FOT Forum
The Best Show on WFMU => Mike And His Ilk. => Topic started by: B_Buster on April 12, 2010, 10:29:10 AM
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I was looking forward to this for the New Orleans locales and the music, but the abundance of unlikeable characters may make it difficult (high on my list after the first episode: Steve Zahn's obnoxious dj, and the self-righteous lady lawyer who's married to John Goodman's character, who, I'm happy to report, has a touch of Walter Sobchak in him).
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She didn't strike me as self-righteous; just righteous. Given what her character was actually doing in that episode, I don't see how you find her unlikeable. (And how sweet she was with her daughter? Come on.)
The Jimmy McNulty/Davis McAlary comparisons will no doubt be made, and I look forward to following this new affable Irish fuck-up who will probably get laid in every episode. Steve Zahn is hilarious! "I will have satisfaction."
The Walter Sobchak/Creighton Bernette comparison is also valid, but that's just what Goodman sounds like when he yells about the government, I guess.
Khandi Alexander, Wendell Pierce, and Clarke Peters all killed it, the "Buona Sera" montage made me cry, and the first appearance of the Mardi Gras Chief was amazing. (Does anyone else find themselves wanting to own a furry tambourine?)
I'm just so happy there's a new top-tier drama for Mike to crap on. SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
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I thought it was decent. My favorite was the Kermit/Elvis scene. I think Steve Zahn's character is supposed to be irritating and he's doing it well. I wanted to punch him during the Elvis Costello scene.
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Give it some time. The Wire took a while for me to get into... I always like to give HBO shows at least 3 or 4 episodes before I pass judgment. Certainly not on the first episode... they always overdo it on the characters in the beginning. You need the plots to get going before you can really tell what the show will be like.
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I've been trying to get past the first episode of The Wire for like half a decade now.
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Well bravo to you for that.
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Hey, just making conversation.
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I thought the first episode was pretty great the only gripe i had was the opening theme music wasn't that great. They would have done better with that simple little piece that played during the previews for the show. I'm interested to see what Steve Zahn's beef with his neighbors is, and i agree with the other person Kermit's scene was my favorite and he looks like he's going to be a great character. I thought Goodman was pretty awesome in the first episode too, its good to see him back on a tv show. They really pulled off presenting New Orleans as a really cool place despite the circumstances.
I hadn't heard a Mystical song in a long time and i forgot about that part in the song were he says "I like my women fire like cayenne"!
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HBO just ordered a second season of Treme because they support Art.
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Besides the great music featured in the show like the opening sequence with the band marching down the street, I've already heard some great background music used. I hope Prince La La gets some play on this show, by Steve Zhan's character or just in the background.
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I'm disappointed this thread is not called "TremeTremeTremeTreme".
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What's the deal with David Simon and all the Budweiser product placement? I noticed it in The Wire, too. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a private deal on the side keepin him supplied with suds for the rest of his life.
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Yeah and besides... in Baltimore BOH is king, not BUD.
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What's the deal with David Simon and all the Budweiser product placement? I noticed it in The Wire, too. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a private deal on the side keepin him supplied with suds for the rest of his life.
Kind of reminds me of how David Milch admitted he created Deadwood as a means to score free long johns.
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What's the deal with David Simon and all the Budweiser product placement? I noticed it in The Wire, too. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a private deal on the side keepin him supplied with suds for the rest of his life.
Kind of reminds me of how David Milch admitted he created Deadwood as a means to score free long johns.
I think hes made an exclusive deal with Kangol too.
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Good 2nd episode. Gotta agree with Mike about the show's self-righteousness but damn if Simon & co. don't cast the perfect actors to put it all across. Loved the gratuitous but completely satisfying dissing of cultural studies and Harry Fucking Potter -- who else currently on tv other than Bill Maher is caustic enough to take shots like that?
Plus, a "Slim Charles" cameo. What was that old lady thinking, not claiming him as her son? There's your next series!
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Good 2nd episode. Gotta agree with Mike about the show's self-righteousness but damn if Simon & co. don't cast the perfect actors to put it all across. Loved the gratuitous but completely satisfying dissing of cultural studies and Harry Fucking Potter -- who else currently on tv other than Bill Maher is caustic enough to take shots like that?
Plus, a "Slim Charles" cameo. What was that old lady thinking, not claiming him as her son? There's your next series!
Don't forget the Uncle Ted cameo at the beginning.
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I'm disappointed this thread is not called "TremeTremeTremeTreme".
Why would it?
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I'm still watching. Sometimes Simon goes overboard cramming local details into the dialogue to show that he's done his research, though. My eyes just glaze over during those moments. It's like the mumbo jumbo in Star Trek. I have a feeling that by the time I'm done watching this series, I'm going to know every route possible to avoid traffic in New Orleans. I was also a little put off by the smug street musicians too good for the tourists.
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I was also a little put off by the smug street musicians too good for the tourists.
Yes, those annoying people coming down to a decimated city to spend their money.
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I'm disappointed this thread is not called "TremeTremeTremeTreme".
Why would it?
Because at the height of The Wire's popularity, when the FOT board was so entrenched in discussions about The Best TV Show Ever in the World that a The Wire sub-section of the forum was created, the mantra "TheWireTheWireTheWireTheWire" was used quite frequently (thread titles, etc).
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I think you were supposed to be put off by that guy's smugness. At least I hope so, because I wanted to punch that guy in the mouth.
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I think you were supposed to be put off by that guy's smugness. At least I hope so, because I wanted to punch that guy in the mouth.
In a later scene it was also implied he was full of shit about rescuing people during the flood. Those tourists should have asked, "and where are you from, originally? The movie ONCE?"
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Oh, yeah, I got that he was a jerk. I guess I was objecting to the fact that another storyline was being devoted to another jerk.
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I'm disappointed this thread is not called "TremeTremeTremeTreme".
Why would it?
Because at the height of The Wire's popularity, when the FOT board was so entrenched in discussions about The Best TV Show Ever in the World that a The Wire sub-section of the forum was created, the mantra "TheWireTheWireTheWireTheWire" was used quite frequently (thread titles, etc).
somewhere, deep in the Best Show archives, is a moment when Tom is talking about one of the countless friends/colleagues telling him that he HAS to watch the show. He starts going off about his annoyance with "TheWire!TheWire!TheWire!".
hence, the sub-sub-TBSOFMU meme.
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Oh, yeah, I got that he was a jerk. I guess I was objecting to the fact that another storyline was being devoted to another jerk.
I wouldn't have taken you for a "not enough likable characters" kinda guy, Mike.
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somewhere, deep in the Best Show archives, is a moment when Tom is talking about one of the countless friends/colleagues telling him that he HAS to watch the show. He starts going off about his annoyance with "TheWire!TheWire!TheWire!".
hence, the sub-sub-TBSOFMU meme.
I remember that call. From what I recall, he was talking to a real drip at the time.
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I wouldn't have taken you for a "not enough likable characters" kinda guy, Mike.
I'm not. But if you're going to give us a jerk at least make him an interesting jerk.
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Anyone else remember Phyllis Montana LeBlanc, who plays Antoine's girlfriend, from Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke?
