When I tune into “Game of Thrones,” “Doctor Who” or “Breaking Bad," I’m curious to see where the story will go next. I tune in because the story is exciting and the show has strong characters to make the journey even richer. With “Treme," I tune in for a different reason. There are plotlines that are curious, but it’s more like I’m visiting friends.
Every scene in “Treme” is about capturing a slice of life of characters who are trying to figure out what to do next. After the disaster of Katrina, New Orleans was forever changed. In Season One, all of the people in the city were trying to find their feet again after all the destruction. With Season Two, they are now able to try and rebuild.
While a lot of Season One had wonderful displays of NOLA food and music, there were also some really tragic events that happened to the nicest characters. LaDonna (Khandi Alexander) had to deal with trying to find her missing brother after the storm and the emotional wreck that journey cost her. Albert (“The Wire’s” Clarke Peters) is still incredibly depressed but determined to rebuild his Mardi Gras Indian chief tribe while dealing with his son’s new takes on the tribe. Annie (Lucia Micarelli) has finally gotten away from her addict boyfriend, who has his own redemptive storyline this season. (That is done so well that everyone I know who hated him in Season One has found a new respect for him.)
However, the storyline that hurt me every time they were on screen was seeing Toni and Sofia Bernette (Melissa Leo and India Ennenga). Near the end of last season their husband/father (John Goodman) did a very selfish thing that really destroyed their family dynamic. Seeing their difficulty with trying to understand what happened truly got to me.
All of the characters are so well realized, I actually wanted less to happen to them. With “Breaking Bad,” I’m all ready for Walter White to mess something up just to see how everyone reacts. With “Treme,” I’m truly nervous for characters like LaDonna because she has already been through so much pain. The storytelling is so complex on this show because the episodes are able to celebrate so much through the city by giving us some of the best representations for the strengths of its people. Every movement forward by the characters seems incredibly organic to the point where the expansion of the city seems coincidental instead of contrived.
I wish this show had a larger fanbase because it has something for everyone. “Treme” never feels like a regular TV show because it’s trying to do something more ambitious — allowing TV to evolve into an even greater medium. Creator David Simon has spoken that his shows are like a “visual novel,” and this show is easily becoming one I will reread many times on end.
The DVD has some really nice bonus features. There is a 35-minute panel discussion with the show’s co-creators and Peters about the art of the show. I also really enjoyed the featurettes about the food of New Orleans and the look at the Mardi Gras Indians. There are also a few commentaries for the episodes and a different track just for a look at the musical selections. I would still like to have more of the cast talk about the show and the city, so I’ll hold out hope for the Season Three DVD. New episodes start this fall! This is the perfect time to start this series so you can be ready.
Season: 4.5 Yaps Extras: 4 Yaps