Treme

[stereosforgeeks]

Fuck that.
Taking a way for a moment that those people were having a memorial for their friend whose body had just been found in a horrid state of decay. That's their neighborhood. Those are their homes. And here comes a tour bus designed to go through the very same neighborhood so that people can sightsee and take pictures. They responded with their cameras. They responded by (likely) paying money to bear witness to these families' loss. Now if they were only going through the business district? Different story. But to have a tour bus pass through neighborhoods is sick.

OK the tour bus I do understand people being pissed off about. Because its only design is for photo moments etc... but for people who do actually come down to help and want to help its a totally different story. The problem is Simon is having a one-sided argument and not presenting both sides of the story. It was different in the wire where you had the cops and dealers etc.. and thus presented both sides and through both sides conflict he had his theorem. On Treme thus far hes only presenting the one side.

Dont get me wrong I think this is a fantastic show and I am loving all the attention to detail and characters. I just wish he was presenting a more thorough argument.

[Maui]

There are times when I worry I’m simply not cool enough to hang out with Treme.

How does one gauge coolness because I'm clearly not cool enough to be watching this show.

[Fievel]

OK the tour bus I do understand people being pissed off about. Because its only design is for photo moments etc... but for people who do actually come down to help and want to help its a totally different story. The problem is Simon is having a one-sided argument and not presenting both sides of the story. It was different in the wire where you had the cops and dealers etc.. and thus presented both sides and through both sides conflict he had his theorem. On Treme thus far hes only presenting the one side.

Dont get me wrong I think this is a fantastic show and I am loving all the attention to detail and characters. I just wish he was presenting a more thorough argument.

I guess I'm okay with it because we've already seen the other side. Anybody that watched the network evening news or CNN during August-December '05 was beaten over the head with the other side. We saw the interviews with the troops sent in. We saw the interviews with the relief workers that were there. And we saw too many news correspondents putting themselves down there for their big moment (for a recent example, see Al Roker in Haiti). Every now and then we'd get a blurb about the residents' plight but not much more than that. Treme is giving us the various residents' stories from all walks of life. The only thing that bums me out is that they didn't start with the day after Katrina. I would like to have seen the mercs from Blackwater get a little light shone upon them. Maybe we'll get to see Halliburton people doing work. But since Treme is now set in late 2005 (November? December?), the biggest wave of relief workers have long gone back home.

Hey, maybe they'll show Steve Zahn's character signing up for The Zone on Dec. 9!

[Maui]

I guess I'm okay with it because we've already seen the other side. Anybody that watched the network evening news or CNN during August-December '05 was beaten over the head with the other side.

Same. I didn't have a need to see their side because of the heart of that moment. That scene really packs a punch - it's a very reflective moment with music, the celebration of life and death. Although more than obvious, this story is about the people of Treme, their loss, their struggle to persevere and THAT is what I want to see. Not how the people on the tour bus feel.

[Fried Gold]

That last two episodes sold it for me.

Rather good indeed.


....I should point out though that John Goodman's character appears to have a PC from the future.

[Fievel]

While the stories are absolutely addictive and the characters are intriguing, I love the fact that the music is a supporting character in this show.
Every episode so far has featured music and every episode so far the music has been really good.

Re: Goodman's computer.... I had that thought too but was appreciative that he at least had a standard old Windows background on his desktop.

[John-Locke]

Can anyone explain what the deal was with the Houston Bouncer staying with the fiddler and the Dutch guy? Did he just creep her out or was there something else going on that I missed? When he gave the Dutch guy some extra money and he went off she said something to him like "He copped in Houston didn't he?" what does that mean exactly? I'm very confused as to what that whole storyline was all about.

[stereosforgeeks]

Can anyone explain what the deal was with the Houston Bouncer staying with the fiddler and the Dutch guy? Did he just creep her out or was there something else going on that I missed? When he gave the Dutch guy some extra money and he went off she said something to him like "He copped in Houston didn't he?" what does that mean exactly? I'm very confused as to what that whole storyline was all about.

