The Night Of: Season 1/ Episode 1 "Part 1: The Beach" [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

You know how a movie builds, peaks and usually, ends just before you are sick and tired of it? Well, this episode is just like that and you can only hope future episodes have that same high to low or this is going to be a long journey.

Rating:
Stick Around

Trigger Warning(s):
Mutilated Body | Drug Use

Main Storyline (with Commentary)

On October 24th, 2014 Nazir (Riz Ahmed) thought he was going to a party. Well, that was until his friend, the one with the car needed to get to said party, flaked on him. So, being that Nazir is sick of living that good little Muslim boy life and he wants to have fun, maybe see a girl naked for the second time, not counting his mom, he takes his dad’s cab and heads into the city. Problem is with this idea, he is in a cab so, for some reason, anytime he stops people jump in. This leads to him having to, one time, asks the cops to assist for Nazir, even with a license and a dad who has driven a cab for who knows how long, has no idea how to work the lights.

But, one more person shows up in his cab. This time, it isn’t some dudes with an attitude but a cute girl, one named Andrea (Sofia Black-D’Elia). She, she is that weird girl you meet at a party, vibe with, and then she messes up the rest of your life. For Nazir, what starts with flirting, companionship, drugs, some crazy moments, and then sex, ends with him waking up downstairs and her dead upstairs. Then, to make matters worse, he doesn’t call the cops, he runs out, leaves his keys, breaks in to get them, and gets spotted since she lives in a quiet neighborhood. Meaning, she got some nosy ass neighbors.

Then it gets worse. He makes a left turn where he isn’t supposed to and then he gets pulled over, with the knife, the murder weapon, in his jacket, since he took it. From there he is with these cops, who multiple times could have let him go, but Nah they want to hold him. So he watches, as they put him in the back and he got one thing coming to him cause his dad’s cab is going to get towed, guaranteed in New York. However, then the cops he is taken by, they are called to the murder scene, the witness keeps looking at him, he is taking to the precinct since the female cop who took him things he under the influence. He sits there, for hours, at least two. Then they decide, you didn’t breathalyze him, so let him go. However, let’s check his person first, and they find the knife.

Now, let it be known Nazir is an American citizen, born and raised. Yet, despite that, and being a brown boy, his dumb self-doesn’t wait for a lawyer before they start taking pictures, asking for prints, and start swabbing his body, which has scratches on it, and they do something called a penile swab. I’ve, thank the lord, never been in trouble like that, so I found myself questioning what the hell is a penile swab and why did this boy not think, this is a little invasive, maybe I should ask for a lawyer. Nah, after him basically going through everything but being charged, that is when he wants a lawyer. Luckily, someone does walk in, but the only reason the guy even takes a second look at Nazir is because he looks innocent. However, once he hears the charge, the man seems mad at himself for claiming to be Nazir’s lawyer. Not just because the boy is naïve and stupid, but a murder charge? You had the knife on you, blood on you, this could look like a rape, you have multiple witnessing fingering you, then on top of that you are not white? Also, you took your father’s car? I mean, to say the deck is stacked up against this guy. Oh, and before I forget, let’s not mention they both have drugs in their system. Coke and some sort of pills. And while yeah, someone could argue the boy doesn’t have a record, well you usually don’t get one until you slip and get caught.

Leading to why I’m labeling this stick around rather than worth seeing, even with me writing this feeling very animated. Well, it is because a part of me feels this should have been a one-shot movie than a mini-series. Yes, it is wonderful to see a Muslim and Pakistani character on TV, even if they are soon to be charged with killing a white girl, but there is no mystery here. Yeah, they showed a few, predominately people of color, who maybe could have taken advantage of the situation, but no one was hinted so strongly that it feels like you, as a fan, could begin building a case. The door locked after they went in, the cops didn’t talk about any forced entry besides the door glass Nazir broke, so where can I begin to build conspiracy theories? Should I think the black guy did it? The one who saw Andrea and Nazir go into her home? Was it an ex with a key? I got to start making up people I didn’t see, start making a fanfic in my head? There is nothing wrong with that, but this isn’t FreeForm this is HBO. Come on now.

Things to Note

I was told after posting this that when she let the cat out she provided a way for entry.