‘The Night Of’ finale spoilers: Naz’s possible verdict (and a John Stone controversy)

Next week, the saga of “The Night Of” on HBO is going to be coming to a close, and it will be doing so with the longest episode of the season since the premiere. Next week’s finale is entitled “The Call of the Wild,” and based on the listings we’ve seen, this episode could run for a full hour and forty-five minutes.

So what will transpire over the course of the episode? We certainly hope that there will be a verdict. As a matter of fact, we even expect it when you consider the journey that we’ve went on over the course of the season. Without resolution for Nasir’s trial, what was the purpose of all of this?

Here’s the problem as Naz tries to find some sort of justice. According to the TV Guide description, John Stone will find himself in the spotlight because of a controversy that rocks the entire defense team. Could this impact the overall verdict? We certainly have to consider this possible … but then again, we’d consider almost anything possible given the amount of time that is left. Remember that the ramifications of this case stem further than just Naz, given that they could seismically impact his parents, his community, of course the family of the victim. It could even seriously impact Chandra, given how she shared a fleeting romantic moment with him within the cell.

While there have been conversations to date about a potential second season, the original idea was for this to always be a one-season story. With that, we imagine that a second season would either be about an entirely new case featuring new characters, or one that could incorporate a couple we already know. There’s obviously still plenty of time to figure that out. (Interesting note: The promo after tonight billed the finale as a “series finale,” not that this matters much in the end since HBO can do whatever it wants.)