After digesting the first season of David Simon and Eric Overmyer’s new show "Treme," I am not 100% satisfied. I feel like the show still exists as a possibility, it has promise. I am hoping that plots begin to thicken and gain more substance and immediacy in the second season. Right now, I don’t feel invested in many of the characters, though they are interesting and varied.
I can’t help but compare it to “The Wire,” as I’m sure many can’t, and feel that it has fallen short. It is a completely different show, I understand that. It doesn’t really delve into the institutional corruption involved in the rebuilding of New Orleans, as it could, as the “The Wire” would. It gives us a teaser of what’s there, but instead of following the thread, it, like Steve Zahn’s character Davis, is sidetracked by prospect of enjoyment and indulgence. While it does have powerful moments, it wastes time with narratives that feel trivial or poorly developed, like that of Sonny, the unsympathetic and irritating street musician. Food, parties, and above all, music, dominate much of the run time. Don’t get me wrong, the music is amazing. I’m ready to play the "Treme" soundtrack all day, as soon as it comes out. However, it can’t carry the whole of the show. The acting too, I have no complaints about, so really I have hope that the writer’s will hit their stride during the second season, which HBO mostly likely bestowed because of the success of “The Wire” rather than the performance thus far of “Treme.”HBO's Site has links to buy some of the music: http://www.hbo.com/treme/index.html#/treme/episodes/1/10-ep-10-ill-fly-away/music
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