Treme (2017)
Cast includes: Khandi Alexander (CSI: Miami), Ron Brown (The Dark Knight Rises), Kim Dickens (Gone Girl), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Lucia Micarelli, Clarke Peters (The Wire), Wendell Pierce (The Wire), Steven Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club), Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones), India Ennega (About Scout), Phyllis Montana LeBlanc (The Paperboy), David Morse (The Hurt Locker), John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Jon Batiste (The Late Show)
Creators: Eric Ellis Overmyer (Law & Order, Bosch), David Simon (The Wire, The Deuce)
Genre: Miniseries | Drama | Music | History (36 one-hour episodes)
Three months after Katrina… will New Orleans ever come back? Many residents have scattered to other states and have nothing to come home to. Although they claim otherwise, there seems to be a movement of engineering this “chocolate city” to become more milk and less chocolate. Nothing works… not FEMA, not levee repair, not the streetcars, schools, hospitals, police, and the list goes on… especially in the Treme and other mostly black wards. The Treme—between the French Quarter and the 7th Ward—is the oldest black community in America, with prime opportunities for gentrification. Treme isn’t the only area featured in the series, but it serves as New Orleans’s beating heart with music everywhere… street corners, clubs, bars, etc.
Antoine Batiste, a hand-to-mouth trombone player with a roving eye and a heart of gold, tries to make a living playing gigs. His former wife LaDonna, a smart-mouthed bar owner, cuts him no slack. Nor does his current wife Desiree… “Get a job, Ann-twan!” Toni Bernette is a relentless investigative lawyer, championing underdog causes. Her husband Creighton has more bark than bite. The Lambreaux family has a special musical tradition… Indian… with Albert as Big Chief versus Delmond’s pursuit of pure jazz. Janette struggles to keep her restaurant open as nothing goes right. Her sometimes boyfriend, DJ Davis, at least has a hot water shower (in theory). There are so many characters and plot lines; it seems at first there’s no common denominator except Mardi Gras… there’s no storm that can wash away Mardi Gras.
Treme is rich, dense and complex. The plot development is slow and easy. Just settle in for the ride, and you’ll soon begin to feel like a New Orleans native. “We eat lunch to plan dinner.” For sure, New Orleans has flavor… not just in food, but also in multiple musical flavors. New Orleans also has corruption… Toni focuses on criminal corruption, but corruption touches every aspect of life and recovery in New Orleans. Still, there are so many reasons people are passionate about the survival of New Orleans and her traditions… “This city won’t ever drown.” The creators and filmmakers have done an amazing job of making us feel like we have a stake in New Orleans… you can almost smell the sweat and mold. The cast is a mix of actors, musicians and ordinary people… with many standout performances. Wendell Pierce, for example, is a damn fine actor and a surprisingly talented musician. Of course, you could say that about many in the cast. Treme oozes talent… it’s a delight to watch, even though there are many bittersweet moments. Even the viewers feel the pull of competing issues. Antoine’s dilemma might say it best… “My head says no. My heart says why the fuck not.”
4 popped kernels
A jewel of a city, a national treasure, and home to so many wonderful artists and customs struggles to come back after Katrina
Popcorn Profile
Rated: TV-MA (Language, Nudity, Violence, Sexual Content, Crime, Drugs)
Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Style: Neutral
Distribution: HBO
Mood: Sober
Tempo: In No Hurry
Visual Style: Unvarnished Realism
Nutshell: New Orleans after Katrina
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought Provoking
HBO series "Treme" (teaser trailer) from Wynton Marsalis on Vimeo
