It becomes a contract between them: She trusts in his innocence; he trusts her to rescue him from a life sentence. It could be argued that there’s an intimacy between them that goes beyond a lawyer-client relationship, because there’s so much at stake for both of them. But having them actually kiss, however much Chandra seems to regret it afterward, undermines her as a professional.
“The Night Of” goes to great lengths to emphasize the grind-it-out dignity of veterans like Box, Stone and Helen, but it does a disservice to Chandra by giving her a jailhouse crush.
Chandra’s enduring faith, though, flies in the face of more questions about Naz’s character. What she knows to be certain: That Naz was not only suspended for pushing a fellow student down the stairs in high school, but that he also whipped a full can of soda at another kid’s face when he returned to school. What she doesn’t: That Naz is capable of conspiring to murder.
When Freddy needs him to distract a guard while he casually slits an inmate’s throat with a razor blade, Naz handles his role in the execution with chilling aplomb — and does it, ironically, by requesting a new inhaler, that totem of his supposed vulnerability. Naz will not be disclosing this incident to Chandra and Stone, just as he didn’t disclose his violent behavior in high school or his side business selling Adderall to college students at $10 a pop.
With the finale next week, we’ll get a verdict of guilty or not guilty. The word innocent, however, will not so easily apply.
Notes
• The cultural implications of the case have been measured throughout in headlines and news broadcasts, in opportunists like Glenne Headly’s grandstanding lawyer and in the blowback directed at the Khans within their community. But most of the players in the justice system have kept their head down, including Box, so to open the episode with social commentary from him is significant. “What we have here,” he says, hovering over another victim, “is the same scenario as Andrea Cornish, wouldn’t you agree? So where’s all the news trucks?”
• Stone’s investigation into Andrea’s stepfather reveals more older women he’s tried to fleece. “He’s like a trapeze artist,” says one former mark. “He swings from one old bag to another.” With evidence of serious debts and a pattern of abusive and exploitative behavior, Stone is developing a strong last-gasp counter-theory.
• The flirtation between Helen and Dr. Katz, the defense witness, on cross-examination is a treat to watch, because both parties have done this song-and-dance so many times before they can anticipate each other’s every move. Helen chips away at Katz effectively, but he smiles through it. He appreciates her artistry; she appreciates his flattery.
• There’s a degree to which Naz has been transformed by his time in prison, but the intimidating looks he flashes to a fellow college student on the stand are clearly not new to the witness. The witness is scared of Naz and will have reason to be scared if Naz is exonerated.
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