She's also written a book about her Katrina experience, and will no doubt appear in Spike Lee's upcoming sequel, which I read will focus in part on the making of Treme.
This thread's gonna get pretty long!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY3kzrWL2Sw[/youtube]
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somewhere, deep in the Best Show archives, is a moment when Tom is talking about one of the countless friends/colleagues telling him that he HAS to watch the show. He starts going off about his annoyance with "TheWire!TheWire!TheWire!".
hence, the sub-sub-TBSOFMU meme.
I remember that call. From what I recall, he was talking to a real drip at the time.
Ooooh you watch your back, L....
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Didn't the tourists say they were with their church? I thought they were with some sort of relief.
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somewhere, deep in the Best Show archives, is a moment when Tom is talking about one of the countless friends/colleagues telling him that he HAS to watch the show. He starts going off about his annoyance with "TheWire!TheWire!TheWire!".
hence, the sub-sub-TBSOFMU meme.
I remember that call. From what I recall, he was talking to a real drip at the time.
Ooooh you watch your back, L....
For the record, I was talking about me. I know better than to start a B-more/Bethesda beef.
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Oh hahaha I just remember "The Wire! The Wire! The Wire!" being an integral part of my first BS calls.
I can understand why musicians might dislike the tourist area. Kind of like native New Yorkers not wanting to hang out in Times Square with all the tourists. Plus, those church kids were pretty annoying. Although I don't know what the point of introducing those characters was. They fell really flat.
LOVE John Goodman... LOVE THAT MAN.
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Not much to add here, only that I really like the show so far.
In my opinion, the only character that really qualifies as a jerk so far is the Piano Dude. He's condescending and has sub-par piano skills. And he's handsome, which makes him more annoying than he would be otherwise. I find Steve Zahn more funny than jerky.
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Not much to add here, only that I really like the show so far.
In my opinion, the only character that really qualifies as a jerk so far is the Piano Dude. He's condescending and has sub-par piano skills. And he's handsome, which makes him more annoying than he would be otherwise. I find Steve Zahn more funny than jerky.
Yeah i didn't think Steve Zahn was annoying either, i think the character i like the most is the Cheif. I like how it explores that whole stubborn side of the Hurricane situation. I wish they would have played the stolen tools thing out though, or even just let it be what it is. When he beat the guy up i had to roll my eyes a little "what is this an action show now".
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I've been trying to get past the first episode of The Wire for like half a decade now.
Took me three episodes (and a couple re-watchings of the episodes) before I was hooked in. Now I can't go back. I love it.
I'll probably watch Treme four years from now on DVD. Much like I did the Wire.
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If episode 3 is any indication, I think Treme might be losing me a little bit. I'm not giving up yet, but a couple of moments from this episode actively annoyed me. We'll see what happens.
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If episode 3 is any indication, I think Treme might be losing me a little bit. I'm not giving up yet, but a couple of moments from this episode actively annoyed me. We'll see what happens.
Let me guess: the tour bus?
I think for now at least this is the reaction the show is deliberately trying to provoke. There's not much going on plotwise to interest the viewer, but they're giving us enough characterization and detail to make us wonder where it's going. We know that Simon is a storyteller with huge confidence and we can assume he's fine with us wondering at this point if it's all going to be successful.
I am warming to the Zahn character, which is a good sign, and as a bonus I got a welcome Roseanne flashback from his scene with Goodman.
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If episode 3 is any indication, I think Treme might be losing me a little bit. I'm not giving up yet, but a couple of moments from this episode actively annoyed me. We'll see what happens.
I bet i know, whoever the foley artist was for the first scene should be shot that had to be the most disgusting sex scene ive ever seen.
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If episode 3 is any indication, I think Treme might be losing me a little bit. I'm not giving up yet, but a couple of moments from this episode actively annoyed me. We'll see what happens.
Let me guess: the tour bus?
That, and the Dr. John scene.
The tour bus is definitely part of it, but I think it's a larger issue, where any and all "outsiders" (most specifically, the folks on the tour bus and the midwestern church kids from episode 2) are the sorts of mouth-breathing bovine Americans that I'd expect from a Bill Hicks or George Carlin standup bit, not a dramatic television show by the guy who did The Wire. It's crossed my mind that, like you say, Simon is intentionally trying to provoke this reaction (you see a little bit of it in tonight's episode where the Zahn character lectures his neighbors about the musical history of the neighborhood, only to discover that the neighbor knows everything and is, in fact, a native), and I have enough trust in him as a storyteller to stick it out and see where he's taking the audience. The doubtful part of me is starting to get the same feeling as in Season 5 of The Wire, where Simon's anger turns self-righteous and the newspaper storyline gets unusually one-dimensional. I hope I'm wrong.
I also hope they get around to using the Goodman character as something other than a mouthpiece for the series creators' viewpoint.
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"It's called YouTube. Anyone can put anything on it! Isn't it cool?" I cringed.
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"It's called YouTube. Anyone can put anything on it! Isn't it cool?" I cringed.
I didn't think this was so bad. YouTube was still a new thing at the time the show takes place after all. I'm incredibly disappointed by the lack of MySpacing on the show though.
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I'm incredibly disappointed by the lack of MySpacing on the show though.
Not to mention the lack of iPhones.
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I bet i know, whoever the foley artist was for the first scene should be shot that had to be the most disgusting sex scene ive ever seen.
Celery and a nice wet chamois.
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I guess what made me cringe was not that it was inaccurate, but that they felt they had to drop that line and acknowledge YouTube.
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But is YouTube really irrelevant to that guy's plot? He feels like no one is listening to him and his whole thing has been trying to get the word out... from the very beginning. I bet it feels pretty hopeless to try to communicate things about Katrina to the rest of the world.
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I don't even remember youtube in 2005. I remember always having to go to third-rate video sites like Dailymotion and Google Video, and vlogs hadn't taken off either.
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That's because you were twelve.
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No silly, fifteen.
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Have still not seen, but my friend continually complains that the British character seems to be composed entirely from stereotypes based in The Benny Hill Show.
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Have still not seen, but my friend continually complains that the British character seems to be composed entirely from stereotypes based in The Benny Hill Show.
There isn't a British character.
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Have still not seen, but my friend continually complains that the British character seems to be composed entirely from stereotypes based in The Benny Hill Show.
There isn't a British character.
There was a British guy in one scene of one episode. I think your friend is thinking of McNulty.
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Have still not seen, but my friend continually complains that the British character seems to be composed entirely from stereotypes based in The Benny Hill Show.
There isn't a British character.
There was a British guy in one scene of one episode. I think your friend is thinking of McNulty.
Oh yeah you're right the guy that interviewed John Goodman's character in the first episode.
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Damn the Haters, I love this show. The first two episodes left me utterly devastated (two scenes in particular--no spoilers on my end); episode three faltered, but was still moving forward.
I would watch Wendell Pierce while he watches paint dry and be content.
Also, re-watching the Wire, the acting is positively over-the-top: that's completely by design for Simon. He wants that slight exaggeration of reality for some reason, and I'm completely on board.
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Watched the first episode of Treme last night. It was quite good. I'm looking forward to watching future episodes.
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Have still not seen, but my friend continually complains that the British character seems to be composed entirely from stereotypes based in The Benny Hill Show.
