"The Night Of" on HBO

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Encuentro, Jul 6, 2016.

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  1. Gretsch6136

    Gretsch6136 Forum Resident

    I'm really enjoying this show although we are week behind with it in Australia. To me Naz's transformation in the jail seems a bit too sudden, and for him to turn hard like he has, I feel he needed to go through a worse experience than just a splash of hot oil on his arm and a burned bed. The change in him just doesn't seem to ring true.

    Really looking forward to seeing how things unfold!
     
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  2. bababooey

    bababooey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX USA
    I'm just glad Stone's feet are ok now.
     
  3. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Okay, so nobody has anything to say about last night's episode?

    For me, I thought it was pretty good outside of the kiss between Chandra and Naz in the holding cell. That seemed, to me, to be kind of melodramatic and not terribly realistic. I know there is a bond and, perhaps, a slight attraction between the two (implied) but for the lawyer to get involved with a murder client is something we see more in the movies than what is supposed to a gritty, procedural drama that is for all intents and purposes fairly realistic? Half way realistic? John Stone, PI, is also interesting but probably not that realistic, either. So Stone looks at all the angles whereas the "subtle beast" of Box looks at none? Is this how things are done? Perhaps. Is a cop looking purely for clearance rates? Perhaps. I don't know.

    A couple of other thoughts: I think the drama with Naz's parents is actually more riveting and real than Naz's ordeal. There is some real despair and doubt with the parents whereas Naz seems to be transforming (all to easily) into something we didn't think he could be from initial impressions. The parents are dealing with true issues with their lack of employment, racism, and resentment from the community. Naz, on the other hand, seems to be more a base character that transforms in part due to prior (unseen) reasons, but the transformation doesn't make total sense. The Naz from episode 1 is not even close to the Naz we see in episode 6. How long has been at Riker's? A year? Less? Is Freddy's tutorage that strong (remember Naz was also a tutor at the beginning of the series; somewhat of an interesting dynamic between the two characters though their craft and knowledge is quite different)?

    All in all, I've really enjoyed this series but it's had its missteps. How they bring this thing to its logical conclusion should be interesting. I know how I'd like to see it end, but will it go that way? We'll see.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2016
  4. PhilJol

    PhilJol Forum Resident

    I am losing interest a little bit, instead of ramping up the plot seems lazy (I agree about the kiss being out of place) ho hum.

    I hope episode 8 is good, there are a lot of loose ends to tie up...
     
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  5. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    how so, exactly?

    i fear it's too easy to disown this show because we're so used to the normal "whodunit?" and the need to find the secret bad guy. i don't even care who did it in this show. i love the outstanding acting, cinematography, and realism. this ain't no law & order.

    i agree with Godshifter regarding the "kiss". it felt really out of place and pointless. the show is better than that.
     
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  6. hybrid_77

    hybrid_77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    The finale runs from 9-10:45. Looking forward to it.
     
  7. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    I totally agree with you there. That kiss was a total WTF moment for me too (I actually said that out aloud). This is both a very flawed series and an interesting one, in parts. There are good characters and actors, but the narrative and focus is all over the place far too often.
     
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  8. strymeow

    strymeow Forum Resident

    Location:
    central Mass
    I've enjoyed this show, but what started out as a pretty strong and straightforward narrative has begun to collapse and fragment impressionistically, verging almost into a kind of Lynchian surrealist territory (see e.g. the kiss, the phone calls, the flashbacks, and the cuts b/t Nas and the detective in ep 7). Ep. 1 very much made you want the innocent kid to be exonerated, but the tone has shifted toward a nihilism that doesn't seem to be resolvable in one more extended episode. Every time we start to zig one way we get zagged another. We'll see if the detective is able to tap into his subconscious and fight on the side of the truth instead of simply on the side of the law. Even then it might be too late, since Nas is now indisputably and irrevocably an accomplice to murder in the prison. But I wouldn't be surprised if neither of these threads is picked up again, given the trend in the second half of the series.
     
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  9. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Exactly.
     
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  10. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I've been thinking a bit more about some of the stuff after my post last night.

    I think the inhaler is going to play a major role in the trial as Box giving it to Naz breaks the chain of evidence protocol. I think Box might have done it as a subtle "f-you" to the system as he's a man that's about to retire and probably isn't a hundred percent convinced of Naz's guilt (remember Stone calls him a "subtle beast"). You see him at the end of the show in a very contemplative mood after his retirement party. He's obviously brooding about the case, his life, and his career. Box is a man that helped build the system that put Naz away but he's become cynical about the system and its procedures. I think we might see Naz get off with a mistrial or they have to start the trial over again because of evidence issues. Either way, Naz and his family will never be the same.

