Treme (from the creator of the wire)

Started by Pubrick, April 14, 2010, 11:06:21 AM

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pete

never thought mad men was slow.  the pacing seems pretty typical.
it has a lot of spectacles though - usually quite a few musical set pieces in each episode.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

cronopio 2

i love this show like i love eating an entire pizza on sundays.

AntiDumbFrogQuestion

So Treme, yeah. it's coming to DVD next month.

(although I already watched it all illegally online)

Although I would not have watched this show if The Wire hadn't preceded it, I do confess that the only reason I watched The Wire was on a friend's recommendation, and DO NOT regret the journey.  I don't say that much about TV, even as a person who was with LOST 'til the end.

To review Treme, I would liken it's tone to Wire fans to the tone of Season 4.  The Education Season.  That season did not start out with a bang, and we were in familiar yet vulnerable territory.  By the end of it, though, many looked back and FELT the season, some even seeing it as a homerun for the series. 

Treme is not as slow as Mad Men, yet the build in making you like these characters for who they are takes a few episodes.  I would say my favorite character is Big Chief Albert Lambreaoux, and not because he's played by the same guy (Clarke Peters) who played Lester Freamon, but because he is unwavering in the pride he has for his culture. THAT is what this show is about.  The strength of one's true spirit versus the uncontrollable powers of nature.

It is the one show where Yes, there is LOTS of music, but you have to respect it as a display of the various cultural elements of the region.  The Mardi Gras episode simply seems to float, but after you are done with it you realize it is all part of this experience.  "Plenty of moments, but not a life" a character says at one point.  Then you flash thru these characters and what they have gone thru in their home, something brought to your heart within Katrina's reign in the fleeting moments of the season, and you realize that EVERY motivation, movement and action on their halves MEANT something important to them in the midst of great loss.

Anyways, give it a try, and if after 3 episodes you aren't interested, just drop it.  I personally look forward to seeing what Season 2 is going to be about.

Fernando

Quote from: socketlevel on May 06, 2011, 02:58:25 PM
Quote from: Fernando on February 11, 2011, 01:38:31 PM
Season 2 premier was this past wednesday, it was a solid 1st episode.

finally something worth to watch this 2011.

Treme?

Quote from: pete on May 06, 2011, 03:26:50 PM
note the date of the posting

Quote from: socketlevel on May 08, 2011, 03:40:29 PM
well shit.

haha dont feel bad.

good news because I didnt know treme had started its 2nd season, and I was bummed that justified ended..


I've seen the 1st ep only, and as usual was really good, man these guys are the best writers ever.

pete

everyone is behind
jesus last episode had some horrific stuff
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

cronopio 2

i like the subtlety these dudes have in expanding the themes and characters. feels like what happened with the docks in the wire.
and david morse is an impeccable actor. i wish my dad spoke like that.

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: cronopio 2 on May 12, 2011, 01:18:59 PMand david morse is an impeccable actor. i wish my dad spoke like that.

I haven't seen this show, but I love David Morse. His best roles are the ones where he's threatening in that bone-chilling way, like his role as the villain in House Season 3, or Dancer in the Dark.

AntiDumbFrogQuestion

Well, Season 2 Episode 2 landed last Sunday, and we find out why Khandi Alexander dropped News Radio all those years ago.  Talk about your acting chops.

Fernando

spoils for S02E09


last episode felt very wire-ish.

* the obvious demise of Harley. when I saw where he and Annie were walking I smelled trouble, but thought that Annie was going to be the victim.
* batiste channeling bunk saying ''that's new orleans too'' while police cars passes them by.
* lieutenant terry colson being transfer to homicide under the orders of the very same captain he just pissed off.


only two eps to go.

pete

nelson is a douche but he hasn't done anything yet. I wonder what his story is gonna be like.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

Fernando

^^ he's cocky, but at least he wanted to save the city 1/4 mill (while earning $$$ sure), and of course someone told him he should keep the same prices as the rest if he wanted in. but yeah, his real story is about to begin.


