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The Night Of **spoiler warning - title edited by MNHQ**

143 replies

wheresmybloodygreencard · 29/08/2016 18:32

Has anyone been watching it? Finale was last night. Fantastic I thought.

OP posts:
MissBattleaxe · 13/09/2016 10:55

I've only skim read, but what series is this? Even the title is a spoiler?

Lorelei76 · 13/09/2016 11:00

the series title is "The Night Of". It's an HBO production. I watched it through NOW TV, it was on Sky Atlantic I think.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 13/09/2016 11:00

Its called The Night Of, the title isn't a spoiler, there are spoilers in the thread.

squeaver · 13/09/2016 11:22

Dh and I binged it last week and loved it, with a couple of quibbles. Dh thought he did all the way through and even thought there would be a final twist showing that he did.

Like Dame, I was disappointed with the Chandra storyline. I just thought it was annoying that the only likeable, relatable female character was the one who risked it all for a man (whatever her motives were i.e she thought he was innocent/she wanted to shag him). Thinking back on it, I do think the whole thing was a set-up by Riz and Freddy. Or maybe just Freddy..?

Overall though, I loved the ambiguity and the shades of grey in all the characters.

This is a good article on the whole series Spoilers aplenty, obvs.

squeaver · 13/09/2016 11:23

Also This is a good interview with the actress

Lorelei76 · 13/09/2016 11:28

squeaver, it was me that was disappointed in Chandra.

I also don't understand the actress's comments about how she'd have felt patronised if Chandra took it to the end and was a hero.

in fact, she wouldn't have been a hero anyway because half of New York probably thought Naz did it, so she'd partly have been a villain.

squeaver · 13/09/2016 11:43

Sorry!

Yes, I thought she was desperately trying to justify it to herself in that interview. Didn't really follow her logic.

NickiFury · 13/09/2016 12:16

You sound like you didn't really enjoy it at all lorelei. I think we just have a very interpretation of it because I can't see anything that you can but that's the beauty of these programmes isn't it? Everyone gets something different out of it.

And when I said one bad thing - I meant THAT evening and the subsequent sequence of events. His previous actions could be seen as general acting up really, lots of people that age experiment with drugs, the assault cases had a huge back story but they became very relevant in light of subsequent events.

Lorelei76 · 13/09/2016 12:20

oh I did enjoy it, I wouldn't be analysing it if I didn't
I just didn't like him, that's all.

I know you meant that night as one bad thing but I guess in conventional terms dealing is a pretty major bad thing, so I wondered if you saw that as bad.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 13/09/2016 12:22

Naz wasn't a bad young man , his mistake was taking the cab and then things spiraling out of control.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 13/09/2016 12:25

I just didn't like him, that's all

But him was the whole show surely? I would see what you liked if you didn't like him? The whole point was to empathise with this poor boy who had made a dreadful mistake and got caught up in a string of life changing events.

Lorelei76 · 13/09/2016 13:41

Dame, what an interesting POV

If you count up the total of Naz's screen time - and split it into speaking and non-speaking - I wonder how it compares to Stone's screen time? I don't think he was the whole show at all.

For me the attraction here was very much the case and the wheels of justice and the little things that are so important- like watching Andrea's body language on camera and thinking "wait a minute".... the way legal support is allocated, plea bargains, all manner of interesting things.

the oddity of Ms Weisz effectively telling the classmate who bought drugs off Naz that he (the mate) was an idiot - I realise this was also to show Naz as a dealer but it was also very insulting to the witness imo.

I do think there is a fundamental set up when you are supposed to believe a character is "nice" - just as a pp said, it's set up like that so much that I wondered if the last episode would prove Naz did it. If a character is shown as "good" in the first episode, my first reaction is to wonder what they've done wrong Grin

I do realise there is an element of misandry for me - I say "liked" Andrea and she probably had about 7 minutes of screen time so I have no basis for saying that other than instinct and I guess people who liked Naz liked him on instinct.

"The whole point was to empathise with this poor boy who had made a dreadful mistake and got caught up in a string of life changing events."

I actually think the writing was set so that the point was to get people debating about this. I can't see why he was a "poor" boy. What was his mistake? I can forgive stealing a cab, yes, but then running from the scene of the crime like, not checking for a pulse - no. And a "mistake" is like not registering the "no left turn" sign. To me the drug dealing and the pinching your father's cab because you thought there'd be a type of girl at this party - that's just deciding what you can get away with in pursuit of a good time! he is not "poor" or "vulnerable" etc - but then again, I think he was meant to be 22, yes? I can't see a 22 year old as anything other than an adult so the good boy narrative jarred with me anyway, he's not 15.

he was just an ordinary guy really - perhaps a bit mean and nasty depending on how you view the drug dealing. I'm a bit unsure of my own view on dealing.

This whole "set him up as a good boy" then takes us into territory of "courtroom image" - which is fascinating and another reason to watch.

depressing in real life though but that's a whole other thread.

but hey, as long as the cat is happy, I'm happy.