A lot of people say that about Elvis Costello.
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I'd like to think that the tour bus was a symbol for the creators and viewers of the show, but I'm not sure that Simon et al. are all that self-aware. My wife is from New Orleans and she refuses to watch it. She expected it to be "Katrina Porn." I predicted that wouldn't be the case, but so far it has been, 100%.
It's not so much that the characters are unlikable (as most of them are), it's that they're so one-dimensional. At some point in a recent episode, one of them whined, "I JUST WANT MY CITY BACK!" That was the moment where I gave up my last bit of hope for the show.
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But it was Steve Zahn's character who whined that; he's supposed to be a jerk.
Note: I'm glad the Dutchness of street pianist has finally been acknowledged. The violinist should dump him, however, regardless of nationality. (Although I'm a little worried about a "Star Is Born" subplot.)
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I'm ok with the musician cameos but they can ALL be about 75% less screen time. As for some of the music-centered scenes... can we limit full song performances to just a few per episode? I feel like I'm missing out on some plot.
And with scenes Lester from the Wire (whatever his name is on Treme) and Mrs. Jones from down the street might as well just have some softcore porn music playing in the background. Just so lame and obvious and not at all interesting. Two neighbors are going to get it on? Oh wow! I hope they shift some of the focus away from that guy.
Some of the writing is falling flat, but I do really enjoy many of the characters and the overall story about New Orleans. Just if I have to hear Bunk sing one more song...... in a hospital waiting room? Really? No one would think that was incredibly annoying??
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Note: I'm glad the Dutchness of street pianist has finally been acknowledged. The violinist should dump him, however, regardless of nationality. (Although I'm a little worried about a "Star Is Born" subplot.)
I just hope this plot doesn't follow that of their real-life counterparts. (No spoilers!) I like Violin Girl, even if the show has barely acknowledged her. One question, though - why wouldn't Violin Girl and Piano Dude get Antoine's trombone after the police arrested him? Whatever happened to that "Musician's Code" I've heard so much about?
Oh, TREME. You're losing me. I'm still on board, but pick it up, willya?
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I didn't get to see all of this weeks episode yet but did the angry black woman walk into the bar and say "That Goddamn blue tarp. Has anybody seen Riley? I'm gonna kill that mothafucka twice!"? I was hoping that was going to be a running joke like "Norm" on Cheers.
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I was glad to see George Pelecanos's name on the screen tonight, but on the whole I'm starting to have serious misgivings about where the show is going. We're close to the halfway mark (I'm assuming a 10-episode season) and the only story thread with any sort of dramatic thrust is the missing brother thing, and anyone who watched The Wire can fill in those blanks.
Another (minor) complaint: For a creative team that normally puts such trust in its audience by refusing to spoonfeed, the "monogamy with exceptions" scene was unnecessarily exposition-heavy. If you're going to spend a couple of minutes of screen-time showing a couple compiling and arguing over lists of famous members of the opposite sex, you probably don't need to end the scene by telling us the name of the game and how it works. We figured it out awhile ago.
To the many folks who complained about Creighton's YouTube rant, calling it too over-the-top/obvious/on-the-nose/etc: Have you ever actually watched a homemade YouTube angry rant?
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Note: I'm glad the Dutchness of street pianist has finally been acknowledged. The violinist should dump him, however, regardless of nationality. (Although I'm a little worried about a "Star Is Born" subplot.)
I just hope this plot doesn't follow that of their real-life counterparts. (No spoilers!) I like Violin Girl, even if the show has barely acknowledged her. One question, though - why wouldn't Violin Girl and Piano Dude get Antoine's trombone after the police arrested him? Whatever happened to that "Musician's Code" I've heard so much about?
Oh, TREME. You're losing me. I'm still on board, but pick it up, willya?
Man, took the words out of my mouth. This week's episode faltered. Like, a lot.
The coffee shop scene? Jesus.
The dinner-with-single-mom scene? FILL IN THE CRACKS?! REALLY?
I'm still more than on-board, but you're right. This shit needs to pick it up.
Ike
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I just hope this plot doesn't follow that of their real-life counterparts. (No spoilers!)
Aw, come on. Don't make me look for this.
One question, though - why wouldn't Violin Girl and Piano Dude get Antoine's trombone after the police arrested him? Whatever happened to that "Musician's Code" I've heard so much about?
Yeah, that really bothered me, too.
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I still haven't watched a second of this! But I have eps 1-4 lined up. Maybe this weekend!
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I'm interested to see how deep the creators with the "Let's include every NOLA musician we can" policy - I'd love to see Crowbar or Eyehategod show up.
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Watched and enjoyed the first episode. My friend's remarks were daft. He should complain less.
That is all.
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If you haven't jumped ship yet wait until next week Steve Zhans character is running for city council. I do see that next week has the Riley confrontation coming to a head.
Is it me or was that beat Steve Zhan was working on actually not bad.
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It's not as good as the Wire and you can tell it never will be, but after 2 episodes I've liked it a lot.
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From the New Republic:
People can get irritating about their authenticity. These days, off the top of my head, I think about the folks who want Chinese signs in nonsensical English to be maintained because the twisted language can be seen as genuinely “Chinese.” Or I think about the anti-gay minister who’s spreading the homophobic word in Uganda because he’s marked that aspect of the culture there as “authentic” for his own devilish purposes.
I hate to say that I also think of HBO’s new series “Treme,” which is mesmerizing in its ways (I intend to keep watching) but leaves you beaten over the head every week about just how vibrantly real New Orleans is. Realer than where you live. Realer, really, than you.
Even if you think you love the place, “Treme” is determined to show you otherwise. The surly street musician (who is just visiting himself, from Amsterdam) tartly informs tourists that it’s tacky to request “When the Saints Go Marching In”—that tune isn’t “real New Orleans,” apparently. In fact if you listen to any music on Bourbon Street, there are those who will tell you you’re not experiencing—again—the real thing. And if you live in the neighborhood the show is named after, Treme, the last thing you have any right to do is ask for quiet even in the wee hours, because, as Steve Zahn’s Davis McAlary character says, “This is the Treme, dude!” and the noise is what makes it real.
There’s also the young black jazzman who is “from New Orleans but doesn’t play New Orleans” and lives in New York. He is on his way, one senses after episodes so far, to getting back in touch with his “roots.” We last met him unable to quite get cozy at a tony black party attended by the likes of Stanley Crouch and Nelson George (both of whom do a nice, easy job acting—it’s such fun to see non-actors pull this sort of thing off compared to, say, Jesse Jackson’s cameo on an episode of A Different World back in the day), where his girlfriend seems to find septuagenarian McCoy Tyner hotter than him (a great left hand is part of the attraction, apparently.)
A main message from this sultry pageant of a show is that New Orleans is an occult matter that you can never truly “get” unless you’re a native or pretty close to it. The perky, hopelessly “white” tourists from Wisconsin with their nasal voices, the ones who get schooled by the street musician, can be taken as stand-ins for the viewer. Which makes the whole enterprise strangely unwelcoming.
