HOLLYWOOD —“Treme” is picking up steam and the characters are coming into place for viewers. John Goodman threw an immediate net over viewers and fans embraced him as they always do whatever role he’s starring in. Sunday night’s episode “Meet De Boys On The Waterfront” shows the storylines picking up steam while not leaving the viewers behind.
“Treme” is named for the Faubourg Tremé (an historic neighborhood just to the lakeside of the more celebrated French Quarter). Jazz itself was said to be born there, created by the slaves of Creole planters who were allowed to drum and chant on Sundays and market days in a public area that came to be known as Congo Square. It was in New Orleans that African rhythms and the pentatonic scale of flatted “blue” notes met European instrumentation and arrangements ”“ a cross-cultural creation that transformed music on a worldwide scale.
On Sunday LaDonna, played by Khandi Alexander finally received news about her brother, who was missing after the hurricane, while Albert, played by Clarke Peters was forced to take the law into his own hands. Peters characters seems like it was defined more on this episode and the actor is superb. What is most prevalent in this series is the absolute confusion that engulfed New Orleans immediately following the hurricane. The characters seem as if they are all a creation of a city that has prided itself on being eclectic.
The series certainly has made the viewer think about the lives of people we once considered American gypsies. It’s not only a show that is thought-provoking but one that is a true original series. “Treme” airs on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on HBO.
Photograph Courtesy: Paul Schiraldi
