Anticipating Treme aka "Tremé" - David Simon and his buddies do post-Katrina N.O.

you mean this?

http://www.amazon.com/Shake-Devil-Off-Murder-Orleans/dp/0805088938

robcorddry Watching Treme on HBO. I hope it's as important as it is boring.

qft

xpost that's the one

robcorddry Watching Treme on HBO. I hope it's as important as it is boring.

― Jolyon Swagg (jim in glasgow), Monday, April 26, 2010 12:07 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark

LOL x1000

the third episode was ok. the problem with TV, for me, is that so often the nature of the system of making series TV ensures that no director has much of a free hand in how to treat the material. and so in terms of the texture (stylistic and emotional) of an episode, it will often just feel kind of... blah. so while i'm reasonably invested in the characters, some of the scenes just seemed so indifferently shaped as to really tax my interest. this latest episode was the first where that was a strong problem. some scenes were handled well, others (the encounter between the bar owner and her husband in front of her bar) were really sloppy. but most were just blah, as noted.

no motivation to watch the third ep but will do at some point...

Most interesting character plots to me thus far: Violinist/Keyboard player busker drama
http://www.amazon.com/Shake-Devil-Off-Murder-Orleans/dp/0805088938
Yup. The first time I saw those two characters and heard that she had been flashing people after Katrina, Zachary Bowen and Addie Hall immediately came to mind. You can draw numerous parallels. That relationship will certainly end badly.

More about that here ...

she had been flashing people after Katrina,

wha?

apparently to ensure that cops/guard had a reason to keep coming by their block

treméh

(j/k, this is ok-to-pretty good but as I ws saying to ilx user gukbe earlier today I'm not feeling the need to street team it just yet)

it's kinda funny how everyone's having the "i don't know about this radio DJ guy, am I supposed to sympathize with him or is he just an annoying doofus?" when that could probably describe, like, every role in Steve Zahn's entire career

Also, The Wire had some annoying doofuses.

i like the steve zahn character. the interaction w/ his totally reasonable neighbors was nicely played. he's using the "authenticity" of tremé as an alibi for being an asshole. so to its credit the show, while obviously very invested in "authenticity," plays it up as a pose as well.

Steve Zahn's stripper song was great.

yeah, it was funny how he invites his friend over to hear his amazing, intense new song... and it's simply a revelation about a gaggle of strippers moving in across the street.\

my posts these days make me sound mildly retarded. i apologize for that.

Wow, interesting stuff about Bowen and Hall, I had no clue.

Dunno if you've seen this, it's a nice blog by a Tulane music prof on the music in Treme:
http://soundoftreme.blogspot.com/

Great article on Tootie Montana:
http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Virtual_Books/Hes_Prettiest/hes_the_prettiest_tootie_montana.html

I think Zahn's character is being redeemed - you can see why people like him, even if he's childish and irresponsible. He rushed right over to the restaurant with his check to make up for being a dick.

I'm confused by Goodman's reaction to Zahn - Goodman instantly loathed him, which I thought was weird for a guy who professes such love for the culture of NOLA. The only thing I could think of was he's wary of anybody out to interest his daughter in low-prestige, low-wage occupations (like being a musician). But his despising Zahn seemed really intense and came out of nowhere. Am I missing some subtext here?

i definitely picked up that goodman's character was concerned about zahn perving on his daughter.

the character goodman plays gives off an impressively imposing vibe. i'd be scared of him too.

i definitely picked up that goodman's character was concerned about zahn perving on his daughter.

i should add-- this was partly because there was a POV shot of zahn sitting a bit close to her on the piano bench, followed by a shot of goodman looking a bit incredulous. i think he's just supposed to be an overly protective father (and we know the zahn character is a perv, even if he may not be that kind of perv).

i mean, c'mon, Davis does look kinda dirty. that shaving line was wonderful.

I did see that POV shot - but Goodman's adverse reaction to Zahn is immediately after opening the door to him, that's what confused me. Goodman's dislike of him seems to be of the entirety of Zahn's character, rather than just fear of molestation. I'll let it go because I'm sure they'll follow up on this in future episodes.

I'm enjoying this but I feel that something needs to happen soon, aside from that kid being beaten up it all feels a bit first-episode still. Enough scene setting, now give us an idea of where you're going to take this.

I was confused by the piano lesson scene too. The Tulane professor hasn't come across characters like this around his beloved city before (he's surprised that a low-income musician didn't shave before giving a lesson)? And I didn't think it could be construed in any way that Davis was interested in his daughter, despite his reputation.
Yeah, I think they've run into each other before and we'll learn more about that later.

Davis seemed to know Goodman's wife, so why not...