Sure, one could ask why it has to be welcoming, but that’s a less effective comeback when we are being told again and again how much we are supposed to love and admire New Orleans. If we have anything to say except that New Orleans is the heart of the United States, then John Goodman will try to hurl us into the Gulf, or at least tell us, as he did in a great but disturbing sequence last Sunday, to perform a certain action upon his gonads.
What’s especially challenging is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t quality: criticize New Orleans, or even don’t pay quite enough attention, and you’re a chump—but praise it and you’re probably doing it wrong. “Treme” is like a park with a sign that says “Welcome” followed by a long list of “Do Not”’s.
A key scene occurs when a “Katrina Tour” bus barges through the destroyed neighborhood occupied by Clarke Peters’s character, who is, as was his Lester Freamon on “The Wire,” a wise, committed, saintly figure who somehow never gets cloying. He and his friends are in the middle of a musical New Orleans-style funeral ceremony for a friend recently found dead in his garage, and when the bus stops, they angrily tell it to move on.
Interesting—for one, the driver and passengers presumably couldn’t know that what was happening was a funeral. Plus, what we are supposed to register, more generally, is disgust that there would be Katrina “tours” of this kind in the first place. That’s a sentiment I registered spontaneously like anyone else—but wait: Technically, wasn’t the idea in 2005 and 2006 that America was “turning a blind eye” to the damage that Katrina caused? Who criticized Spike Lee’s documentary When the Levees Broke for exploiting or sensationalizing the hurricane’s aftermath? If the answer is that the documentary was intended to stimulate people to help, then what’s to say that Katrina tours had no such effect either? Presumably actually being on site would be as affecting an experience as watching the same scenes on a DVD.
It’s almost as if “Treme” were making New Orleans into a kind of stage musical. And not always in a good way. Of course it’s a deeply musical town. But when Wendell Pierce’s Antoine character breaks out into song in a waiting room and an onlooker starts beating out time, the theatrical nature of the whole “Treme” presentation stands out in sharp relief—reminiscent of the queer moment in Eminem’s 8 Mile when a woman broke into a rap and was seconded by bystanders in a scene depicting real life rather than a performance.
At times watching the show—show indeed, often—is like being at Memphis, the stage musical about the rise of rock ‘n’ roll currently running in New York, which trots out segregation and interracial romance in the Jim Crow South as good old-fashioned plot devices. I suppose there had to come a time when a musical that operates on the level of a cruise ship show could toss off references to Montgomery and lynching, but there’s a trivialization in it, inevitable when anything is harnessed to formula.
“Treme” falls into this to a certain extent; there is a fill-in-the-blanks quality in putting the characters through their paces that almost never felt as self-conscious in The Wire. Which character will be denied flood coverage because his policy was only for hurricanes? Which character will do an angry riff about light-skinned creoles looking down on darker ones? What local term will be tossed off in tonight’s episode that will send bloggers to Wikipedia (second line in the premiere, lagniappe last Sunday)?
I know that we are to process all of this with a backdrop of the misfortunes that New Orleans has suffered. Any place that has been through Katrina should be allowed to strut a bit as well as to shout its indignation to the heavens in a way that would be less acceptable from, say, Portland, Oregon. The oil spill last week will only add to the miseries. Our awareness of the city’s inept administration (of which the show gives only indirect views—this is no “The Wire Goes to New Orleans”) is something we can’t help but bring into our response to what the characters are going through.
Okay, but acting out gets old from anyone. In his YouTube rant, Goodman savagely disses San Francisco as an “overpriced cesspool with hills” when, let’s face it, that’s a pretty “cultural” city too, and has suffered its share of natural disasters. Part of the reason this scene gets by is, actually, Goodman’s obesity—it takes the edge off that he is “cute” and a beloved personage. The same scene delivered by Edward Norton would be less charming.
Let’s also talk about Portland. Another character says people there clap on beats one and three. Really? I’m sure more than a few thoroughly cosmopolitan, Obama-voting white people in Portland, as proud of their “reality” and their bond with black culture and its music as New Orleans folk are, would take umbrage at that.
The Goodman and Zahn characters are given to asserting how much more culture New Orleans has than other American cities. We all know what they mean, on a certain level. I’ve been to New Orleans a few times and certainly had a fuller experience in all ways than the two weekends I spent in Pittsburgh. Although I suppose I did not have a “real” experience according to the standards of Simon and the “Treme” characters, as I did not spend a night getting seriously trashed with a gold-toothed old (black) local, or at least I don’t recall it. And although I did spend some time outside of the French Quarter, I highly suspect it wasn’t for quite long enough, or in just the right way, in terms of the “reality” we are concerned with.
And one might ask: How, precisely, do people in Minneapolis have “less culture” than people in New Orleans? To a tribesman from New Guinea, Minnesotans would appear to have a “culture” indeed, and I’m not sure they would process New Orleans as “more cultural.” (Maybe more fun, but that’s different, isn’t it?) Why are the drinks and culinary traditions of Baltimore less “cultural” than the ones in New Orleans?
What the show means by this is two things. One is that New Orleans is more unique, more unlike other parts of the country than Minneapolis or Baltimore are. Okay, we all accept that.
Two is that New Orleans is vibrantly (and differently) black compared to even cities with large black populations. Okay, we all get that too. Funerals among black people in Cincinnati typically involve neither African-style clapping and chanting nor musical parades through community streets. Black people in North Philadelphia did not, until recently, speak a transplanted Caribbean Creole language in private as they used to in Louisiana. And maybe the “Treme” notion that New Orleans “is America” comes from the fact that culture is so much about whites joining in with that black culture, to the extent of being the culture along with the blacks. The iconic character of the show could be, along those lines, not Wendell Pierce’s salty, feckless jazzman but the Amsterdammer’s girlfriend Annie—the lovely, racially indeterminate jazz violinist (sorry, “fiddler”). Not apparently white or black, playing violin but in jazz style, and young with major promise, she’s almost an icon of what we all like to think America is all about, especially today.
In other words, she’s the character who most seems to summon Barack Obama—and it’s what makes “Treme” seem shrill. Mr. Simon, we get it.
What’s really wonderful about New Orleans is a spirit that dovetails exactly with where the modern Blue American head is. This is not 1987, which gave us the premiere of Frank’s Place, a “dramedy” about a black man who moves from the North to New Orleans and learns about the culture, with its black-white synergy presented as weird and novel. It was as steeped in music as “Treme” (to the point that there has been no DVD release because of the expense of the music rights), well-written, and yet couldn’t even manage a full season’s run.
The fact that “Treme” has already been renewed and is getting so much attention is a sign that its creators can let up on the proselytizing and score-settling. It’d be interesting if after these growing pains, “Treme” settled into being a show about some interesting people in an interesting city. Perhaps, especially after Katrina, there are Americans who think of themselves as better than New Orleans. But how many of them are watching “Treme”?
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Nice to see a mention of Frank's Place. I liked that show.
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I'm still hoping the Tiny Tim character gets a speaking part before the first season ends.
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That was a good article but I think they've got it all wrong. Everything I've seen is real; people have pride in their city. Of course somebody who grew up in a musical city like New Orleans is going to make fun of a city like Portland. Are people in Portland going to say, hey wait a minute? Sure, but that doesn't make it untrue.
