History Series / TheNightOf

* ItsPersonal: When Nas asks Chandra if she's just defending him [[PunchClockHero for the money]], she denies it, then shyly kisses him.

* ItsPersonal: When Amir asks Chandra if she's just defending him [[PunchClockHero for the money]], she denies it, then shyly kisses him.

-->'''Cop in Bar:''' Hey, you want to do something original? [[ConversationalTroping How about a series]] with a cop who doesn't give a shit?" Punches out, comes home, has dinner with his family, bangs the wife, and sleeps like a log. You write a show like that, and the job will throw you a parade.

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Subverted. Andrea behaves a lot like one, taking Nasir out of his shell and on a midnight adventure, but she's a damaged person and ends up getting murdered.

* PunchClockHero: A recurring theme is that people in the criminal justice system are all just doing their jobs. We see many of them behaving surly, bored, tired or generally just putting in their 9-5 before clocking out, which stands in direct contrast to the people they interact with, who are going through the worst period in their lives. In the series finale, the trope is discussed when a police officer suggests making a show about a cop who "doesn't give a shit." Stone and Box spend the series gradually moving away from the trope.

*** In the final episode, Box watched CCTV footage of Andrea glancing at something off-screen, giving him a lead. He freeze-frames on her looking into the camera.

*** Duane Reade stares at Andrea and Nasir go into Andrea's house, leading characters to wonder if he was planning to rob them.

*** In the final episode, Andrea glances at something off-screen, giving Box a lead. He freeze-frames on her glancing into the camera.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Nasir has been released, but he's alienated himself from his friends, family and community, acquired a drug addiction, and still mourns Andrea. Stone has decided not to care about what other people think of him, earning him some peace, but little apparent happiness. Box has been beaten down by his job so much that he quits and gets a menial job as a security guard, but teams with the DA to chase down the real killer. Chandra has lost her job and her career is possibly ruined. That said, the series does end with a brief hopeful image, revealing (in the final shot) that Stone has re-adopted Andrea's cat, saving it from the pound]].

* Accidental Kiss: [[spoiler: Chandra kisses Naz without really thinking about it during one of their meetings. She backs away shortly after coming to her senses and realizing what a terrible, terrible idea it is.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Nasir has been released, but he's alienated himself from his friends, family and community, acquired a drug addiction, and still mourns Andrea. Stone has decided not to care about what other people think of him, earning him some peace, but little apparent happiness. Box has been beaten down by his job so much that he quits and gets a menial job as a security guard, but teams with the DA to chase down the real killer. Chandra has lost her job and her career is possibly ruined]].

* PunchClockHero: A recurring theme is that people in the criminal justice system are all just doing their jobs. We see many of them behaving surly, bored, tired or generally just putting in their 9-5 before clocking out, which stands in direct contrast to the people they interact with, who are going through the worst period in their lives. He's still determined to get paid for everything he does, though. In the series finale, the trope is discussed when a police officer suggests making a show about a cop who "doesn't give a shit." Stone and Box spend the series gradually moving away from the trope.

** Stone has a large and nice apartment in New York City despite the fact that he's said to have reported only $60,000 in earnings last year, half of that yet to be collected.
** {{Justified|Trope}} and {{Discussed|Trope}} regarding Andrea; the huge brownstone she lives in despite never having a steady job is an inheritance from her very wealthy mother. Box finds this out early on, but does nothing with the information, as he's focused on Naz. It's only when Stone asks the same questions that he finds information arousing suspicion about [[spoiler:her GoldDigger stepfather.]]

* ImportantHaircut: Nasir buzzes off his hair to present a tougher image in jail. Stone isn't happy to see his "good boy" client start looking like a thug. In the next episode a character compares Andrea to Delilah, making Naz Samson...

* PetTheDog: Stone takes in Andrea's cat, even though he's allergic. He buys it toys, plays with it through a door, and even dons a face mask and dishwashing gloves to pet it.

* PunchClockHero: A recurring theme is that people in the criminal justice system are all just doing their jobs. We see many of them behaving surly, bored, tired or generally just putting in their 9-5 before clocking out, which stands in direct contrast to the people they interact with, who are going through the worst period in their lives. While Stone starts out like this, he finds the case nagging at him after he's let go, and works it as an AmateurSleuth until he's re-hired by Chandra. He's still determined to get paid for everything he does, though.
* RaceFetish: John Stone has a thing for black women. His ex-wife is black, and he's seen sleeping with a black prostitute. When he mentions "young urban women," Chandra notes how "well-spoken" he is with that term.

* KnuckleTattoos: Nasir gets three-fingered tattoos on each hand while in prison as he slowly transforms into a thug under the influence of Freddie.

* PetTheDog: Stone takes in Andrea's cat, even though he's allergic. He even buys it toys and plays with it through a door.

* FriendsRentControl: Stone has a large and nice apartment in New York City despite the fact that he's said to have reported only $60,000 in earnings last year, half of that yet to be collected.

** Aditionally, Crowe's criticism of Stone as an ambulance chaser. Replace "ambulance" with "news story" and [[NotSoDifferent she's pretty much the same thing]].
* ImportantHaircut: Nasir buzzes off his hair to present a tougher image in jail. Stone isn't happy to see his "good boy" client start looking like a thug.

* PunchClockHero: A recurring theme is that people in the criminal justice system are all just doing their jobs. We see many of them behaving surly, bored, tired or generally just putting in their 9-5 before clocking out, which stands in direct contrast to the people they interact with, who are going through the worst period in their lives.

* ScaryBlackMan: Nasir meets a few, including two on "the night of" the murder as well as a number in jail.

* VomitingCop: One of Nasir's arresting officers runs from the crime scene and is seen dry heaving on the street. A RunningGag has him constantly denying that he actually threw up, but in episode three he finally admits that he did.

* PetTheDog: Stone takes in Andrea's cat, even though he's allergic, and even buys the cat toys.