The Night Of HBO

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 12:58am

I watched episode 1 on HBO On Demand last night. Highly recommended! A plus.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 4:26am

Thanks for the reminder!

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:06am

I turned it off after he got back in the cab with drinks for the two of them. I just wasn't buying that he was  taking this very weird acting woman home instead of heading to this party he  really wanted to be at. And especially after a brush with the police. I will probavly continue watching as the reviews are good, but that just kind of annoyed me at the time I was watching!  JMO

[John Adams]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 5:25pm

Not a very strong start. So far everything about this show has a “been there, done that” feel, starting with the opening credits and the show’s musical theme.

Does the music seem kind of familiar? It should. It uses the exact same composition style as the theme for Season 1 of a much better mystery show - “The Leftovers”. There’s no melody - just an ostinatato. After a few measures, the strings come in playing the counterpoint for a melody that still isn’t there ('cause it's a mystery and a crucial element is missing!). Those two elements repeat like Ravel’s “Bolero”, getting louder and stronger until the opening credits are finished. I loved its originality in "The Leftovers", but it seems like a copycat, here.

The slow-motion and tilt-shift visual styles are also recycled from other, better mystery shows’ opening credits like “The Leftovers” (although I prefer its Ken Burns effect more), “Sherlock” (which goes a step further by contrasting elements of accelerated motion against the slow) and even a bit of “Nurse Jackie” (those floating pills!).

The first episode itself was just okay. Everything about the characters and the way they (and the plot) were introduced was exactly what I would expect, because I’ve seen it all before. Maybe the storytelling will get better as the next episodes progress.

My biggest gripe was one that others probably won't share at all - the absence of male nudity when it was right there for the taking! C’mon HBO - you’re not network TV. The script called for the very handsome protagonist to strip naked in the police station. What… you couldn’t even show me his butt???

Not. cool. HBO. Not cool.

Updated On: 7/10/16 at 05:25 PM

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:08pm

Well I can see where some would find it slow moving, but I found it very suspenseful and I thought the lead actor was very empathetic. It was a tad predictable although I am still curious where it is going to go. Judging by the tone it will not have a happy ending. It was also fun seeing so many Broadway actors in the mix.

[John Adams]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:46pm

It's a mini-series, so I know I'll most likely watch the entire series. In looking back at my post, it sure looks like I hated it, doesn't it?! (Not so, though.) I just think it lacks a sense of "intrigue" - like how in "The Bridge", 1/2 the body was in one country and the other 1/2 was in the adjoining country. Made me think, "how they gonna get 'er done?" Or like in Sherlock, where the situation seems utterly impossible...

In this mini-series' first episode, it just already seems clear that the protagonist will be absolved in the end 'cause this  scenario has been done before. So far, it's missing its "hook". Maybe next week?

I do love mystery stories though, and the lead is very handsome (I'm sooo superficial about that!), so I'll watch.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/11/16 at 5:34am

Speaking of The Bridge Mr. Adams have you watched The Tunnel? I also see that Mr. Robot and Shooter are starting this week.....

[John Adams]

Posted: 7/11/16 at 11:26am

SmoothLover said: "Speaking of The Bridge Mr. Adams have you watched The Tunnel? I also see that Mr. Robot and Shooter are starting this week....."

I haven't seen The Tunnel, but I feel like I've seen all it's predecessors - The Bridge (the original Danish/Swedish), The Tunnel (the British re-make of the original Danish/Swedish), The Bridge (the US re-make of the British version of the Danish/Swedish original)...

This is going to be a fun week for me because of Mr. Robot, and also the next episode of Braindead!

[hork]

Posted: 7/11/16 at 12:04pm

I started watching it, predicting I'd turn it off after 20 minutes, but I was completely absorbed by it. I usually dislike police procedurals because they never have time to actually show the procedure, but this series allows us to see the entire case step by step. The guy was an idiot, and did everything wrong that he could have possibly done wrong, so that bugged me a little, but everything else was aces. I especially liked the actor who played the police detective, thought he was great.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/12/16 at 2:10am

I especially liked the actor who played the police detective, thought he was great.

 

 

 

I thought so too.

 

"

 

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/12/16 at 8:06am

 

That is the fantastic theater stalwart Bill Camp, husband of Elizabeth Marvel and current Reverend Hale in van Hove's THE CRUCIBLE revival on Broadway.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/13/16 at 1:39am

Just saw The Crucible and saw this. I loved it. I'm hooked. The main guy is so great because you really feel for him and curious how it all pans out. And yes, Bill Camp is amazing. One of my favorite performances in Crucible. So understated, but brilliant. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 7/13/16 at 9:57am

I just read A.V. Club's review of the first episode and I have to confess to being too harsh in the wording of my previous comments. Their reviewer's first sentence reads, "For almost all of its running time, “The Beach” never raises its voice." Later in the review, the writer says, "tonight’s premiere is content to play most of its cards close to the vest." I think that's a much more accurate way of expressing my negative wording of "not a very strong start" and "just okay" or "missing a 'hook".