Im pretty sure the copped line was about drug use, which the extra cash was going to be used for.

As for why he sent him packing? Maybe he didnt want to compete with him for Annie, which after the guy protected her might have been a possibility?

I was confused as well.

[Strabo]

Re: Houston bouncer dude.

Yes, Annie was asking if Sonny had started doing drugs again while in Houston. And she likely realized that their huddle was Sonny borrowing money to score again. The reason Houston bouncer dude was kicked out is because he was the one who rushed her into cover at the parade, not Sonny. He separated her from her chosen protector, and it disturbed her. Of course, the fact that he was an enabler of Sonny's revived drug habit probably figured into the decision too.

[Hermanator X]

Im a little behind with this one, having only seen the first 2 episodes so far, so havent read this thread yet. Will do when I catch up.
Just wanted to say that im loving it so far and it "feels" like a great show to watch. Has a good vibe to it, and because it doesnt have seem to have central premise to it, (ie being a cop show, or specifically about something) over and above the setting and the people who live there, it has me hooked to find out more.

[Fievel]

Just watched this week's episode. I absolutely love how many layers this show has and how they all loosely interweave with one another.
The Antoine/Japanese guy story was cool. From the Japanese guy being an absolute geek (to the obvious annoyance of Antoine) to the solo performance Antoine gave him.... loved it.

"You guys brought me in?"
".......we're your neighbors."
OH SNAP!
One had to figure that Davis' mouth was going to get him in trouble eventually, but that verbal blow of kindness from his neighbors absolutely humbled the living shit out of him. I also found it amazing that for someone that doesn't seem to do much, and comes across as just a major fan/lover of New Orleans, he is really connected to the New Orleans music scene.

Chief. Damn if that simple hand on the politician's shoulder, coupled with the look, didn't just say about a million things.
The word "Punky Power" was thrown around The Zone in relation to Jack Bauer..... fuck that. Chief just claimed that word for himself.

Kim Dickens (Janette) looks younger and more vibrant in this show than she ever did on Deadwood or her guest spots on Lost. Loved watching her geek out over, and ultimately bust her ass for, the chefs that came in.

And if this show could muster up a Second Line parade every four episodes or so, minus the gunshots of course..... I wouldn't complain. Those appear to be just filled with absolute joy. It was cool seeing Antoine enjoying the parade as a dad/family man rather than a musician that time.

[stereosforgeeks]

And if this show could muster up a Second Line parade every four episodes or so, minus the gunshots of course..... I wouldn't complain. Those appear to be just filled with absolute joy. It was cool seeing Antoine enjoying the parade as a dad/family man rather than a musician that time.

They had to stage the second line themselves!!! Probably at a significant cost. I bet in the future (second season perhaps) they will get permission to film their characters in actual new orleans second lines/parades.

[Fried Gold]

Can anyone explain what the deal was with the Houston Bouncer staying with the fiddler and the Dutch guy? Did he just creep her out or was there something else going on that I missed? When he gave the Dutch guy some extra money and he went off she said something to him like "He copped in Houston didn't he?" what does that mean exactly? I'm very confused as to what that whole storyline was all about.

I didn't quite understand why they chucked him out all of a sudden. He was the one who sweeped her out of the way of gunfire, while Pianoman was still seemingly a bit off his face and wandering around in a daze.

[Fievel]

Can anyone explain what the deal was with the Houston Bouncer staying with the fiddler and the Dutch guy? Did he just creep her out or was there something else going on that I missed? When he gave the Dutch guy some extra money and he went off she said something to him like "He copped in Houston didn't he?" what does that mean exactly? I'm very confused as to what that whole storyline was all about.

I didn't quite understand why they chucked him out all of a sudden. He was the one who sweeped her out of the way of gunfire, while Pianoman was still seemingly a bit off his face and wandering around in a daze.

