‘The Night Of’ Episode 6 Recap: ‘Over My Dead Body’
Warning: This recap for “Samson and Delilah” episode of The Night Of contains spoilers.
It’s taken six episodes, but in “Samson and Delilah,” John Stone has finally cracked the case wide open. No, not the case of “Who Killed Andrea Cornish.” That mystery is still very much ongoing. No, the offense that Stone has successfully solved is “The Case of the Disgusting Feet.” And all it took was a trip to a Chinatown herbalist named Dr. Yee, who handed over packets of gross-tasting, but highly effective powders that have completely cleared up the open sores that used to cover Stone’s ankles, soles, and toes. It’s such a mitzvah for the beleaguered lawyer that John — who puts on a pair of closed-toed loafers like they’re twin Holy Grails — can’t resist rubbing his good fortune (though, fortunately, not his feet) in the face of his former support group for skin-related issues. Based on their awed reaction, it’s clear that Dr. Yee is about to become very busy in the near future.
While Stone’s foot crisis arrived at a satisfying resolution, it’s worth noting that he made a crucial discovery in his other case as well, one that we’ll get into a little bit further down. First, though, let’s check in with the man who currently stands accused of killing Andrea, Nasir Khan, and to say that he’s in a precarious place right now is an understatement. Oh, in terms of his personal safety, he’s fine; aligning himself with Freddy Knight has seen to that. But Freddy has also made prison life a little too comfortable for Naz, who now has his own cell phone (which he uses to make a personal call to his lawyer, Chandra, a choice that could have major consequences if discovered), multiple tattoos, and a serious drug habit. In fact, when Freddy asks him point blank, “Did you like your life out there?” Naz’s response is troublingly non-committal. Why try to hack it in the real world when you can get high with your prison buddies all day?
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Well, here’s one reason: Those prison buddies aren’t necessarily your buddies. Naz discovers that firsthand when he witnesses one of Freddy’s lower-ranking crew members, Petey, pleasuring higher-up, Victor, who proceeds to make it forcefully clear to Khan that it would be very unwise of him to spread any rumors. And even before that incident, there’s been a palpable sense amongst the unit that Naz is Freddy’s pal and everyone else just tolerates his presence. How long they continue to do so will determine Naz’s preference for living “in here” rather than “out there.”
The Crime: Although Stone’s pursuit of Duane Reade is temporarily at a dead end, he did follow up on that argument he witnessed at Andrea’s funeral back in Episode 4, when the murdered woman’s stepfather, Don, hurled abuse at another man. Turns out that other guy is the lawyer in charge of overseeing the not-inconsiderable estate of one Evelyn Cornish, Andrea’s deceased mom. During their lifetimes, mother and daughter didn’t always see eye-to-eye, especially when Evelyn decided to marry her much-younger personal trainer — that would be Don — despite his history of philandering and obvious interest in her cash. After her death, Don made his play for said cash, demanding half of whatever was willed to Andrea. Her response? “Over my dead body,” the lawyer tells Stone, completely off the record. With Andrea out of the way, he gets the whole nine yards. Can anyone say, “Probable cause?”
The Cops: Never let it be said that Detective Box is out of touch with the youth of today. Looking for more intel on Naz, the veteran cop hops on Facebook and makes immediate note from an FB friend named Amir, who claims to owe his buddy “big time.” Box also revisits Khan’s high school years, discovering that he had to transfer from his Queens school to one in the Bronx after he shoved a kid down a flight of stairs, breaking his arm. That’s yet another dent in Naz’s “good boy” armor, suggesting that he’s got a history of violence that may have reared its head again when he was under the influence of Andrea’s drug cocktail. By the way, special shout-out to Officer Wiggens, who offered up the most evocative description of Naz’s appearance and behavior on the night in question: “His eyes looked like two cherries floating in buttermilk and he reeked like someone just dropped a bomb in a tequila factory.” Someone get her a job writing for Law & Order: SVU, stat.
The Court: Here’s an important piece of courtroom intel: Should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of being the defendant in a murder trial, make sure to wear a white shirt into the courtroom. Having walked into court sporting a blue button-down shirt that his mother brought for him, Naz is instantly stopped by John, who switches shirts with him in full view of the audience, as well as the jury. Apparently, in a trial setting, you’re being judged not only on your crime, but also on your sartorial selection.
The bulk of the courtroom action in this episode was given over to the prosecution, which sought to swiftly and emphatically establish that the guilty party is sitting between Stone and Chandra. No doubt they were spurred on by the last line of her simple, but direct opening statement: “There’s no burden on me to prove to you the defendant didn’t commit the crime. The burden is on the state to prove he did.” Helen Weiss assumes that burden stoically, introducing expert witness after expert witness, while Chandra waits patiently to present her side. Look for courtroom fireworks to go off after the prosecution rests and the defense takes the lead.
The Cat: Andrea’s cat is still limited to a single room in John’s apartment, but that room is steadily filling up with more kitty-related stuff. In addition to food and cat toys, Stone has also purchased a litterbox for his feline houseguest, who is becoming more and more of a family member everyday. Especially because Stone’s actual son isn’t interested in returning his phone calls. These two will be watching television together any day now, even if John has to wear a face mask the whole time.
The Night Of airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