I really like the direction that Creighton is going. He's all about New Orleans, but so far he shows disdain to the actual residents. Maybe it's just because it's Davis, but with his character you can see where this show is trying to go and I like it. The tension is building up.
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So, if I can't stand jazz and don't really care one way or t'other about New Orleans, should I bother watching this show?
I feel like every time a one-hour premium cable drama debuts, it's just another attempt to fill the hole left by The Sopranos. Even The Pacific isn't getting the job done, and all that show really needed to do was follow Band Of Brothers after it had successfully blown open the doors to our hearts.
But nothing's drawing me in anymore. :(
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So, if I can't stand jazz and don't really care one way or t'other about New Orleans, should I bother watching this show?
I feel like every time a one-hour premium cable drama debuts, it's just another attempt to fill the hole left by The Sopranos. Even The Pacific isn't getting the job done, and all that show really needed to do was follow Band Of Brothers after it had successfully blown open the doors to our hearts.
But nothing's drawing me in anymore. :(
The real question is whether or not you like The Wire.
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So, if I can't stand jazz and don't really care one way or t'other about New Orleans, should I bother watching this show?
I feel like every time a one-hour premium cable drama debuts, it's just another attempt to fill the hole left by The Sopranos. Even The Pacific isn't getting the job done, and all that show really needed to do was follow Band Of Brothers after it had successfully blown open the doors to our hearts.
But nothing's drawing me in anymore. :(
I just don't think that the war in the Pacific is nearly as interesting as the one in Europe.
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So, if I can't stand jazz and don't really care one way or t'other about New Orleans, should I bother watching this show?
I feel like every time a one-hour premium cable drama debuts, it's just another attempt to fill the hole left by The Sopranos. Even The Pacific isn't getting the job done, and all that show really needed to do was follow Band Of Brothers after it had successfully blown open the doors to our hearts.
But nothing's drawing me in anymore. :(
The real question is whether or not you like The Wire.
I haven't seen one episode of The Wire, and I like Treme just fine. Still haven't seen all of last night's episode, though. I wasn't particularly impressed by the Roy Blount and Tom Franklin cameos. We're on board with the characters now, guys. Knock it off with the cameos already. Do you think they'll still be pulling shit like this in Season 4?
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I like the cameos and all of the music. No offense to Baltimore, but Treme needs to celebrate the culture a lot more than The Wire did. But, the last episode did a great job of setting up the tone of the series I think.
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At first I was low on the show, but I keep reminding myself that the wire started slow too. The show has really picked up in the last few episodes.
There are some really unlikeable characters on the show - chiefly that dutch pianist thats jealous and overprotective of his hot and talented girlfriend. But whenever I see an actor from the wire pop up (like slim thug as the guy who stole the lost' brother's identity) I'm pretty happy. And the music which I didn't like much at first is growing on me. I even started listening to some soul.
The biggest qualm BY FAR for me is the incessant self pitying / griping / yelling about katrina and how the city is fucked up. I know, it's reasonable to a certain degree. But do people really walk around like "Hows it goin", "not bad, fuckin fema!". It starts to grate on my nerves after a bit. Don't they ever just talk about random stuff?
But overall I'm really liking it - especially Steve Zahn and Clark Peters. Classic Simon in not explaining anything about the indian customs he participates in - i'm excited to see what it's all about, the history and so on.
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also, I LOVE the woman who runs the restaurant and her assistant chef. She is a great character and just a great actor in general - she's been on deadwood, lost, and a bunch of other shows.
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The biggest qualm BY FAR for me is the incessant self pitying / griping / yelling about katrina and how the city is fucked up. I know, it's reasonable to a certain degree. But do people really walk around like "Hows it goin", "not bad, fuckin fema!". It starts to grate on my nerves after a bit. Don't they ever just talk about random stuff?
You do realize this takes place right after Katrina, right? I think if you lived there and you were still finding bodies and the utilities still weren't working properly and your house was still gutted and smelling of rotting wood, you might be preoccupied with that. Not to mention the fact that most of the city's population still hadn't returned.
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fair enough, good point. sometimes i forget it's set that far back but they do give some clear indications (the newness of youtube). But that stuff shifts the balance from story to editorial, I think, more than they ever did on the wire. I like Treme better when it shows how profoundly messed up the city was (the dead guy under the boat, constant break ins and robberies, tensions between social groups) rather than when the characters talk about how angry they are.
On the wire, the gripes about the police department ("I wonder what it's like to work for a real police department" etc) didn't tell you as much about the disfunction of the system as actually watching it misfire and fail so many people.
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Eh The Wire wasn't that straightforward... it was full of editorial. I think because people know more about NOLA in general, they're being a lot tougher on it than they were on The Wire. Both deserve criticisms... it's not like The Wire was some objective look at Baltimore.
They really do need to ease up on the cameos though.
Also, this past episode was about the first parade after Katrina. I think they're being pretty clear about the timeframe.
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They really do need to ease up on the cameos though.
Either that, or changing the title to Jazz Entourage might help.
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I have been enjoying it so far. I am finding spotting people from the Wire snaps me out of the story for a minute, but as the series progresses I should see them as the characters rather than the actors. This is a problem I have in general, tho ('hey look! It's Venus Flytrap as the judge! Venus Flytrap, remember him?')
The Steve Zahn character seems to divide people, but I have liked him. That's kind of what Steve Zahn does. Also agreed that the keyboard street musician is really unlikeable. That's not going to end well.
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Since when does one have to like every character anyway? I've watched to the bitter end plenty of shows with unlikable characters.
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Since when does one have to like every character anyway? I've watched to the bitter end plenty of shows with unlikable characters.
Yeah, you really have to have unlikeable characters, this ain't Amelior Regained...
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It was good to see Venus Flytrap has moved up in the world after that radio gig in Cincinnati.
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I've often wondered, wondered whatever became of he.
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I wonder if we will ever know what happened to Heineken man.
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Not to come off as 'more of a fan' for my connection with Treme but here is why I think it's a remarkable show:
I was born in Louisiana and lived there up until last July when I moved up north. I lived in NOLA, attending college the year before the storm.
I am from a city called Lake Charles that was actually mentioned a few episodes ago.
When Katrina hit I evacuated New Orleans to be with my family in Lake Charles. On the day of the storm,after the levee broke, the mood in Louisiana was unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Two hours away in Lake Charles it was sunny and there wasn't even a hint of the horrible events that were taking place.
I thought I'd never relate until a month later when Lake Charles and the rest of Southwest Louisiana was hit by Rita, an even more powerful storm than Katrina.
We were displaced to north LA for two months then came back to clean up without electricity for a week and school didnt start back up for another month.
New Orleans had flooding and Lake Charles had the fallen trees. It was like when they say tornadoes demolish a house then leave the neighbors house unscathed. We had a few branches throught our roof while our neighbor's house was smashed by a giant oak.
Anyway, Treme brings back all of these memories. And though at times it can be painfully sad, I think that it is doing an amazing job at capturing the general feel of the reconstructing time: Some faired well and others faired really bad. The hurricanes didn't choose who they were going to hurt.
Also being a Louisianian there are LOADS of references and inside jokes. Seeing a steady intake of Abita amber and crawfish, Baton Rouge hatred and trips to Tipitina's make me very happy.
