3) The Night Of
Much to our eventual disappointment, HBO’s The Night Of didn’t end up the perfect show we hoped it would be. But we’d be damned if there was a series, dramatic or otherwise, with more high points than this one in 2016, notably in the recesses of Peak Television.
From its masterful, near-perfect pilot episode, to its towering, versatile turns from Riz Ahmed, John Turturro and Bill Camp, to its impeccable cinematography and impressive attention to character and detail, The Night Of was a timely, somber, meditative crime series that had no shortage of political, social and racial commentary strapped to its impeccably stylish vest. More than that, however, it was a richly patient program, one that nearly delighted in its sluggish pacing that focused, all so wonderfully, on every little detail in the legal process that plagues our lead character, Naz Khan (Ahmed).
Astute in its characterization, brutal in its authentic realism and astounding in its visual presentation, one that wasn’t afraid to paint landscape shots of New York City like the prison system that ultimately eclipses our protagonist, The Night Of did have a few stumbles along the way, but at its very best, it was the most riveting, intensive, piercingly skillful television series to hit the tube in many, many years.
