The case against Nasir Khan builds.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
If you're jonesing for a new Sunday night TV fix now that Game of Thrones is on hiatus, you could do far worse than The Night Of. This new crime series started strong and becomes even better in its sophomore episode. While in some ways the show still plays like the most methodical, expensive version of Law & Order ever filmed, there's always an appeal in seeing a complex whodunit done well.
Granted, the Law & Order comparison isn't always justified. That franchise is all about ripping stories from the headlines, boiling them down to hour-long conflicts and telling stories about the heroic men and women of the criminal justice system fighting the good fight. The Night Of is far more pragmatic in its depiction of that system. One of the characters refers to it as "a club" in this episode, and that seems an apt description. Every character in the show has a role to play and a function to carry out as The Night Of examines the facets of that crumbling system and the many lives it impacts in the journey from crime to conviction. There aren't really any heroes or villains in this story. Not yet, at least.
Not that the show is any hurry to reach that point. Barely 24 hours have passed from the opening of the pilot episode to the conclusion of this chapter. This week we saw the doe-eyed Naz come to grips with the worst night of his life and the realization that it's only downhill from here. We saw John Stone fight to free his client and wrestle with the notion that he may have bitten off more than he can chew. And we saw Detective Box dig deeper into his crime scene and battle that pesky sense that, despite the overwhelming evidence against Naz, something doesn't quite add up.
This episode also introduced another major new player into the mix in the form of Andrea's stepfather, Don (Boardwalk Empire's Paul Sparks). Paul's presence offered some insight into Andrea's troubled family life. The reveal that both of her biological parents are dead certainly lends new context to her troubled, self-destructive behavior last week. And it's painfully clear that she and Don didn't get along too well. There's clearly something suspicious about their relationship and about the fact that Don couldn't (or wouldn't) identify her body right away. Couple that with the cryptic opening scene, which hinted that there may have been a third person present in Andrea's brownstone that night, and Don is starting to look like a person of interest himself. It definitely lends credibility to the idea that Naz is simply a pawn in someone else's sick, twisted game.
But even with the addition of Don to the mix and the increased focus on Naz's parents, the show continues to revolve mainly around the core trio of Naz, John Stone and Detective Box. Riz Ahmed delivered a particularly stellar performance this week. Perhaps his role didn't allow for a great deal of range - it mainly involved Ahmed looking petrified in a variety of holding cells, interrogation rooms and courtrooms - but he expertly conveyed the helplessness and sheer terror of being an ordinary, naive (supposedly) innocent man dragged into one of the scariest situations imaginable. This episode was tense to the point of being nerve-wracking. Even seemingly benign shots of prison gates opening and closing fill the viewer with an intense feeling of dread. By the time the episode wrapped with the ominous "Rikers Island" subtitle appearing and Naz being escorted into his new home, the dread was total. I can't even imagine trying to binge-watch this series. It's too emotionally draining.
Naz's parents didn't help his case this week.
AT this point it should be mentioned how integral the cinematography is in heightening that tension and dread. The camera is always clear to linger on the heavy iron bars surrounding Naz and the dilapidated hallways these characters occupy. Whereas the pilot frequently showcased the moody allure of Manhattan's night life, this episode was more concerned with highlighting Naz's dreary, foreboding journey from holding cell to courtroom to prison. It's s safe bet that this trend will continue as we become acquainted with Naz's new home next week.
Fear and dread aside, there's just enough ambiguity to Ahmed's performance to leave that sliver of doubt regarding his innocence. Maybe he's the victim of a frame-job. Maybe he simply killed Andrea in a drug-induced mania and doesn't remember. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing. Maybe he's the sort of sociopath who can murder a woman in cold blood and then play the role of an innocent, terrified victim of circumstance. It's easy to see the outcome veering in any of those directions. There was a particularly heart-wrenching scene this week where Safar searched her son's room for any signs of a secret double life. Stashing a few Maxim magazines in his closet is hardly a capital offense, but it does raise the question of just how well anyone knows this young man.
John Turturro and Bill Camp were equally impressive this week, though both actors also benefited from strong writing. I appreciate the fact that writer Richard Price understands the value of showing rather than telling when it comes to developing these characters. We didn't need to be told that Box is an intellectual and an odd duck amid the NYPD. We see that in his interactions with various characters and the fact that he's so knowledgeable about Islam where most of his colleagues are content to dismiss Naz as "that Arab freak." Similarly, there's never a point where Stone comes out and admits to being in over his head, but the doubt is cast when his ex-wife questioned his ability to handle such a high-profile case. Stone is nearly as ambiguous a character as Naz. He's constantly accused of being an ambulance chaser and an opportunist, but he seems genuinely drawn to Naz's plight almost despite himself.
Turturro frequently shone tonight as he explored multiple sides of his character. There was the confident swagger he displayed as he coached Naz to stop worrying about the truth and traded verbal barbs with several NYPD officers. There was also the tired, lonely side that became apparent as Stone rode endlessly back and forth on the subway. You get the sense that Stone feels an almost kindred spirit connection with his misfit clients, what with his less than stellar reputation among the police force and having to battle the daily stigma his psoriasis causes. Stone is clearly a miserable character in his own, quiet way, and it's hard to say if Naz's case is going to bring him the legitimacy he craves or simply make his life that much more difficult.
As for Box, this episode offered an intriguing glimpse at the ruthless tactician lurking beneath the good cop exterior. Maybe he genuinely cares about helping Naz; maybe he doesn't. But he's certainly interested in cultivating the image of a kindly, helpful cop if it helps him achieve his goals. He made a grand show of "helping" the Khan family so that he could then legally monitor their conversation with Naz. Camp does a great job of making his character likable while channeling that ruthlessness that has made Box such an effective investigator. Stone describes his nemesis as "a subtle beast" in this episode (hence the tile), and that's exactly the sort of aura Camp is generating.
The Verdict
On the surface, it might not seem like there's much to distinguish The Night Of from the many other crime dramas on television these days. But this show's success is all in the execution. The talented cast, cinematic presentation and top-notch writing all combine to weave a compelling tale of a supposedly innocent man being devoured by the criminal justice system. The one area where the show can improve is to devote more attention to characters outside the core trio of Naz, Stone and Box. But there's plenty of time left in this season to accomplish that.
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