The Night Of (HBO)

[Novicain13]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Only thing I wanted from this series was more Box. He was great in the finale and it would have been nice to show him investigating throughout the entire series.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Outstanding finale. Really wrapped everything up nicely. Excellent series. A couple of episodes were sorta meh but 6/8 were incredible TV.

[FlyingFinn]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

What's crazy is a pretty straight laced college kid gets charged with murder and by the time he is released he has tattoos every where with his head shaved and he is addicted to free-basing cocaine. I think this series was just as much about our correctional facilities as anything else.

[FlyingFinn]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

According to Wikipedia, James Gandolfini was supposed to be the lawyer for Naz. After his death, Robert De Niro was supposed to take his role. Due to scheduling conflicts, De Niro couldn't do it so John Turturro was cast. To be honest, after watching the series, I couldn't imagine anyone else but Turturro playing Stone.

[Novicain13]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Yeah I couldn't imagine anyone else pulling the feet thing off as well as he did.

[JayBee74]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

According to Wikipedia, James Gandolfini was supposed to be the lawyer for Naz. After his death, Robert De Niro was supposed to take his role. Due to scheduling conflicts, De Niro couldn't do it so John Turturro was cast. To be honest, after watching the series, I couldn't imagine anyone else but Turturro playing Stone.

I knew about Gandolfini-in an early post I had mentioned he actually shot the Criminal Justice pilot weeks before his death.

[Rocky]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Only thing I wanted from this series was more Box. He was great in the finale and it would have been nice to show him investigating throughout the entire series.

Box and the female lawyer Chandra as well. I think fleshing her character out more would've gave her relationship with Naz better context.

[JayBee74]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Box and the female lawyer Chandra as well. I think fleshing her character out more would've gave her relationship with Naz better context.

You only have eight episodes and wasn't Naz-Chandra more about her ultimate downfall then any chemistry between the two? She was shown to be reckless by kissing him, getting him drugs, and then putting him on the stand.

[jake44np]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Box and the female lawyer Chandra as well. I think fleshing her character out more would've gave her relationship with Naz better context.

I actually thought there was too much Chandra the last few episodes.
And I am pretty sure here whole character was to show how lawyers are human and don't always behave like they should. She fell for him when she knew that was not allowed at all.

[fistofrage]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Really liked the show. The defense was exactly how I would have presented it. Lots of stuff went on that night, some of it were technically crimes, but it's not much different than what a lot of young men would do in his situation.

So many shady characters connected to her and her neighborhood, so many rap sheets, one was a master at killing with steak knives, yet they only looked at Naz. Sure he looked guilty, but when there are no witnesses of the crime actually committed, don't you have to make sure your case is rock solid.

Naz said he was passed out in the kitchen and didn't remember anything. As soon as they realized you couldn't see the kitchen from the unlocked back door, and others had motives, that puts reasonable doubt on the table.

Box made a lot of rookie mistakes for a veteran of his caliber.

Chandra made a really silly choice. She must have known that cell was monitored before she kissed him. But we will let that go given she is a rookie.

Freddy is an enigma. Apparently he really thought Naz was innocent and wanted to help him out. I understand why he used him to smuggle. But I'm not sure why he would get him addicted to free basing, but maybe he thought that was helping him relax. But no way does he go out of his way to give him a new shirt and tie to make him look the best he can and then let him get knuckle and neck tattoos. Might as well got him an I'm guilty T shirt to wear if he was going to let him get visible tattoos. Made no sense.

Great show. Big fan of the 1 season shows that are already written and filmed when you sit down to watch the first episode, no way for the writers to go off the rails and try to throw the fans screwballs to keep the series lasting longer.

[Novicain13]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Naz is probably street smart now because of Freddy. If he is ever in a bad situation again he won't make dumb mistakes.

[JayBee74]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Naz is probably street smart now because of Freddy. If he is ever in a bad situation again he won't make dumb mistakes.

Probably, still hitting the drugs a bit though.

[jake44np]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Naz is probably street smart now because of Freddy. If he is ever in a bad situation again he won't make dumb mistakes.

He is already making dumb mistakes because of Freddy.
I give him a year and he would be dead.

[Rocky]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

You only have eight episodes and wasn't Naz-Chandra more about her ultimate downfall then any chemistry between the two? She was shown to be reckless by kissing him, getting him drugs, and then putting him on the stand.

I kinda looked at them parallel to each other. Both somewhat innocent young people who got put into unfamiliar, higly pressurized situation that did things that didn't fit their perceived personality.

I just think they should've left it completely out or expanded on her and why she would do something like that a little more.

[Money99]

Re: The Night Of (HBO)

Great series. Loved it.

Count me as someone who would have appreciated a flash-back showing Naz's innocence, but I see the genius in having an open ending.

But I think it's very safe to say Naz wasn't the killer. You had a very high ranking prosecuting attorney, a decorated, intelligent, competent detective, a lawyer who can smell a criminal without looking at him, and a lifer at Rikers who has a dead-on radar for criminals as well.
All of the above saw Naz and knew he wasn't guilty. It's what made Stone want to represent him. Like Freddy, for once in his life, he wanted to protect something that was pure and perhaps to clean their conscience.

Really looking forward to Season 2 with a whole new cast and story.
Hard to believe they could top this story and acting. All of the actors did a phenomenal job.
I just hope they don't rush it like True Detective S2.