I was about to edit my post because wanted to ask you if you knew if hbo had already greenlit season 3, but instead of being lazy I just googled it and IT IS. treme will have one more season.

im glad because these characters have a lot of story to tell, at least two more seasons.


edit: five seasons, that sounds about right.

Sleepless

I hate myself every time I check out this thread since I don't have cabel right now, but I just can't resist it.

Pete, David Simon was at AFF in October and he said the plan was to go 5 seasons so it takes them right up to the Saints winning the Superbowl. Whether we'll get 5 seasons, of course, is another matter.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

pete

hey. I knew that.
I thought he was thinking about ending with the gulf oil disaster.
you know, there's a lot of love about the show.

but the smugness is beginning to wear on me - the celebrity drop-ins (especially with Anthony Bourdain's buddies who can't act), the deliberate "anti-storytelling", the attempts at broader comedy (Steve Zahn's hitting some real hammy notes, as he consistently becomes disappointed, and his hip hop loving aunt is quite a cliche), and the self-satisfaction that comes from the show trying to "re-invent" music (steve zahn's character's hip hop anthem, the indian chief doing a jazz album) and having other characters "love" that sound...it's definitely a snooty show and its vying for authenticity is becoming too much.

like, there's almost an Entourage/ Sex and the City vibe in there, in how badly the producers wanna show you a Cool Way to Live, and so much of the episodes were just filled with characters having a better time than the viewers.

I started sniffing something in The Wire season 5, but was relieved when the Iraq miniseries went for really big dramatic scenes, and this was a total scale back. I'll keep watching because the actors are great and the music is good, but the writing, anyway you cut it, is very thin.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

Alexandro

I'm just about to finish season one and I get what you say, Pete. I was thinking about that just yesterday as I was watching the mardi grass episode, feeling this show is too "gentle" if that's the word. Everybody is cool, you know?  It's interesting for a while but I'm starting to feel impatient.

Neil

I'm gonna put a little seasoning on this thread regarding a few things said previously in this thread as I try and work out something lengthy to say about this show.

I finished the first two seasons and let me start with this mention of coolness.

Chief Lambrough is so cool that he is fundamentally stuck in his elitism about a facet of culture that may not exist anymore and is being threatened and dominated (and potentially eradicated) by people who were never a part of that culture and have no business actively dealing with it.  He's so cool, it's shaking his entire world essence and existence as he feels pulses of coming to terms with that idea.  So, he does everything he can, to keep it alive, despite everything.

Antoine Batiste is so cool he has three broken homes.  As if hearing, "hey dad," and watching Batiste turn around to reveal a child, nearly 15 - 17 in age,  that the show has never even mentioned or showed isn't enough to tell us how cool that bone player is.  That's got nothing to do with Katrina or Cool.  That has everything to with the double edged sword that comes with "livin' it," in a lot of cases.  I mean Screamin' Jay Hawkins has some illegitmate 90 children all across the globe.  That's fucking true.  It has a lot to do with being honest and true because Batiste doesn't even fucking bring up his failure as a father until late into the 2nd season.  I mean, it's all right there, for as "cool" as it is, it's just as authentic in negative aspects that really play a bigger role in the shaping of things than their coolness.  Batiste is so cool he can't even keep a band together.


So this show acknowledges that some locals will harp on Bourbon St. and other commercialized aspects of their culture but meanwhile, it comes back to certain men who've been around telling us all that, "there is pride on Bourbon St."  The romanticism is blocked by the sheer over use or mis-use maybe.


Spoils

I don't mean to get personal about the whole cool thing, but bottom line is that this is about a COOL, or IMPORTANT culture.  Why would you judge something as 'important?'  Because that thing must be performing some function that is unique in some way.  This pride that this culture has, can seem elitist, it can seem too cool for school, but these are facets found within everything.  The importance is showing the duality in the nature of things and while showing this unique sense of pride that comes from a genuine place, you still show these individuals as being human beings.

These include but are not limited to the direct use of partying inside a building and down the street from that building people are getting shot and raped.  Or, it even happens inside the buildings where the good times often occur.

I shall return.  And hopefully then I will not be as stoned as i Am now
it's not the wrench, it's the plumber.