And from me as a tv fan: This guy I know/hate asked me about it pronouncing it 'Treem'(which is a dead giveaway they have never seen the show) and he wanted to know if I think it is more boring than The Wire. Though I can understand that it is moving pretty slow, it really upsets me to know that people out there will write it off after one episode as 'too boring.' It's a shame that people don't have patience for story a character development. I mean really what do you expect from a show the focuses on lives in a post-Katrina New Orleans?
Also I'd say all of the acting is really strong (Goodman, Zahn). And I have been in love with Kim Dickens since Friday Night Lights.
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Can a show be disappointing and the best show on TV at the same time? It's not going anywhere but it's still pretty enjoyable and I don't think I can make an argument for another show... although I haven't watched Breaking Bad yet. It's either a statement about the current shows on TV or that gripping television doesn't need to be anything more than intriguing characters just living life.
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The biggest qualm BY FAR for me is the incessant self pitying / griping / yelling about katrina and how the city is fucked up. I know, it's reasonable to a certain degree. But do people really walk around like "Hows it goin", "not bad, fuckin fema!". It starts to grate on my nerves after a bit. Don't they ever just talk about random stuff?
You do realize this takes place right after Katrina, right? I think if you lived there and you were still finding bodies and the utilities still weren't working properly and your house was still gutted and smelling of rotting wood, you might be preoccupied with that. Not to mention the fact that most of the city's population still hadn't returned.
Yah, it seems reasonable to me that the characters in the show will be Katrina-centered for the full run. I am surrounded by neighbors still pissed off about the war between the states.
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I just watched Nashville for the first time and i knew Simon had been compared to Altman but you can really see the similarity's now especially with Nashville and Treme.
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I am in the crowd scene when the gospel choir is singing at the Parthenon. Look for me!
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I am in the crowd scene when the gospel choir is singing at the Parthenon. Look for me!
The legend continues....
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I think things are starting to pick up. Quite a lot happened last episode. Davis and Annie, Antoine and his ex, her brothers death, John Goodman losing faith in NOLA, the jerky piano player probably pulling the last straw. Gang violence and homicide skyrocketed around that time and I wouldn't be surprised if the show took on that.
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The oil explosion makes me nostalgic for post-Katrina NO.
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That'll be season two
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Sad episode last night. But I knew a suicide had to happen sooner or later.
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Yeah, it was predictable. And I was so pissed off at him for doing that to his wife and daughter, I couldn't feel as much sympathy as I might otherwise have done.
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Yeh I'm not really sad for Goodman. But when he told his daughter goodbye that broke my heart. She is so sweet and I hope her character isn't phased out. Goodman's whole "I care about my location more than my family" attitude is dispicable. He was by far the best off. He had a job, family and house.
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Yup. The character's act struck me as unutterably selfish. I suppose that can be said of any suicide, but this was a guy who clearly could still derive pleasure from many things in his life, despite his writer's block and the destruction of his beloved city. For him to inflict such pain on his wife and daughter was indeed despicable.
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I was sorry to see Goodman's character go, but definitely agree that leaving his wife and daughter like that was awful.It was perhaps emotionally manipulative, the farewell to his daughter before he runs off and does that to her, but like Paul I found it heartbreaking.
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If the character had been established as deeply, desperately depressed, it would have sat better with me.
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If the character had been established as deeply, desperately depressed, it would have sat better with me.
Yeah the fact that the show jumps around so much makes it hard to have deep emotions for these characters. Like anyone could think he went home on Mardi Gras because he had a tummy ache. The only character I really feel for is Khandi Alexander's because she is a great actress. And like him or not, it's hard to deny Steve Zahn's talents in physical comedy. Everyone knows a guy like Davis. I love it.
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Seriously, this great thread about Treme was sitting here this whole goddamn time while I basically had no one to break it down with. I am going to have to get on this new youtube thingy and rant my balls off about having missed out on it. I really enjoyed reading everyone's opinions on the show. FOT community is the truth, bruh!
My views (so I can feel like I at least retroactively participated in this)
-I found myself so captivated by Wendell Pierce's character.
-Clarke Peters is a god
-It's not the Wire, but I understand that it will never escape being compared to one of the top shows of all time
-Does anyone else want Joanie Stubbs to ditch Zahn and hookup with Jacques?
-I LOVE when people say bruh, not sure why.
-Still kicking myself for missing the "real time" version of this thread
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If the character had been established as deeply, desperately depressed, it would have sat better with me.
Yeah the fact that the show jumps around so much makes it hard to have deep emotions for these characters. Like anyone could think he went home on Mardi Gras because he had a tummy ache. The only character I really feel for is Khandi Alexander's because she is a great actress. And like him or not, it's hard to deny Steve Zahn's talents in physical comedy. Everyone knows a guy like Davis. I love it.
In retrospect there were some hints he was experiencing serious depression, but apparently he was hiding it really well, as people sometimes do (aside from the porch episode, which could be dismissed as 'he's just having a rough time', which it was).
On a similar note the scuzzy guy nobody likes appears to have post traumatic stress disorder from the time he spent rescuing people during and after the hurricane. Not saying that makes everything cool, but it is more hinted at than put out there in a more obvious way, so mostly I have been thinking 'wow, what an unpleasant loser this guy is'.
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On a similar note the scuzzy guy nobody likes appears to have post traumatic stress disorder from the time he spent rescuing people during and after the hurricane. Not saying that makes everything cool, but it is more hinted at than put out there in a more obvious way, so mostly I have been thinking 'wow, what an unpleasant loser this guy is'.
Thanks for pointing this out. It would explain his reluctance to accept the thanks from that man at the bar. At first I thought he was just bullshitting about rescuing people.
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Thanks for pointing this out. It would explain his reluctance to accept the thanks from that man at the bar. At first I thought he was just bullshitting about rescuing people.
That's what I'd thought too. The first or second episode kind of made it seem like he was making it up.
I'm really surprised they got rid of Creighton so soon. Especially since the whole character was based on a guy who didn't commit suicide.
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In retrospect there were some hints he was experiencing serious depression, but apparently he was hiding it really well, as people sometimes do (aside from the porch episode, which could be dismissed as 'he's just having a rough time', which it was).
Yes, we know he had been on sabbatical and done not one thing during the year, to the frustration of his wife. And certainly being blocked can throw a writer into hell. Add to the Katrina and its aftermath, and who knows? Still, I think the role was mostly written to present us with someone who knew how to take pleasure in life, and that doesn't jibe with suicide. It would have been different if he'd done it on a sudden impulse, but instead he spends hours savoring life before the deed. That doesn't ring true to me, although I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility. Creighton was a self-important fellow, who in many ways seemed to act his life as well as live it, and I guess maybe someone like that might approach and ultimately commit suicide as a kind of grand final performance. But I don't think the writing communicated that effectively enough to make his decision seem in character.
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It would have been different if he'd done it on a sudden impulse, but instead he spends hours savoring life before the deed.
Yeah it was almost as if he was doing nothing but proving that all his favorite things about the city were still pleasures to be had and yet he still goes through with it.