I wouldn't have minded Sonny getting shot and killed during that scene.
He ranks pretty high amongst current TV Douches in my opinion.

[Fievel]

I'll follow up my previous post by saying that I really, REALLY wish Sonny had been shot.
He's a junkie, a pretty shitty pianist (if he can really be called one?), and he does everything but take a steaming shit on Annie... and I'll be she stays with him.

Clarke Peters, who plays Chief, is a black Clint Eastwood. That man can say more with a scowl than most people can say with words.

[Fievel]

Herc has a column up entitled See How Treme Ends.
I thought it meant that the show's season ended last night. Thank the gods I misunderstood it!!
Thought last night's episode was really good, but not the type to end a season on.

Chief's Glare of Doom at his son last night was hilarious, and the son's response was even better - "Okay! I heard you twice the first time!"
Loved seeing Davis and Annie hanging out together, and loved even more that nothing happened between them. I like Davis and Janette's "thing" that they've got.
Speaking of Janette, I thought for sure that something bad was going to happen to her as she drunkenly danced around by herself at night.
Going back to Annie..... Sonny has absolutely no redeeming qualities as a person, as a lover, and as a musician. Hopefully Annie sees this.

Two more episodes to go.

[John-Locke]

I could see that one coming



Absolutely loving this show now, I cherish the time I spend with these characters each week, sad to see one of them go, depression guised as personal liberation is a dangerous thing.

It was funny how Goodman summed up or set the stall out as it where, as to what expectations we the audience should have of the show, not that I wasn't already on the same page mind you.

[Fievel]

Just caught up with the final two episodes.
Regarding Creighton... absolutely baffling that he "went" the way he did. Doesn't really even seem possible, unless he just couldn't swim. But that, and the resulting devastation (the daughter's scream alone was just heart-wrenching) gave me the mixed emotions of sadness (if nothing else, the show's loss of Goodman sucks!!) and anger (just like his wife said - "he quit!"). It was obvious he was in a funk, but suicide is the most selfish act.

Other thoughts....
-Chief's jam session with his son - very cool, and VERY funny. "That Chinese shit"
-Sad that Janette left. I don't think she's done, by any means, but after Her Day with Davis I thought she'd stay.
-Annie at Davis' place... I think they are equally fascinating characters, but I like Davis & Janette. Maybe they'll play music together?
-Annie's Ex.... I hope he OD's and dies. I've never loathed a character like him - and I look at that feeling as a direct result of good writing and acting.
-The flashback at the funeral.... caught me by surprise. Loved it. So much more effective there than if it opened the show.
-The funereal Second Line - I absolutely loved that they ended the season like that (open with one, close with one). So many things happened with no audible dialogue there - Ladonna coming to terms with her brother's death, Antoine's boys seeking out their father and doing the parade at his side (after being somewhat embarrassed by him in an earlier episode), Toni... I couldn't tell what her emotions conveyed, and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, but something happened with her along the parade route....

If this wasn't my favorite new show of the year, it's right up there. I remember reading a Talkback about halfway through the season and most people writing in it hated the show. Nothing happened... forgettable characters.... blahblahblah. The people that said that must have ADD to the infinite degree because SO MUCH happened over the course of the season. And in the same Talkbacks they complained... they actually COMPLAINED about the music. The music of the show was one of the most important characters, and easily one of my favorite.

I loved this show and cannot wait for the second season.

p.s. As I wrote this a group from New Orleans called Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue was playing on Late Night With David Letterman. Check out his website...... thought he looked familiar (hopefully the Quicktime video opens on the left side)!

[RaulMonkey]

Regarding Creighton... absolutely baffling that he "went" the way he did. Doesn't really even seem possible, unless he just couldn't swim. But that, and the resulting devastation (the daughter's scream alone was just heart-wrenching) gave me the mixed emotions of sadness (if nothing else, the show's loss of Goodman sucks!!) and anger (just like his wife said - "he quit!"). It was obvious he was in a funk, but suicide is the most selfish act.

