Queen's Gambit, Accepted

I was satisfied with this the final of six episodes relating to the still unsolved 1947 mutilation and murder of Elizabeth Short and the main suspect Doctor George Hodel, but at the same time I was anticipating a much more suspenseful finale which did not materialize.

The acting is above par, and the scenery is bold and contemporary for this 1940's-1960's period piece, but the script writing and subsequent dialogue was unimaginative and lacked the suspense comparable in which the first few episodes provided its viewers.

Chris Pine is such a good actor and he has previously been selective in the roles he has played. In the first few episodes as the hunt for proving a serial killer does exist and as Jay was progressing with his realtionship with the young and vulnerable Fauna Hodel, this mini-series maintained suspense but as the last two episodes unfolded I found the cheapness of the beatings Jay was taking in the police precinct and how easily Fauna was drugged simply just a cheap way to end anotherwise suspenseful crime mini-series based on an actual unsolved murder(s) some seventy odd years ago.

I would compare it to anticipating and ordering an expensive steak from a premier five star restaurant only to be served an overcooked small piece of meat accompanied by lumpy potatoes.

Our mouths have watered over the luscious mid-century architecture, costumes, hair and cinematography throughout the series, but the mastery of the period settings have never used to better effect than in this satisfying finale. Hodel's home should be open to the public, like the Gaudi Museum in Barcelona, if it truly looks anything like what we're shown in both the interior and exterior - as a national treasure. Even the omnipresent backdrop of racist oppression reaches a climax, albeit in the background and not distracting from the main plot, rather adding to the richness and dimension of the painting that is this production, with a few satisfying blows thrown in return. If there was no plot at all, this would be a sheer pleasure to watch.

Until now, Fauna/Pat has been slow to accept the truth about anything in her own history, defiant and independent, yet weak and in need of protector. But as she is (somewhat predictably, yet visually classic noir recreated) betrayed and put in the greatest danger of all, the daughter of the bull roars and transforms, in a shocking show of self-awareness and agency. No longer the damsel in distress, but now a source of inspiration to some, and fear to others.

The suspense builds slowly, so artfully, there is a horror movie feel to it, but what horror film has ever been so aesthetically pleasing in every way, so well written, well acted, well directed, well produced? There is never a moment in which you wonder why the idiot kids split up or the protagonist does something so inane that it ruins everything - no, this is not your tv dinner horror, but the gourmet feast you never dreamed would really come. The conclusion is neither pat (forgive the pun), nor 'boring' nor 'kitsch' but subtly hopeful, like a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel. So satisfying, you greedily want more.

Loved this series chris pine is brilliant totally hooked with the storyline

I started watching because of my interest in the Black Dahlia murder. This story is confusing and amateurish in many ways. The true story is much more interesting. Thank God for Chris Pine. Very disappointing.

In this episode we see a young George Hodel playing piano for Rachmaninoff. This part is true. It might be the only truthful thing about Hodel in this episode.

I am the Night is like those Jack the Ripper mysteries where some crime expert purportedly reveals the actual killer such as Dr William Gull and then crowbarring the evidence together.

Hodel might had been a possible suspect for the Black Dahlia murder. He might had been an unsavoury character. This was fiction pretending to be fact and the concluding episode was a disappointing mess.

Jay Singletary is getting another beating from the crooked cop Billis but manages to have an understanding with him to bring closure on an unsolved case and dealing with Hodel himself.

However Fauna who is at the mercy of her grandfather shows that she can take care of herself and cuts Hodel down to size at the same time.

Even as a fictional drama, I am the Night was a disappointment. The production values were top notch and the acting was good. The story was a trainwreck.