What I’m Watching: The Night Of

The Night Of: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Art of War” (B-)

I know I keep saying that I’m going to give up on this show, and I’m not sure why I haven’t yet. There are two major parts of this episode that did not do much for me, and they’re both becoming disproportionately large plot points. I get that Stone is a man who is unusually persistent and generally reviled by those who know him, but I don’t quite comprehend why we have to accompany him on every single visit to a different doctor to get a new diagnosis and prescription to help him with his feet. It’s also unclear whether he really has Naz’s best interests at heart if he was so willing to encourage him to take the plea deal. I understand that what this show is supposed to be about is how quickly things can get out of control, with Naz caught in the wrong place in the wrong time and suddenly facing the most optimistic prospect of twelve years in prison, but I’m not feeling what’s going on inside the prison with Freddy offering his protection and then Naz going to him when the man he thought was his new friend burned him quite literally. Naz’s new bigshot lawyer went from being a pro bono godsend to snapping at both her client and his father and then quitting when Naz challenged her, instead offering Chandra the chance to represent him and demanding payment as punishment for his rebellion. It was a momentary guest spot, but I immediately recognized former “The Sopranos” star Aida Turturro as the neighbor who wanted Stone, played by Aida’s real-life cousin John, out of her neighborhood.