‘I Am the Night’ Recap: ‘Pilot’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

If there’s one particular genre out there, that I truly have a soft spot for, it’s mystery. I don’t know why, but I can never resist settling in to watch a story that involves some kind of grand puzzle for someone to pull apart, simply because the journey of discovery has the potential to provide myself and others with a powerful story and all kinds of surprises along the way. Which is why when I heard that Chris Pine and Director Patty Jenkins were teaming up for a mystery series on TNT entitled, I Am the Night, my curiosity was instantly piqued.
 
For Chris Pine is quite the talented actor, and Patty Jenkins is a whiz behind the camera and putting this duo together to unravel the details of something sinister would turn out to be quite the treat. But once I also learned that this series was going to take a different angle on the infamous Black Dahlia murder, well that was the final selling point for me. Because I honestly don’t feel that there have been enough movies or shows revolving around that particular case, and well, all of these elements made me supremely excited for last night’s series premiere of this limited run series and let me tell you, this ‘Pilot’ episode certainly lived up the hype that I built up in my mind.
 
Because every single second of this first episode was incredibly compelling and really, that’s thanks in large part to the script and the direction since this story takes its time in helping us to get to know our two main characters; Jay Singletary and Fauna ‘Pat’ Hodel, and my goodness, do we truly get to understand their plight and their hopes and dreams in this particular chapter. For Jay is a washed-up writer with a coke habit who is sinking to new lows to get a quick buck and he is truly desperate to get back into the investigative writing game and you feel for Jay in this story and root for him because it really is clear that one story and one bad turn ruined a genuinely good guy with great talent. 

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​But while Jay’s story is interesting in its own right, Fauna is the character who truly grabs your attention. For she is an innocent young girl, torn between two worlds since she is a mixed-race individual living in the ever racist 1960’s, and she…has stumbled upon a powerful truth that will change her life forever. For she discovers that she was adopted as a baby and her real family, comes from money, prompting her to make a trek to Los Angeles to meet her grandfather. But little does she know, that her grandpappy, George Hodel, was a chief suspect in the infamous Black Dahlia murder, and by making her existence known to the family, she may have put her life in danger…
 
Now, you will note that we’ve spent a lot of time discussing the characters and their journey over discussing any element of mystery and there’s good reason for that, because there’s little of that present here and that’s okay. Because a key element to a good mystery, are the characters that inhabit the story and by getting to know Jay and Fauna and all the key players in this tale, we are now invested in their journey and this slow burn approach is brilliant in my mind since it does indeed leave you hungry for more. Especially when one considers that George Hodel is a creepy, scummy dude, who is clearly caught up in some shady dealings, and most importantly, he is clearly the catalyst for a great many things in Jay and Fauna’s lives and I’ve no doubt their mutual interest in the man will bring them together in the weeks to come.
 
But while the story has definitely reeled me in when it comes to this series, one other element that truly brought me joy, was the fact that it looked and felt like a classic noir film with its magnificent aesthetic. In fact, all it needs at this point is a hardboiled detective to help Jay and Fauna along, and it becomes a perfect period piece. In the end however, I am completely and utterly sold on this limited run series. It’s compelling, fascinating and creepy and I want to know what Jay knows about George, and why Fauna may be in danger and that’s precisely why I’ll be tuning in next week and every week thereafter because this looks like one hell of a mystery. Until next time. 

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