Naz Learns the Importance of Respect on the Next The Night Of
The Night Of continues its split narrative
The Night Of is not a show about quick payoffs. It was always going to take Naz more than a single episode for him to really get the ins and outs of being an inmate, and that’s partly where “The Art of War” comes in. Before we get to chatting about it, check out the preview below:
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The previous episode, “A Dark Crate,” made it abundantly clear that Naz doesn’t really understand the situation that he is in. He understands that he’s in prison, but he hasn’t processed what that actually means. Apparently he will next learn the lesson of respect, which if episodes of Oz and The Sopranos are anything to go on, is going to be hugely important. We also see Stone directly confront Box over doubts about whether or not Naz is actually guilty.
Box has so far been following the evidence, which it is his job to do. It’s difficult to believe, however, that he doesn’t think there is anything strange about the case. He is far too smart for that.
Naz’s new lawyer, Alison Crowe, also gets to work on his behalf, making a strong case for what Rikers Island could do to someone like Naz. It’s doubtful that she’s going to change any minds, if only due to the overwhelming amount of evidence against him. Freddie also makes a welcome return, as he is one floating question mark. We don’t really know what Freddie is after, and he goes about his business like some sort of magical entity. He wants to help Naz, but Naz has to ask first. As if there will be a price to pay that neither he nor us knows about.
Next: Walton Goggins on playing villains.
The title, “The Art of War,” could refer to Naz’s new prison lessons or the court battle that is mounting on the outside. Or both. This episode will signal the halfway point of the series (!) and it will be interesting to see where the second half goes.