The Calgary Stampede started today and noticing the parade here made me think of Treme. Even though a few weeks have passed I STILL can't believe that Creighton's gone! It feels like somebody I actually knew decided to kill himself. What the hell!? A fictional character's death hasn't hollowed me out like that since four of the seven samurai were killed.

[Ribbons]

Just started watching this thanks to a DVR'ed marathon on HBO, although I missed the first two episodes and can't find them online.

Had to smile at the Wire shoutout in episode 4 ("Don't you come from Hamsterdam or something...?")

[Fried Gold]

Just caught up with the final two episodes.
Regarding Creighton... absolutely baffling that he "went" the way he did.

Indeed.

As JL said the other day, you could see his part in the episode was building up to something (some people could see clearly what was about to happen, I thought maybe he was just seeking some respite from his writing and trying to reconnect with life). Then when his wife finds his wallet in the car, and you know what's happened, it's still slightly baffling.

[Ribbons]

Going back to Annie..... Sonny has absolutely no redeeming qualities as a person, as a lover, and as a musician. Hopefully Annie sees this. I hope he OD's and dies. I've never loathed a character like him - and I look at that feeling as a direct result of good writing and acting.

This is actually the only subplot on the show that annoyed me. By the end I saw what they were going for - how they both loved music in different ways - but at that point Sonny had so little goodwill with the audience that it almost didn't matter. She's talented with ambition, he's a fuck-up street performer, so there's obviously going to be some friction, but their relationship was just way too one-sided to work. I know the writers had a lot of plates in the air, but they seriously needed to balance that shit out some if they wanted to make those characters interesting. Also the way the actor chose to play some of Sonny's lines - cocky and snide instead of vulnerable - didn't help. By the sixth episode I was pissed off at both of them and just waiting for the axe to fall on their relationship.

[Ribbons]

If this wasn't my favorite new show of the year, it's right up there. I remember reading a Talkback about halfway through the season and most people writing in it hated the show. And in the same Talkbacks they complained... they actually COMPLAINED about the music. The music of the show was one of the most important characters, and easily one of my favorite.

What!? Not only was the music on Treme such an important part of the show but it was awesome, all the time. I don't know if they have a soundtrack on iTunes or something, but I would buy that shit in a second.

[stereosforgeeks]

If this wasn't my favorite new show of the year, it's right up there. I remember reading a Talkback about halfway through the season and most people writing in it hated the show. And in the same Talkbacks they complained... they actually COMPLAINED about the music. The music of the show was one of the most important characters, and easily one of my favorite.

What!? Not only was the music on Treme such an important part of the show but it was awesome, all the time. I don't know if they have a soundtrack on iTunes or something, but I would buy that shit in a second.

Its a slow show and those hoping for The Wire: Part Deux did nto get it. Instead we get the story of a city and the people moving about in it as it attempts to rebuild. The characters just "are" instead of following your typical arc, which struck most people as too slow.

I honesly love the music as well. Besides a few artists in the genre i never considered myself much of a fan of the music. However on the show I love it. I love how it bonds the characters, i love the emotion of it, i love how the music gives us the city at its most triumphant.

Honestly the show I don't think its as great as the wire because of the lack of pure narrative and the fact it seems that Simon was spending too much time railing against outsiders of the city as proxies to us the viewer. The Wire handled similiar things but with far more depth and grace. This is a minor issue in a show that is just amazingly well put together.

Please let Kim Dickens be back next year!!!

[Fievel]

Please let Kim Dickens be back next year!!!

Wholeheartedly seconded. I think I mentioned it earlier, but she just looks different in this show - more vibrant, full of life, passion etc. But she's also playing a character with more allowed depth than she has in the past and nails it every time she's on screen.

[stereosforgeeks]

Please let Kim Dickens be back next year!!!

