Talking Points: Episodes 1-5
Eric: I am going to go ahead and say it: Treme has been a disappointment for me so far. For all its strengths—great acting, wonderful camera work, sharp writing, and compelling characters—the show has yet to capture my imagination with a single narrative. This ranges from the subplots that make up the episodes to the overarching storylines. For instance, I’m losing interest in whether LaDonna finds her brother. Corruption. Bureaucracy. I get it.
I know that David Simon is a writer who rewards patience—and I am ready to give him more time, ready for those stories to come together. But are you guys beginning to worry that Treme will get bogged down satisfying the whims of the creative types involved instead of our very visceral needs as an audience? Maybe I’m jut selfish.
Reeves: Say it loud, Eric. I think anytime “wonderful camera work” has to be mentioned to bulk up a show’s list of positive qualities, something’s awry. I’ve had the same conversations with multiple people: “[Insert general complaint about the plot], but I’m obviously going to keep watching.” But I took a look at the ratings for Episode 4, and they’ve dropped by almost half since the premiere. One imagines the only people hanging on are Wire devotees and jazz buffs (two already small demographics).
One question I haven’t seen broached: where does the show end? Six months after the storm? A year? For many of these characters, there is no end game: either their lives get back to normal, or they don’t. Few have tangible goals. LaDonna’s looking for her brother. Apparently Davis is now running for city council. And everyone else is sort of muddling their way to . . . something.
That said, I’m obviously going to keep watching. It’s only five more hours, right?
Jason: I particularly like what Simon is doing more so with character development than plot. Yeah, I know: How can tell a compelling story without a plot? Well, you can’t. But you can’t tell a compelling story without compelling characters either. I, for one, loved the opening scene in Episode 5. For a second I thought Simon had given in and LaDonna had, finally, found her brother. But—surprise, surprise—it was a dream. I hope he continues to play with the surreal in the coming episodes (especially in relation to LaDonna, I really believe he’s on to something with the dream sequences). It would also be advantageous to explore the mysticism of New Orleans more, examining deeper rooted traditions like the origins of voodoo and its relation to jazz and New Orleans culture.
It does, at times, seem like every one is running in circles, but isn’t that the beauty of storytelling? Ralph Ellison’s own treatise on black life, Invisible Man, was, at its very core, a story of a man who undergoes wayward leaps in a concentric pilgrimage. As you mentioned Eric, Simon is a writer who rewards patience, and I believe, in time, something substantial will surface and reveal itself. Until then, I don’t mind watching the characters unfold.
