‘The Night Of’ Episode 3 Recap: Welcome to the Big House
Photos: HBO
One of HBO’s first (and still best) original series was Oz, Tom Fontana’s insanely addictive take on life inside the big house aka the clink aka the slammer aka … well, call it whatever you like: It’s still prison. The network headed back to the pen on last night’s third installment of The Night Of, “A Dark Crate,” as accused murderer Naz (Riz Ahmed) was transferred from his holding cell to more permanent quarters at New York City’s largest jail, Rikers Island.
Given the show’s pronounced emphasis on realism, the environment at Rikers is less melodramatic than the Oswald State Correctional Facility, where Oz took place. But that’s also because Naz’s quarters are in a part of the jail that operates under the firm hand of Freddy Knight (Michael K. Williams), a former boxer whose celebrity gives him no small amount of power over his fellow prisoners as well as the guards. And Freddy keeps the peace by keeping everyone in line; step out of formation and things can get messy — as Naz discovers when he declines Freddy’s offer of protection and watches his cot go up in flames. Welcome to the pokey, new fish.
Naz’s entry into Rikers was the big development in “A Dark Crate,” but other storylines connected to this thorny murder case advanced as well. Here’s a status update on the show’s four major components.
The Crime: Unaware that events were conspiring to remove him as Naz’s attorney, John Stone visited the murder scene, facilitating his entry into Andrea’s digs with coffee for the on-duty cops. He witnessed the same gruesome scene (minus the body) and took his own pictures and video footage. John didn’t turn up any new evidence, but he did take note of the door that Andrea’s pet cat leaves and enters through, a seemingly minor detail that might have major consequences. What the episode really called attention to was the larger implications of Naz’s arrest for his family, specifically the taxicab that his father, Salim (Peyman Moaadi), owns with two other men.
Sympathetic to his plight, but also in need of that income, they take him to visit the impound lot where it’s being held and learned that it won’t be picking up fares again any time soon. Because of Naz’s arrest, the taxi will be held as evidence for months and possibly years. The only way to expedite its return, the all-too-helpful officer says, is for the three to formally accuse Naz of grand theft auto for “borrowing” the taxi without their permission. Salim refuses to even consider the idea of filing charges against his son, but his colleagues lean forward with great interest. So it appears that the poor guy is about to be charged with another crime … although in this case, it’s one that he’s legitimately guilty of.
The Cops: With the case moving full speed ahead to trial, Det. Box (Bill Camp) wants to make sure that his team have their story straight for prosecutor Helen Weiss (Jeannie Berlin). And that story absolutely has to include the detail that one of the investigating officers, Robert Maldonado (Joshua Bitton), vomited at the scene. That’s because, as Box points out, Naz doesn’t look like a killer, which means the jury has to believe that the crime he allegedly committed was so shocking, it even unnerved an officer of the law. Whatever doubts Box might privately have about Naz, he’s in this case to win it.
The Courts: John’s hiring as Naz’s chief counsel was a classic case of a “right place, right time” career opportunity. But his dubious reputation within the New York City legal world also made it a position without much of a future. Sure enough, he found himself swiftly supplanted by a high-powered attorney, Alison Crowe (Glenne Headly), who did an end run around both John and Naz by appealing directly to the Khan family. Bringing along her Hindi-speaking employee Chandra (Amara Karan) to put the Pakistani family at ease, Alison successfully persuades them that she’s a far better investment than John Stone, who wanted a $75,000 flat fee to defend Naz. (Salim was eventually able to negotiate him down to a $50,000 retainer.) It’s a decision that Naz isn’t happy about, but then again, he doesn’t have a lot of say in the matter. At least he breaks the news to John gently, trying not to add to the man’s many woes. In return, John tells Naz that he can still call him anytime for advice … not that he has a lot to give. Racking his brains for some parting wisdom to offer his former client, John comes up empty: “I can’t think of any,” he says sheepishly, shuffling off in his Saran-Wrapped feet.
The Cat: Move over, Garfield: America has a new favorite tabby. Andrea’s feline friend stole our hearts in this episode, especially when John found it meowing outside her door late at night, with no owner there to offer food or a belly rub. Begging off cat-sitting duties due to allergies, John winds up taking it to an animal shelter, where the cat will be euthanized if it isn’t adopted within 10 days. How long does it take to get feline-related allergy shots? Clock is ticking, John — let this feline die and you’ll have us to deal with.
The Night Of airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO
