The Night Of is Fantastic. Why Isn’t it a mega hit?
The Night Of hasn’t managed to overtake popular culture yet
It’s official: The Night Of is one of the best crime dramas ever produced. Unless something goes awry and it doesn’t stick the landing, that’s not likely to change. It’s smart, tense, and is perfectly paced. It’s a serious hit with critics and gets solid ratings, but it hasn’t taken over the way that other mega popular show shave. And that’s because it isn’t mega popular.
The Night Of may be the best thing currently on HBO, and might be the best show airing right now, but it is missing a hook that would truly set it apart from the rest. It lacks a sense of greater appeal, unlike True Detective. The first season ofTrue Detective was an event that you either experienced, or you missed out. It dominated pop culture conversation in a way that few shows ever do. That’s part of the reason that HBO isn’t ready to let it go.
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The Night Of is not True Detective. It’s slower, it’s leads aren’t as colorful, there is less conversation, and it lacks a dark central mystery. By sticking to a more realistic story and portrayal of the criminal justice system, it has effectively diminished its appeal. For HBO, that might not be all that big of a deal. The Night Of is, after all, just a miniseries. It’s doing very well without any of the pressures that come with a regular series. It doesn’t have to take over the world, and that gives it more room to breathe.
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Simple put, this is not the kind of show that is going to have mass appeal, and it is abundantly obvious that it doesn’t care. If nothing else, it shows us that HBO knows what it’s doing with the crime genre, and hopefully we can expect other series of such high quality in the future. Mass appeal not required.