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It was cool to see Alan Toussaint and Lloyd Price together, but I don't see myself going back to this when it starts up again. There aren't many characters with any charisma in it and one of them is gone. I have all the closure I'm going to need.
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I thought the last thirty minutes were masterful. Hit way too close to home though reminding me of the four evacuations I was a part of between 04 and 08 where a 2 hour trip took nearly 12.
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It was cool to see Alan Toussaint and Lloyd Price together
Was there any greasy funk to be had?
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Kind of mad that not once during the whole season did i hear Rockin' Sidney's My Toot Toot.
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I'm still finding Treme pretty interesting. It's not an intense show, but I'm drawn into most of the characters even if they aren't that exciting. Anybody could have made a show about NO and just cherry picked the extremes but Simon seems to have chosen to make it as real as possible even if that is a slow moving story that probably isn't going to create big moments. I'm cool with that but it's probably not going to last more than two seasons.
The only complaint I have is how much screen time the Mardi Gras Indians get. It's definitely interesting but I don't know about 1/3 of the plot line interesting.
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I am in the crowd scene when the gospel choir is singing at the Parthenon. Look for me!
Dave i spotted you!
http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2010/07/heres_looking_at_you_nashville.html (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2010/07/heres_looking_at_you_nashville.html)
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the abundance of unlikeable characters may make it difficult (high on my list after the first episode: Steve Zahn's obnoxious dj, .
Every time he starts to talk I want to smash my TV. Luckily I can fast forward all of his scenes with Tivo as well as all the bad acting by the musicians doing cameos.
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Snubbed again!
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I am in the crowd scene when the gospel choir is singing at the Parthenon. Look for me!
Dave i spotted you!
http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2010/07/heres_looking_at_you_nashville.html (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2010/07/heres_looking_at_you_nashville.html)
See the guy in the upper left corner? His name is Sam Howard. I am standing about 6-8 people to his right!
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Was there any greasy funk to be had?
Oh my god, was there ever. Lloyd Price was a Johnny Otis discovery, but struck out on his own pretty quick. He has that corny song, "Personality," but he also has a great version of "Stagger Lee," and a little toe-tapper called "Where Were You On My Wedding Day" which excuses any of the jokey stuff he did.
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It was cool to see Alan Toussaint and Lloyd Price together, but I don't see myself going back to this when it starts up again. There aren't many characters with any charisma in it and one of them is gone. I have all the closure I'm going to need.
I wouldn't be surprised if half the cast was replaced next season with new characters ala The Wire. A lot of them seemed to have their stories tied up pretty well.
the abundance of unlikeable characters may make it difficult (high on my list after the first episode: Steve Zahn's obnoxious dj, .
Every time he starts to talk I want to smash my TV. Luckily I can fast forward all of his scenes with Tivo
I like Zahn in general and I thought he was great in this.
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I didn't like Davis at first, but he grew on me as the season progressed. However, I found the John Goodman's character to be thoroughly unlikeable, and I am hoping that he doesn't return. The same goes for Sonny the street musician.
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I didn't like Davis at first, but he grew on me as the season progressed. However, I found the John Goodman's character to be thoroughly unlikeable, and I am hoping that he doesn't return. The same goes for Sonny the street musician.
I don't see John Goodman coming back, unless the series takes a 'Six Feet Under' turn.
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Is anyone watching the new season? I almost want to say this show is bad, but I keep watching. It's like they're playing a joke on me with these scenes that seem to have the potential to escalate into something entertaining but never ever do. And was a contract signed stating that anytime a song begins they HAVE to finish it?
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Treme is David Simon's John from Cincinnati. He'll return to form at some point just like Milch with the forthcoming Luck.
I believe the Treme s2 ratings are the worst for any original HBO series since late-period Dream On. Shows like Carnivàle, which by HBO standards was getting pretty low ratings (but had a loyal fanbase, myself included) and John from Cincinnati, considered by most to be a massive dud, generally had 4x to 6x the amount of viewers compared Treme this season.
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Treme is David Simon's John from Cincinnati. He'll return to form at some point just like Milch with the forthcoming Luck.
I believe the Treme s2 ratings are the worst for any original HBO series since late-period Dream On. Shows like Carnivàle, which by HBO standards was getting pretty low ratings (but had a loyal fanbase, myself included) and John from Cincinnati, considered by most to be a massive dud, generally had 4x to 6x the amount of viewers compared Treme this season.
Wow I didn't know that. Do you think they judged whether or not to make season 2 on the viewership of the first few episodes?
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Treme is David Simon's John from Cincinnati. He'll return to form at some point just like Milch with the forthcoming Luck.
I believe the Treme s2 ratings are the worst for any original HBO series since late-period Dream On. Shows like Carnivàle, which by HBO standards was getting pretty low ratings (but had a loyal fanbase, myself included) and John from Cincinnati, considered by most to be a massive dud, generally had 4x to 6x the amount of viewers compared Treme this season.
Wow I didn't know that. Do you think they judged whether or not to make season 2 on the viewership of the first few episodes?
HBO renewed Treme after the pilot aired. It had 1.4 million viewers, which wasn't great, but it was more than The Wire had when it first aired. It also had very strong critical support at the time. (I'm not sure if that's subsided now.) The Wire, however, added viewers over the years and did very well on DVD. Treme is down to 500-600k viewers this season, which is simply dreadful. I think they should add Chumlee and The Old Man to the cast ASAP. Imagine those two on the prowl for shrimp po' boys!
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Treme is David Simon's John from Cincinnati. He'll return to form at some point just like Milch with the forthcoming Luck.
I believe the Treme s2 ratings are the worst for any original HBO series since late-period Dream On. Shows like Carnivàle, which by HBO standards was getting pretty low ratings (but had a loyal fanbase, myself included) and John from Cincinnati, considered by most to be a massive dud, generally had 4x to 6x the amount of viewers compared Treme this season.
Wow I didn't know that. Do you think they judged whether or not to make season 2 on the viewership of the first few episodes?
HBO renewed Treme after the pilot aired. It had 1.4 million viewers, which wasn't great, but it was more than The Wire had when it first aired. It also had very strong critical support at the time. (I'm not sure if that's subsided now.) The Wire, however, added viewers over the years and did very well on DVD. Treme is down to 500-600k viewers this season, which is simply dreadful. I think they should add Chumlee and The Old Man to the cast ASAP. Imagine those two on the prowl for shrimp po' boys!
I still call it "Treem."
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I believe the Treme s2 ratings are the worst for any original HBO series since late-period Dream On.
HBO begged Simon to reconsider adding Denny Dillon to the Treme team for Season 2, but he just wouldn't back down.
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My problem with this show is that David Simon seems to have taken his mantle as popular sociologist too seriously and now the show and characters are just barking facts about life in New Orleans after Katrina. "Police response time is slow!"
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I think after episode 3 last season I was all "give the show a chance," then I was done with it after episode 4.
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HBO has renewed Treme for a third season. I guess the total viewership for s2 episodes has been about 1 million/episode.
When asked for a comment Dr. Bryce Prefontaine said, "Oh man, that's pretty surprising. I thought for sure those dudes were gonna get like canceled. I hope they add Randee of the Redwoods to the cast next season. Loved that guy on Arli$$, too."