I'm enjoying this but I feel that something needs to happen soon, aside from that kid being beaten up it all feels a bit first-episode still. Enough scene setting, now give us an idea of where you're going to take this.

― Matt DC, Thursday, April 29, 2010 9:35 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yeah... i kinda said this upthread and maybe it's unrealistic to expect a seasonal arc quite as heavy and dark as The Wire usually had (at the very least the body count is gonna be a lot lower), but it seems like they have to be building to something and it feels like those gears are still turning very slowly.

I also think Goodman knows that his daughter a little developing hell-raiser in her, and wants to prevent her from being exposed to what he perceives - probably correctly - as a BAD influence.

Davis is an asshole, but he seems to have more good intentions than not. I think, like a lot of pothead musicians I know, he's just a very selfish person who rarely pulls his head out of his own ass.

His stripper song was pretty great, though - and I love how she was a fleeting muse the first few times he saw her.

I also think Goodman knows that his daughter a little developing hell-raiser in her, and wants to prevent her from being exposed to what he perceives - probably correctly - as a BAD influence.

Agreed – also it may be that having heard endless stories of his wife's clients he's suspicious of anyone she's representing.

The song was great!

i agree with that, but i also think it's meant to point out that as passionate as he is about new orleans, he's got a pretty different idea about/connection to the city than many of the other characters

goodman probably thinks that davis is a poseur, i'd bet...

in what sense? goodman doesn't seem like he's ever been at the second line, or really cares to judge people on their new orleans cred.

I think Goodman represents an entirely different part of New Orleans, as evidenced by his never interacting with anyone from the Treme, his being a professor at Tulane, clear statements by his wife that they didn't sustain serious damage in the storm...I believe we would call these folks "Uptowners", which, while entirely a part of New Orleans, is a world apart from the Quarter, the Treme, or the 6th/7th/9th wards.

Also, he seems to be a proud New Orleanian, and that he has a generous nature, but not when it comes to his daughter. Which I completely understand.

Have to add - the piano player going wino on the Beaujolais by himself is further convincing me that he's going to snap, and its not going to be good when he does. I like the fiddle player, and am worried for her safety.

Maybe he's sick of his wife bringing every joe she's bailed out and can't pay into his home? He seemed rather good natured about it to be honest, but there was a bit of, oh shucks, again honey.

I like the fiddle player, and am worried for her safety.

― Clerk all KNOWIN (B.L.A.M.), Thursday, April 29, 2010 3:44 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yeah, i felt that way, too

I thought the Goodman/Davis thing was a reversal of the Davis-neighbours situation.

just caught up on ep 3... did Sonny buy that bottle of Beaujolais at Bacchanal?

this one was really good, i thought. also: slim charles! prez!

Loved the "Hampsterdam" reference in the episode.

McCoy Tyner! Still not much happening though is there?

getting worse than a malick movie w/all these cameos

I watched the first episode and it was a hoot.

Seems like there's plot aplenty to be had from corrupt city officials, misappropriated funds, FEMA shenanigans etc. if they wanted to go that way. Though I wouldn't mind just spending time with these characters. Melissa Leo in particular - when she showed up I punched the air, like just "yes!!"

They don't seem to be going down that road, not yet at any rate. We haven't seen any politicians at all yet, it's all at ground level.

Violinist girl is so hot.

this is basically just spending time with these characters: the show; there's v.little story or drama so far

i admit this is getting kind of boring, but it's not because of the lack of "drama." more like a kind of... thin quality to a lot of the scenes.

I just found out that Khandi Alexander will turn 53 this year. OMG she's so hot.

finally admitted i'd rather, like, read one of the Great Novels than try to dig through the episodes piling up on my DVR. Unless everyone starts getting HOLY SHIT about the show.

Loved the "Hampsterdam" reference in the episode.

― righteousmaelstrom, Monday, May 3, 2010 2:21 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

that was so http://nolongerquivering.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/anim_smileyBARF.gif

Violinist girl is so hot.

I just found out that Khandi Alexander will turn 53 this year. OMG she's so hot.

this has settled into one of those shows i really like, but kind of have to force myself to watch since I'm not incredibly interested in what happens next - but once i'm actually sitting down and watching it, the acting and characters keeps me pretty into it and entertained, i'm sucked in. it's just that the momentum of everything is some of the slowest i've seen in a contemporary drama, though i trust that things are going to pile up eventually. (though by the same token, the whole parade shooting was surprisingly anticlimactic!) alexander, pierce and peters are still kicking all sorts of ass in every episode, and the rest of the cast still quite good if the characters are just kind of floating around. I mean, the cooking scene was well done, but Top Chef?

how weird was the violinist/junkie/iraq vet angle? all the looks through the doorway were so goddamn creepy, like all this hunger

I was pretty surprised when the gunshots started I must admit.