The characters of Treme (pronounced tra-may) are as captivating as the beauty in every shot. Larger than life but masterfully realistic and relatable, each character slowly introduces another aspect to the story, interweaving personal candid moments. The spirit and soul of New Orleans is captured in every aspect of the hour-and-a-half premier, leading me to believe the rest of this series is going to be another HBO must-watch.
The opening credits remind the audience where New Orleans is only three months after the flood. Quick clips of the vibrant city throughout history paired with horrific images of flood waters rushing, submerged houses and water logged molded walls of once great homes. The sobering images shed light on the characters as they are steadily developed over the course of the episode.
The characters and story of the show remain a bit scattered. The first of many we meet is Antoine, the starving artist trying to support his family as a trombonist. From Antoine, we meet his ex-wife Ladonna, struggling to keep her bar in business. LaDonna is looking for her missing brother and enlists the help of a local civil-rights attorney, Toni Burnette. Burnette is married to an outspoken professor (played by John Goodman in all of his Big Lebowski-esque apopletic glory) who is now famous for his harsh criticism of the government after the catastrophic flooding of the area.
And this is just the first 20 minutes. Another starving musician and local DJ, Davis (Steve Zahn), also struggles to make ends meet. Davis is sort of dating Janette, a chef trying to run her restaurant while dealing with the loss of her home. And Albert, an aging Mardi Gras Indian chief, steals the show in the last half hour as he marches in his vivid feathered masterpiece, a single man standing up for the grand traditions yet untarnished by mud and mold.
The show has the distinct style of an HBO miniseries, cinematic with a steady pace and an all-star cast. Wendell Pierce, Zahn, Clarke Peters, Khandi Alexander, Melissa Leo, Kim Dickens, Rob Brown, Lucia Micarelli and Goodman are the headliners, with a strong supporting cast to boot. The early response to Treme is overwhelmingly positive. The series was met with critical acclaim, and before the final ratings for the first episode were even in, the second season was announced.
So catch last week’s episode now and get to watching Treme. The rest of the season looks promising, though it may be too early to tell what we can expect from season two. But Sunday nights are looking better and better on HBO.
You can watch Treme on HBO Sunday nights at 10 p.m., following The Pacific.
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