Treme 2.2: Bounce and Jazz

Bounce gets Davis bounced from his job in Treme 2.2 (sorry, couldn't resist) - he defies the station director's order to mix it up - play rock 'n' roll,  etc on his radio show - and gets fired as a result.  I like bounce enough, but love rock 'n' roll et al  a little more - so I'm not unsympathetic to the station director.  And music from Louis Armstrong to Fats Domino to the Nevilles - call it jazz, soul, r&b, rock 'n' roll, whatever - typifies New Orleans as much as bounce, maybe more.   But, still, I hate to see Davis lose this job.

Jazz also won't earn anyone much money, as Delmond makes clear to DJ Jeffy Jeff who will soon be Davis' erstwhile colleague at WWOZ.   Delmond plays some music, live, for his father, Albert, who for some reason doesn't want to hear it.  The tensions continue to run deep between those two.

Crime continues to run higher than last year on Treme.   This time, Sonny gets his kitty robbed from right under him, leading him to muse that he has to stop playing on the street.  (New York's not immune to it either - Janette gets robbed by her one-night stand  - but New Orleans is especially vulnerable.)  Terry's doing his best to get his police to focus on real crimes rather than moral issues - leading to one of the best scenes in the episode, as an officer defends his arrest of a guy with his pants so low you could see "his crack" - but the tide is clearly rising against Terry's efforts.

Terry has Thanksgiving dinner alone at the station, and these dinners serve as a bitter-sweet tableau of where most of our characters are on this day.   Toni and Sofia have a sad dinner out - sadder even than Terry's - but Annie's having a good time with Davis' family (even if he isn't), Ladonna's having a warm family gathering, and Antoine and his new family are doing just fine.

Back to the music, it's good to hear Antoine singing as well as playing - Wendell Pierce is sounding pretty good - as he slowly puts together his own band.   And Frogman Henry croaks "Ain't Got No Home" under the closing credits ... ooo-ooo oooah ...  I've been loving that song since the 1950s...

Listen to a little of Clarence "Frogman" Henry right here!


5-min podcast review of Treme


See also Treme Is Back!

And also Treme! ... Treme 1.2: "If you ain't been to heaven" ... Treme 1.3: Fine Sweet and Sour ... Treme 1.4: New Orleans, New York, Nashville ... Treme 1.5: Delicious! ... Treme 1.8: Passions and Dreams ... Treme 1.9: Creighton ... Treme Season One Finale: Happy Sad Life

And: My Favorite Moment in Treme (Season One)

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The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

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Treme 1.9: Creighton

I've been concerned about Creighton for a few episodes now.  Last week, he was the only one who got no joy out of the Mardi Gras.  On last night's episode 1.9 of Treme - the next to last episode of this debut season - Creighton continues in his downward spiral.  He's faking his writing to his family, he's ending his classes early.   Although he clearly loves his wife and daughter, has a great job, is reaching people with his YouTube videos, and has everything to live for, suicide seemed like a real possibility last night.  I'm holding out hope for next week's Season One finale.   After all, though suicides did increase from from 8 to 26 per 100, 000 people in the aftermath of Katrina, Treme is still a work of fiction.

Other notable developments in last night's episode:

• Janette's being beaten down by New Orleans bad luck and weather.  Although she'd rather have her "head dipped in duck fat" than give up her cooking, she's thinking of packing up and taking her act to New York City.   The "stresser" (as they have it on Criminal Minds) was a cooking gig she had with a great band, blown apart by stormy weather.   This produced at least one great line - I don't wannna be "electrocuted for my art" one of the band members observed - and Janette beginning to feel it was hopeless in N.O.  When she goes home and finds her bed being rained on through a broken roof, this might be the last straw.  It looks as if only McAlary can talk her out of leaving.
• Annie's split from Sonny.  This ain't easy, but is probably for the best.
• Ladonna tells Antoine that what happened between them last week was just a "Mardi Gras fuck," but Antoine's not fazed, which is why I like him.  He knows the truth - he's irresistible, yeah.
• Albert's headed for a bruising, and is told so by the police Lt.  But the last thing Albert will do is back down, so there should be some good, I sure hope not deadly, action in the Season One finale

The music was great as always, with "I Hear You Knocking" (of Fats Domino fame) in the background,  and a fine version of "Double O Soul" (great title) by the Subdudes.   And my favorite line -  tough choice with all the fine lines in this episode - but I give it Albert's friend, after Albert coaxes the kid he's breaking in to help with some heaving lifting - "You're back's gonna hurt for 40-50 years," the friend tells the kid.   That's the story of everyone's life, right there.



8-min podcast review of Treme

See also Treme! ... Treme 1.2: "If you ain't been to heaven" ... Treme 1.3: Fine Sweet and Sour ... Treme 1.4: New Orleans, New York, Nashville ... Treme 1.5: Delicious! ... Treme 1.8: Passions and Dreams

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                 Special Discount Coupons for Angie's List, Avis, Budget Car, eHarmony, eMusic

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The Plot to Save Socrates



"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book