slop101

Haven't watched this yet, only because, while I dig the pedigree of the show, the situation and what it's about can't be less interesting to me.

Astrofan

That's how I felt about The Wire. Boy was I wrong, though yeah, you probably can skip this.

DJariya

Okay, so I saw the 1st episode a few nights ago and thought it was very good. Slow, yet very compelling.

In regards to Naz's actions. As someone mentioned, this is a guy who probably hasn't gotten into trouble a single day in his life. He probably spent most of his time studying and being a good son, so having sex with a stranger, doing the drugs and then waking up finding her dead scared the piss out of him and that's why he ran. Sure, he could have called the police, but he was probably scared he would be blamed right away. I think the behavior and mistakes he made felt very natural even the actions in the police station.

I liked how they introduced Turturro's character towards the end of the episode. Will be interesting to see how the story evolves with Stone taking on this case.

Too bad we won't see anymore of Sofia Black-D'Elia (Andrea) I remembered her from that found footage movie a few years ago Project Almanac and really liked her. She's a very pretty young actress.

bluetoast

Very good start. Lots of tense moments, and interesting characters.

And a lot of Naz's dumb decisions reminded me of the beginning of Chrono Trigger, where certain things you do (by choice) get misconstrued later on when you're on trial.

Geofferson

I thought it was a great premiere. The series of events unfolded in a natural, believable way for the most part. Minor quibbles about the smart phone aside. I like the cast too. Besides Turturro, pretty much a group of unknowns playing the key roles (at least for me).

DJLinus

I wouldn't call him famous, but I kept thinking "I KNOW the actor playing the cop working the front desk. Who the hell is it?" It was really bugging me, kind of taking me out of the show. Then towards the end I realized it is the guy who plays the socially awkward doctor on Royal Pains. Must've been the mustache that threw me off.

Anyway, I dug the first episode and look forward to seeing how the story progresses.

Goat3001

I don't mean this in a bad way at all but after last nights episode I wonder if this is more a law drama with it all being from Nasir's perspective instead of it being a cop "whodunit" drama. The mystery of this show seems to be less about who killed this woman and more about if and how Nasir will get off.

Geofferson

^ I wonder if we'll straddle both sides. I'm interested to see how they unfold this over the course of 8 episodes and after last night, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure the investigation/murderer angle can be an intriguing one.

I liked the episode last night and enjoy watching Naz, Stone and Box play off each other -- though I'm still puzzled why Stone's eczema-ridden feet are such a key plot element thus far.

Blink and you'll miss him - Nicholas Turturro appears briefly in the opening sequence.

starseed1981

Just caught up on the first two episodes. Powerful stuff there.

Timber

I have to admit I dozed off at one point during last nights episode. There must've been one too many long slow lingering camera shots. This thing is brutally slow at some points. I don't think there was a word uttered for about 5 minutes at one point.

Goat3001

Yeah they certainly could add that focus to the show. Maybe as the investigation gets deeper it becomes more clear to Box that Nas couldn't have done it.

There was a very short lived show about 10-ish years ago called "Justice". It was another lawyer show that started with a crime happening. What made it different was that at the end of every episode they would show you what actually happened. Sometimes the person they defended and got off didn't do it. Sometimes they did. That would be cool if this show decided to do that. 8 full episodes about the trial. Nas either gets convicted or acquitted and then the last few minutes of the show go back to the murder and show how it actually went down.

Rypro 525

I've got a law question in regards to a scene in the show
The scene where Det Box allows Naz to speak with his parents, mainly to spy in to see if he tells them what really happened. There's a part near the end where Naz decides to speak Pakistani, to throw Box off. Could Box hire a translator to translate what he said, for a later court date?

Coral

I don't see why he couldn't. Anything he said in that room is recorded and can be used in the trial - it shouldn't matter what language was spoken.

I thought the second episode was decent, however I fear it could get bogged down in processes. It's interesting to see how things are done, but they already spent too much time on it. It doesn't help that they're still trying to create a mood and are wasting valuable minutes on slow shots, characters walking, camera pans, etc. A little is fine, but this hour long episode could've been done in 35 minutes and still provided the nuances they were trying to go for.

Hopefully we move forward at a quicker pace and they're more economical with their scenes.

Shannon Nutt

Now we know why this series is set in 2014...it was before MAXIM went all ESQUIRE on us.

Astrofan

I don't see what this show has that lots of other police procedurals don't have except for one thing--lots of padding.

dex14

If anyone wasn't already aware... this is a remake of a BBC show Criminal Justice - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimin...%29#Series_one

It does give a synopsis and overview of their first season on there, so spoiler warning...

hal9000

Watching this second episode (and without any knowledge of the BBC series) it's clear to me the killer is

Also, glad they called out the fact that she owned a cat and that there were no paw prints mixed with blood. I'm sure this detail will play out further in solving who did it.

Why So Blu?

Watched the first episode. Yeah, word to the (un)wise - if you're arrested don't ever say shit. "How you doin'?" "I don't know, talk to my lawyer," whether you have one or not. Even Turturro tells him that.

Gonna watch episode 2 tomorrow.

Rypro 525

She put the cat outside because Nasir was alergic to cats

atrium

The camera shots were very distracting in the second episode. One too many focus shots on mundane objects before focusing out to the center of action of the shot. I thought it was cool how the show was shot initially, but they really seem to be flaunting it with every single scene to an obnoxious degree.

The eczema plot was a strange thing to keep returning to time and again.

Not sure I'm sold on the show as anything more than decent at this point, but I'll keep watching.

atrium

There's a scene that directly shows her putting the cat outside.

chowderhead

I like how disorienting the whole process is for Naz and the viewer with hours of waiting followed by guards yelling af you to hurry up.

Why So Blu?

Just finished watching episode 2. Good shit. As far as the deer eye - I think it kept focusing on it, because there was blood on the lid and cheek of it - as you see when the CSI guys are swabbing it and bagging it.

I don't know where it's going yet but now they've introduced the shady stepfather, so there's that.

randian

What I don't get yet is the blood evidence from the point of view of the police. The kid should have been covered in blood but he wasn't. Somebody in the police department should notice this.

atrium

I'd like to think there's more to it than just blood spray from the crime scene. They called a lot of attention to it. Considering that there's no shortage of blood samples on her body, I'd like to think there's more to it than that. But you could be right.

The blood drop on the deer eye did seem to take the shape of a tear, running down the face. From a symbolic perspective.