Wholeheartedly seconded. I think I mentioned it earlier, but she just looks different in this show - more vibrant, full of life, passion etc. But she's also playing a character with more allowed depth than she has in the past and nails it every time she's on screen.

I wouldnt say her Deadwood character lacked depth, but here she had more actual moments of happiness.

[Fievel]

Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1

1. "Treme Song (Main Title Version") - John Boutté
2. "Feel Like Funkin' It Up (Live Street Mix)" - Rebirth Brass Band
3. "I Hope You're Comin' Back to New Orleans" - The New Orleans Jazz Vipers
4. "Skokiaan" - Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers
5. "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" - Trombone Shorty & James Andrews
6. "Drinka Little Poison (4 U Die)" - Soul Rebels Brass Band & John Mooney
7. "We Made It Through That Water" - Free Agents Brass Band
8. "Shame Shame Shame" - Steve Zahn & Friends
9. "My Indian Red" - Dr. John
10. "At the Foot of Canal Street" - John Boutté, Paul Sanchez, Glen David Andrews & New Birth Brass Band
11. "Buona Sera" - Louis Prima
12. "New Orleans Blues" - Tom McDermott & Lucia Micarelli
13. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" - Michiel Huisman, Lucia Micarelli & Wendell Pierce
14. "Indian Red (Wild Man Memorial)" - Mardi Gras Indians
15. "Indian Red" - Donald Harrison
16. "Time Is On My Side" - Irma Thomas & Allen Toussaint
17. "This City" - Steve Earle
18. "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" - Treme Brass Band
19. "My Darlin' New Orleans" - Leigh "Li'l Queenie" Harris

[Ribbons]

Mine!

[Fievel]

Well this show snuck into its second season this week. Decent first episode. I like how we got a taste of everyone's current happenings without fully diving into anything.
By the end of the episode I was ready for next week though. Enough salad. I'm ready for the main course now!

[Ribbons]

Seriously. The only reason I knew it was back was because I saw an article on Hitfix that said "Treme Premieres Tonight."

I recorded it, but I haven't watched it yet. On the plus side, I did finally end up buying the season 1 soundtrack, and it is BOSS.

[Fievel]

This season is so much different than the first. Things are either going extremely well for the characters (Antoine's new band) or they are really, REALLY bad (just about everyone else on the show).
The music is still as good as always, though. Antoine's drumming "How 'bout I play on 2 and 4 and you shut the fuck up!?"
Chief & his son sharing the holiday joint was a good ending to the episode.

[Fried Gold]

The new series feels a lot more "fictional" than the first.

[Fievel]

The new series feels a lot more "fictional" than the first.

Yeah, I get that vibe too. The Katrina-related stories (Chief's insurance money, the missing white guy) don't seem to have the weight that they probably should. And Davis' new record label with his aunt (or is it grandma?) is just another batshit crazy story with him that teeters on believability.

[Fievel]

"Son.... you're making a bad choice."

Fuck me.

[John-Locke]

Sheeeeeeeit

[John-Locke]

Yeah... it's me!
<two hard kicks to the gut>
ME!
It's me motherfuckah!
!t's me
It's me
Me
It's me

[Fried Gold]

I sorta gave up on this a few episodes in the new season, completely lost interest in it.

Is it worth catching up?

[John-Locke]

Absolutely unless you had serious issues with the show.

[Fried Gold]

No serious issues. I just got bored with it.

[Fievel]

Yeah... it's me!
<two hard kicks to the gut>
ME!
It's me motherfuckah!
!t's me
It's me
Me
It's me

Powerful moment!
Her mini-monologue in the attorney's office followed by her husband's smile and response might be my favorite moment of the season. And then Chief & company's performance at Jazzfest comes on.... wow. If that track is for sale, I'm buying. Music has always been a supporting character in this show and this episode was full of it. Had to put the baby down because I was boppin' around my seat so much.

A third season has been ordered, but man.... that episode would have made a fine finale for the show itself.