Season finale review of 'The Night of'

There are shows that start off with a promise and then meander along washing off that promise with some predictable tricks and stunts.

The Night of doesn't fall into this category largely because of its protagonist Naz played by the immensely underrated Riz Ahmed who has all his career avoided being typecast as a man of colour. I followed The Night of from the very first episode not because of the phenomenal critical appraisal it received from the very start but because I wanted to know how Naz's story ends. So as I watched the last and final episode of the show I couldn't help but rave and rant about how good the ensemble of the show has been.

John Turturro and Amara Karan who plays Naz's defense were as much interesting as our lead guy. The story of a man who sets off to have a regular night out and ends up in bed with a girl who is murdered and stabbed 22 times has captivated our attention not because it's a detective drama or a murder story but simply because of the narrative of the protagonist and not knowing what verdict he faces.

The show had its fair share of flaws - the pace which slackened majorly in the middle of the season, few characters like Amara Karan whose relationships with Naz and their choices left us puzzled, or even the back story of the deceased girl which seemed a bit rushed.

Despite the negatives the show triumphed because it refused to make Naz a stereotype, a Muslim boy arrested and charged falsely because of his religion. In fact to the contrary the writers and makers stayed away from religion as much as they could , focusing instead on the human psyche and the constant need to survive against odds.

The final episode which clocks around 90 minutes culminates with Naz sitting at the very same spot he spent time with the murdered girl with a pipe in his hand smoking crack, perhaps telling us that something in him has changed and despite his freedom he's still trapped inside.

Rating: *****