What I’m Watching: The Night Of (Penultimate Episode)

The Night Of: Season 1, Episode 7 “Ordinary Death” (B+)

I think this was the best episode this show has produced yet, and it’s about time given that the season finale, and likely the final installment of the show, airs next week. What proved most interesting was seeing the trial in action. At first, it didn’t appear that Chandra was up to the task of cross-examining the witnesses, and it looked like things wouldn’t go her way at all. Then she managed to do a terrific job of utilizing her witness to show that there definitely are questions, and even Helen couldn’t turn it around well enough to make it seem like he wasn’t credible. I think he played well with the jury, and following that up with Chandra’s questioning of Detective Box was exactly what the defense needed to give Naz a fighting chance. Safar walking out of the courtroom while the really graphic stuff was being presented was not a helpful development, and Salim learning that he’s going to have to sell his medallion for a fraction of what it’s worth was yet another miserable ripple effect of Salim’s arrest. Stone’s investigation into Don seemed to be going well until the cougar-catching personal trainer let him know that he was on to him in a very threatening manner. Naz has hung in there in jail so far, unlike a friend of his, and he may just be able to get a happy ending considering the circumstances if the jury finds in his favor, which I wouldn’t say is too realistic.