads to Pine's loving embrace.

Hiddleston's chameleonic agent doesn't have a brilliant track record when it comes to romantic relationships (case in point: where is Jed?), with producer Stephen Garrett dourly telling Deadline that "spies have no friends, have no family".

Regardless of his obvious sympathy for Teddy, it's also highly doubtful that principled Pine would let him off scot-free for crimes already committed; recruitment as an asset would surely be his most lenient proposal (followed by Teddy becoming a monk).

While hardly a fairytale ending, any outcome that frees both men of Roper's corrupting influence would give this sizzling connection some long-term meaning – and that isn't nothing!

It's certainly preferable to the believable alternative for our star-crossed (almost) lovers: abject tragedy. On behalf of the burgeoning Jonathan and Teddy fandom, please don't ruin our year!

The Night Manager season 2 is airing on BBC One and iPlayer.

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