Treme, Season 2

TREME SEASON 2 (Blu-ray)
Warner Home Video

Release date: April 30th, 2012
Certificate (UK): 15
Running time: 660 minutes

Creators: David Simon, Eric Overmyer

Cast: Wendell PierceMelissa Leo, Steve Zahn, Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, Michiel Huisman, Lucia Micarelli, Clarke Peters

Treme, Season 1 Review

What does it feel like to look at the scattered and washed away ruins of what once used to be your life? It’s a question many of us – thankfully – will never need to answer, but for those who experienced the full force of Katrina and what happened in its wake; it’s something they have to contend with on a daily basis.

Season 1 introduced us to an array of characters all trying to put their lives back together again while asking if New Orleans still has a future. With Season 2, Treme takes us a little further, showing us the progress they’ve made so far.

Despite the overwhelming setbacks they’ve experienced and the struggles they’ve had with the government, the justice system, the police and the insurance companies, what the people of Treme have come to rely on the most is each other.

Set 14 months after Katrina, there’s still a lot of damage, but there’s also violence and disorder to contend with. In the midst of that, Nelson Hidalgo (Jon Seda) is trying to rebuild, trombone player Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce) decides to form a band and teach music to school kids, and Davis’ McAlary (Steve Zahn) new career as a music executive seems to be taking off.

Opportunists are circling like vultures and they’ll do just about anything to make some money out of people’s suffering. Former residents who left New Orleans before the storm hit are now returning to the area as well.

Meanwhile, LaDonna (Khandi Alexander) is going through a tough time. At the end of last season she found out what really happened to her brother, but now she becomes the victim of a brutal assault. Toni Bernette (Melissa Leo), the lawyer who was helping her, is also in a bad spot. After the death of her husband, Creighton Bernette (John Goodman), she continues to take on cases but her daughter Sofia (India Ennenga) struggles to accept he’s gone.

Not everyone wants to stay in New Orleans though. Janette Desautel (Kim Dickens) heads to New York, hoping to leave behind her financial worries.

As with Season 1, there are a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of but Treme does in such a way that it remains engaging without ever being overwhelming. There’s enough to time for each plot to unfold and the writing is as superb as ever, along with the performances.

The music is as prominent in this season as it was in the previous, which is great because it adds a whole other dimension and I couldn’t imagine it being anything less. Food is also a prevalent feature, making Treme a show you can see, hear, feel and at times almost smell and taste too.

It’s hard to think of another show like it, but it’s also hard to compare what happened in New Orleans to any other disaster. It was shocking, brutal and devastating and I’m not even talking about Katrina but just the time it took for FEMA to get to the Superdome.

Treme is a product of this disaster and the failures to get help to the people who needed it the most and it will be interesting to see what’s in store in Season 3. Although it’s already asked some tough questions and brought some important issues to light, Treme feels like it’s only getting started.

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

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