    As to Naz's involvement with the murder of Victor at Rikers Island, that is going to be tough to prove. Yes he responds to Freddy's head gesture and they take off at the same time and Naz goes to the guard station to request a new inhaler, but that's all he does. As noted, whether that strain of the plot is even explored at all is up in the air. It might have just been another case of showing how Naz's values and attitudes have changed after being in jail and exposed to the criminal element.

    Here's another thing I was thinking about: Naz's father was a part owner in a three way split of a cab that works in NYC. Presumably, it's a lucrative business as the cab can create business on a 24 hour basis with it being driven by 3 different people. Yet, Naz takes the cab on a Friday night into NYC to go to a party. Wouldn't the cab have been driven that night by someone? It doesn't make that much sense that it would just be parked and available for Naz to use. (side note: Naz's father says his part of the three way license to run the cab is worth 250,000??? My god, running a cab in NYC must be a good money maker! I had no idea).
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2016
  11. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    From Google:
    How much is a taxi medallion in NYC?
    The average price of an individual New York taxi medallion fell to $840,000 in November, down 20 percent from its peak of $1.05 million in June 2013. The figures from the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission show a further decline from what I reported last week: that medallion prices had fallen 17 percent.
    That must be some pricey jewelry they were pawning, to be able to swing anything like a third of the cost of a medallion, which is roughly what 250k would be.
    Speaking of which they always show some jewelry in the title credits for some reason...
     
  12. Remember, Naz didn't have permission to take the cab, he just took it. His father was probably going to use it himself that night, I imagine.
     
  13. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Yeah, but his father was asleep when he got the call that Naz was arrested which was much later at night and Naz had taken the cab sometime around 9pm or so to go into NY. The father didn't realize the cab was gone until early the next morning after he got the call.
     
  14. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    The jewelry they were pawning was for living expenses and for Naz's defense. The father reluctantly takes the payoff from the other two which were offering 75 thousand to buy him out. He got majorly burned in that deal.
     
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  15. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    The drop in medallion value is directly correlated with the rise of Uber services. Once fully autonomous self-driving cars become a thing (not too far away), there won't even be a need for medallions as there will be no need for drivers.
     
  16. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Ever see the episode of "Silicon Valley" with the self driving car? Pretty funny.

    I agree, though, that with new ride services, the taxi cab business in New York is on its way out.
     
  17. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    Great show :cheers:
     
  18. vonseux

    vonseux Re-channeled Stereo

    Location:
    Portugal
    Most people talk about Naz's transformation. I think the series will play with viewers, there's no such transformation - he's always been a psycho
     
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  19. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    his mom seems to think so....also it's not the first violent incident that he's been involved in, I think jail is only bringing out what's already there in exaggerated form
     
  20. Encuentro

    Encuentro Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Does it seem highly unlikely to anybody else that they would put a high-profile rape and murder suspect in general population on Riker's Island?
     
  21. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes

    I didn't get around to seeing this episode until last night. But that is the impression I got as well. Naz's mom asked the lawyer...did I raise a monster (or something like that) implying that she thinks maybe she did.

    I still don't think he did it. I think it's the step dad. But...Naz sure isn't the innocent puppy I thought he was at first.
     
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  22. hybrid_77

    hybrid_77 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
  23. rufus t firefly

    rufus t firefly Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona
    My wife and I were discussing this possibility. They could take this to a really dark place with Naz.
     
  24. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    There is a strong possibility that the inhaler snafu trips up the case and Naz goes free -but we are left all of a sudden with the fact that he did it, possibly as a result of the briefly mentioned psychosis possibility of mixing amphetamines with the Ecstasy or whatever.
    Or maybe it was the creepy undertaker dude, or the missing 'witness' guy who Stone chased, or maybe the discarded witness who was walking with that guy and said the racist remarks to Naz, or the step father, or the guy across the street who saw Naz break in to get his jacket then called the cops ...
    When you add it all up it, one thing is crystal clear: anyone who has watched so far will not miss the rest.
     
  25. Bender Rodriguez

    Bender Rodriguez RIP Exene, best dog ever. 2005-2016

    The cat did it.
     
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