When it comes to reconstructing popular genres and positioning them as successful classics, there is no other network like HBO that is as good at the job. Take the gangster drama genre and you have shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, for fantasy there is Game of Thrones, and in the sitcom genre there are shows like Silicon Valley and Veep. Now that the year is almost at its end, it is a good time to look back at one of the finest shows that came out in 2016. The Night Of, which premiered back in July, was an eight-part crime drama created by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian which received critical acclaim universally and concluded towards the end of August.
Riz Ahmed as Nazir Khan(left) and John Turturro as John Stone(right)
The Night Of centered on a Pakistani- American college student named Nasir “Naz” Khan. While on the way to a party on his father’s cab, Naz picks up a girl named Andrea. Charmed by her, Naz decides not to go to the party and ends up spending the night at Andrea’s home. He wakes up at midnight and finds Andrea stabbed to death in her and is apprehended by the police. At the precinct, an eccentric lawyer named John Stone takes an interest in Naz and takes it upon himself to prove his innocence. The show then progresses by examining how the lives of Naz and everyone else involved in the case changes after the events of one fateful night.
Though The Night Of is a crime drama on the surface, there was much more going on behind its seemingly simple premise. After the ominous yet elongated (which was about the only flaw it had) premiere, the show suddenly changes its tone. The Night Of is an extensive exploration of a wide variety of themes and social issues existing in the US. Bias against the immigrant community and the lives of convicts in prison are the two prevalent themes you come across in this miniseries. The show has done a perfect job of portraying its plot and various themes in the most realistic way possible.
From Naz’s family to a random stranger he met on the night of the murder, The Night Of peeks into the lives of everyone associated with the case and analyzes how the incident changes them. It is also a highly convincing presentation of the workings America’s law enforcement and judicial setup from the perspective of a commoner. In addition, the show features an interesting set of leading and supporting characters. The characters of detective Dennis Box(Bill Camp) and John Stone(John Turturro)offer a look into the case from two opposing viewpoints.
Naz’s character development is the most gripping aspect of the show. Naz and family gets you so invested that after a certain point, you do not care about who actually carried out the murder. Rather, the only thing the viewer wants to find out is whether or not Naz will get the justice he deserves. As the legal procedures progress one side, the show also presents another plotline showing Naz’s life at the prison and how his friendship with another prisoner, Freddy Knight(Michael K. Williams) causes a transformation in him.
Michael K.Williams plays the role of a powerful prisoner named Freddy Knight
The Night Of concludes its story in a highly thrilling finale that put John Stone in the spotlight as viewers got to see the culmination that took place since the titular “night of”. Towards the end, there is a shot of the seaside, one of the spots Naz had visited with Andrea, which makes the viewer contemplate about how anyone involved in the case would never be the same again. At the same time, it makes you ponder about the people who get caught in amidst issues like these and end up compromising their lives, even if they get out of it physically alive. The entire cast, particularly John Turturro, Michael K. Williams, and Riz Ahmed, delivered spectacular performances that helped raise the show’s quality even further.
Therefore, considering the strength of its plot, themes, cast, and characters, The Night Of is undoubtedly one of the best shows that aired during 2016. The show is certainly going to be one of the front running contenders at next year’s Emmys in the miniseries category, and possibly, the drama category as well.
Tags: The Night Of The Night Of series