Does Chandra get struck off for what she has done? The judge didn't go for mistrial so I'm guessing not. So, series 2 could be Chandra and Jack teaming up on cases. That could be interesting. No one will hire Chandra so she will have to go to Jack's level of work.

Missanneshirley · 13/09/2016 20:06

I did think for a while that maybe Naz was being set up by Freddie and co - the tattoos and the drug use - so that he would be found guilty when actually the real murderer was one of their cronies on the outside - maybe the undertaker?
I can't scroll up to see who asked why I found the leaving the prison bit tense... oh I thought it was unbearably tense! At every moment I thought that was it for him - maybe the guard in the lift would get him? Or they showed the broken window glass again- did someone have a piece? it seemed such a long journey to the outside, door opening slowly etc. ...brilliantly filmed I thought!

PacificDogwod · 13/09/2016 22:53

Just finished it.
Will have to reflect some more.

I did not like Naz's passivity tbh.
No idea whether he did it or the sleazy violent john.

I loved the prosecutor though. And Stone, of course.

Lorelei76 · 13/09/2016 23:27

Pacific "No idea whether he did it or the sleazy violent john"

Not sure who you mean?

Weisz is great, you could do a whole show round her too.

GhostInTheBackOfYourHead · 14/09/2016 13:26

I actually feel sad that I've watched it and won't get to experience it again iykwim. A bit like when you've finished an amazing book or is that just me?
One thing i was wondering about was the lack of blood on Naz. I've seen enough Silent Witness episodes to know that blood goes everywhere, particularly as Andrea was stabbed 22 times. Surely Naz would have had blood on his clothes and skin if he'd murdered Andrea?
I'm with Dame interpretation wise. I am fascinated by the idea that one bad decision can spiral into a nightmare of epic proportions. Because to be wrongly accused of murder must rank quite highly on the list of shitty things happening to you.

The trio who owned the cab also threw up interesting ideas of co-dependence and ethical dilemmas. I was more cross with Naz for taking the cab once i knew it didn't just belong to his father.
Does anybody know the significance of the tattoos? Presumably they were to do with prison life .
One legacy of the series is that I'm listening to a lot of cello music on youtube. The sound of that instrument just does something to me.
I just watched Code 100 on sky boxsets. Not a patch on The Night Of. In fact, the only programmes I've enjoyed as much this year are The Affair , Olive Ketteridge and The Night Manager. And of course The Bridge.

HalfWomanHalfCake · 14/09/2016 13:58

So glad people have finished watching and we can discuss it now!
Ghost you have very many of the same thoughts as me. I too always thought Naz would have been covered in blood if he'd actually murdered her, and can't believe this wasn't brought up in the trial.
I was absolutely bricking it as he was being walked out of prison and actually said out loud several times "please don't hurt him now...!" And I was watching it alone Grin
Although I was rooting for him to be released, there was still that tiny element of doubt though, and when he was sat by the bridge at the end I feared a flashback scene showing that he did kill her after all.....So cleverly filmed so that you never knew for sure how things were going to end.
And I loved, loved, loved that John kept the cat. Beautiful final scene. I cried too.

HalfWomanHalfCake · 14/09/2016 14:00

Oh and I love the cello too. The whole score was brilliant. Still thinking about it all, a week later..!

Lorelei76 · 14/09/2016 14:11

Ghost, yes, I wondered about the blood too.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 14/09/2016 14:28

They needed DexterWink

Lorelei76 · 14/09/2016 14:35

I was thinking they needed Dr Megan Hunt! Grin

reddotmum · 14/09/2016 18:19

I just finished watching this. I was a little disappointed in the ending and I really don't understand why he did the whole tatoo and drug thing. I almost physically heaved when he swallowed the drugs that lady pulled out of her poonanny Envy

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 14/09/2016 18:37

It was to illustrate what he had to do to survive, he had no choice otherwise Freddy wouldn't have protected him.

The tattoos were to show how he has crossed the line between normal life and prison life. Also to show he was in Freddy's gang and therefore protected. He took drugs to escape the reality of prison life.

In reality his cuffs wouldn't have been off as he was a suspected murderer in Rikers Island!

PacificDogwod · 14/09/2016 18:55

Sorry, I couldn't not remember 'sleazy john's' name and had to google him (good l'Wikipedia)

'Ray Halle, Evelyn's financial adviser; Halle was Andrea's boyfriend, had violent tendencies, and was seen at the scene of the crime. Box speaks with Halle and brings the evidence to Weiss, but she chooses to continue with the trial.'

Box speaks to him in that bar/casino type place - he'd attacked a prostitute violently and had followed Andrea.
Also equally sleazy step-dad had a fine motive. As did her purveyor of drugs etc etc.

I agree the lack of blood dripping off Naz surely would have very much gone against him actually committed the crime.

I felt really sad about how Naz will never be the same person again and was wondering whether the last scene suggested he was likely going to continue chasing the dragon... Sad

GhostInTheBackOfYourHead · 14/09/2016 19:16

Oh yes Pacific the whole hooked on drugs aspect Sad
dame i meant more do we know tne specific meaning of each tattoo. I'm probably overthinking this though.
Glad I'm not alone in the whole blood or lack thereof situation. Grin