That review also mentions the aspects of being a more thorough police procedural show that hork noticed. The writer also provides an interesting description of how Camp's characterization differs from other TV detectives. I should have mentioned that I also agree with hork, SmoothLover and mysteriousgrowl that Camp's portrayal is very compelling to watch.

One other standout moment I neglected to mention was the reveal of the murder via the bedroom lamp (hope that's vague enough to not be a spoiler!).

I still want to see Naz naked, though!

Updated On: 7/13/16 at 09:57 AM

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/18/16 at 5:25am

I just rented Nightcrawler so I could watch the lead actor in another role. It was fun to see that Elaine May's daughter has a featured role in the series.

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/8/16 at 9:05am

It's interesting to watch how Naz is being forced into becoming something he's not. Also, in last night's episode, John Tuturro's character pumps a witness who perjured himself for more information. He confronts the man in a laundromat with the intent of getting him to tell the truth.

Many of the letters of the laundromat's sign are broken or missing so that the sign spells, "LA    DRO". We are shown the signage at the beginning of the scene, and again at the end of the scene.

'Ladro' in Italian means, "thief". In Spanish, 'ladro' means, "I bark [like a dog]", or [with an accent over the final 'o'] means, "barked". I thought that was interesting.

Updated On: 8/8/16 at 09:05 AM

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 8/8/16 at 5:18pm

Tuturro was very good last night. It was fun to see Chip Zien.

 

I wondered how long it would take for someone to mention the 2 witnesses.

 

I keep thinking that the cat will solve the case. Perhaps I have seen too many Disney movies.

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 2:04am

What did you think about Naz' demonstration of rage? Was he exposing his true colors, or was that just an "I've had enough" reaction? And what about the TV room? I'm beginning to question whether he's just adapting quickly, or if he's always been capable of murder...?

The coroner's scene was amazing (obviously, because of the 'elephant' in the room...) but also because of how that dialogue was played regarding how the coroner might testify in court.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 2:31am

I felt like the rage had more to do with suppressing feelings and anger about the situation he has found himself in and from trying to be a good person and student; but having to take so much **** (given his heritage) throughout his life. I think the writers wanted us to question his innocence but I really do not think he killed her. But if he did that would be quite an ending.

I feel sometimes there is a little too much time taken (script wise) with Tuturro's feet and sex life. It is only so interesting and the points and metaphors have already revealed themselves.

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 9:04am

SmoothLover said: "[...] having to take so much **** (given his heritage) throughout his life. I think the writers wanted us to question his innocence but I really do not think he killed her. But if he did that would be quite an ending.

I feel sometimes there is a little too much time taken (script wise) with Tuturro's feet and sex life. It is only so interesting and the points and metaphors have already revealed themselves."

I feel like perhaps I'm supposed to see how criminals are "made", not born, but with only one episode left, I feel like it's too rushed (the shaved head, the violent rage, etc. all occurring within a single episode). The suddenness of the change makes it seem possible that those characteristics might have been there all along, rather than incubated and necessitated by environment.

I agree about "a little too much time taken (script wise) with Tuturro's feet and sex life." Perhaps if there were a focus shift away from those elements, other elements might have been granted more time to become clearer.

[hork]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 11:25am

There are three episodes left, not one.

I think you're right about Naz. I think the idea is that nobody, not even the audience, really knows this character or what he's capable of. Even after five episodes, he's kind of a blank slate, which initially bothered me but which I now think is intentional. It makes it seem even more like Serial (I also got a strong Serial vibe from the detective using cell phone records to trace Naz's route).

I also could do without John's sex life. Other than that, I think it's the best show on TV right now.

Updated On: 8/9/16 at 11:25 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 12:00pm

hork said: "There are three episodes left, not one."

Ooops!

"It makes it seem even more like Serial (I also got a strong Serial vibe from the detective using cell phone records to trace Naz's route)."

Oh, yeah! Very interesting observation. I hadn't connected to that before. Thanks!

Updated On: 8/9/16 at 12:00 PM

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 12:27pm

I could not get through the first episode.

Pure dreck.

[hork]

Posted: 8/9/16 at 8:57pm

The first episode is not the best, and not really representative of the series. I almost gave up on it, but I stuck with it and now I'm hooked.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 8/10/16 at 5:46pm

I am looking forward to the trial.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 11:59am

@ hork: Thank you for the advice. I re-watched the first episode and watched the second...it's definitely picking up. I will binge watch the remaining episodes that have aired thus far over the weekend.