Timmy von Trimble responded to the news by smashing his dollhouse while listening to Necroczar.
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Maybe it's just me, maybe it's that there aren't many good shows on TV right now, but this is my favorite show right now and it's not even close.
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I believe the Treme s2 ratings are the worst for any original HBO series since late-period Dream On.
HBO begged Simon to reconsider adding Denny Dillon to the Treme team for Season 2, but he just wouldn't back down.
That's because Simon insisted upon hiring Tim Kazurinsky. He was to play Davis' cousin, Ted. Sadly, we'll never know how it might have turned out. Kazurinsky was simply too rich for HBO's blood.
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Still can't figure out why I watch this. It is deathly slow. Usually I am not a person to complain about a slow pace but this is just ridiculous. When I am watching it it never seems so bad until the credits roll and I question what I spend the last hour of my life doing. I think I can now say that EVERY character is uninteresting. And last night when the jazz player son was up in his New York apartment going nuts listening to blues records, please. Where did that come from? Simon covers so many freaking characters that none of them develop. They are all doing basically what they were doing in the first season. Sometimes you can tell that he wants the viewer to pick up on every little facial expression and to figure out why that facial expression was made you have to think back three episodes to when a very subtle thing took place. So much work for little reward. With the daughter I think Simon wants to spend seven episode featuring her being mad at her mom. Seriously it's like it was filmed in real time.
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Still can't figure out why I watch this. It is deathly slow. Usually I am not a person to complain about a slow pace but this is just ridiculous. When I am watching it it never seems so bad until the credits roll and I question what I spend the last hour of my life doing. I think I can now say that EVERY character is uninteresting. And last night when the jazz player son was up in his New York apartment going nuts listening to blues records, please. Where did that come from? Simon covers so many freaking characters that none of them develop. They are all doing basically what they were doing in the first season. Sometimes you can tell that he wants the viewer to pick up on every little facial expression and to figure out why that facial expression was made you have to think back three episodes to when a very subtle thing took place. So much work for little reward. With the daughter I think Simon wants to spend seven episode featuring her being mad at her mom. Seriously it's like it was filmed in real time.
Why don't you just stop watching it, then? Why prolong the torture?
At least that's what I'd do.
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Sorry, I'll stop putting it that way. I want to keep watching because I like it while I am watching it but when it is over I can't explain why I watched it or what it added to my life. I know for sure that if I wasn't from Louisiana and able to relate to that mess then I would've definitely been out a long time ago. But I think mainly I feel the same way as Gilly. I want to always be following at least one great show and this is the closest thing to one.
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If you like it while you're watching, what does it matter if you don't know why afterward? You've successfully whiled an hour away; be grateful.
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I guess you're right.
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I think the pace of the show is perfect. It's slow but I don't find it boring. I think it does a good job of mixing up the characters... for some life goes on as normal, some look for meaning and answers, some look to take advantage while some get screwed. Simon does a pretty good job of showing the process behind each individual as they deal with life after Katrina in their own way. It is slow, but I think any other way would be sensationalizing what really happened. I can understand why the process isn't compelling for some, but I'm pretty hooked into it.
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It's deliberately paced, but I'm never anxious for the next scene or for it to speed up. It's really David Simon's version of the hang-out show. I love it. It makes me enjoy music I have no interest in.
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Im glad they are featuring Tiny Tim a little more this year.
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Im glad they are featuring Tiny Tim a little more this year.
Its also weird to see Sophia Loren into rap music especially Sissy Bounce.
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So, right after I post that I've never found Treme boring or slow they air a boring and slow episode the next Sunday. I'm really not liking where the Toni Bernette character is going. I can understand the difficult relationship with her daughter, annoying as it is, because there shouldn't be immediate resolution to that. But, I'm not liking the new relationship with the police officer that you know is going to cause all kinds of trouble with the daughter. That's a cliche that Treme could do without, or at the very least keep it as a very small side story instead of a major plotline like it is now.
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Just finished watching Season 1. Not sure when series 2 is due in the UK yet.
Overall I found it to be an interesting and enjoyable show, with perhaps a little too much focus on the music. (I am no fan of Jazz so maybe if I was the heavy focus would be less annoying? Are there really no Rock-N-Roll bands in NO?) I think this also made it very difficult to keep track of who was a real musician and who wasn't. And a host of other stuff that seemed to be "inside baseball" stuff for locals.
I found the Treme explained blog to be helpful in this respect, although I only found it after seeing the first 9 episodes (http://topics.nola.com/tag/treme-explained/index.html (http://topics.nola.com/tag/treme-explained/index.html))
I had no issue with the glacially slow place or the amount of characters. Sometimes it's nice to watch a slow paced show. Clearly not all shows can work to this type of pace, but I thought Treme did, so long as you were prepared to accept it.
Finally, I think it is a real shame that seemingly every single thing I've read about the show, in one way or another, compared the show to the Wire or made reference to the Wire. I get that the Wire has a huge fan base, is beloved and everything else. Clearly though, this is not the Wire and I think everyone would enjoy it more if they accepted it on it's own terms, rather than wishing it was something it isn't or comparing it to something it isn't. Really, other than the production staff and a couple actors, there's nothing to compare. I'm not taking shots at anyone on here, this is mostly an issue with the critics/journalists that reviewed and blogged the show. The Guardian series blog even had a "Wire Watch" section for crying out loud. I though the AV club series blog was a little better (and generally I like their TV Club series blogs - but not so much the comments sections.)
I look forward to Season 2 a great deal. Season 1 improved with each show and the characters mostly became more like-able through the run so the potential seems to be good for another season.
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Are there really no Rock-N-Roll bands in NO?)
I haven't been watching, but a good buddy told me that both Crowbar and Eyehategod appear in the season 2 opener.
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:-\ >:( :( (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_muown6tJ9s4/ShwOF2Mt82I/AAAAAAAABPY/b6-JlHiwhH8/s400/steve_earle.jpg) :-[ :'(
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:-\ >:( :( (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_muown6tJ9s4/ShwOF2Mt82I/AAAAAAAABPY/b6-JlHiwhH8/s400/steve_earle.jpg) :-[ :'(
That was way beyond heartbreaking. They'll let "DJ Davis" keep making whatever kind of noise it is he's making (do people actually like that stuff?) but take out the guy playing the good stuff?
For once I found myself wishing that David Simon would go for something a bit easier. Or happy.
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Yeh Davis makes such awful music. Reminds me of how frightening untalented visions are. The moment the muggers came into the shot I knew it was gunna end that way. After the last scene of The Wire I've understood what Simon is capable of as far as sacrificing main characters.
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I was just in New Orleans. I was watching the show for the first time on my last night there. Somehow after actually going and seeing the city, the show seemed kinda dull and the characters unlikeable. I'd rather see HBO do a documentary/reality show about a New orleans jazz band or somethin 8)
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Are there really no Rock-N-Roll bands in NO?)
I haven't been watching, but a good buddy told me that both Crowbar and Eyehategod appear in the season 2 opener.
http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/extras-needed-appear-in-hbos-treme-with-eyehategod/ (http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/extras-needed-appear-in-hbos-treme-with-eyehategod/)