David Simon and the New Orleans Board of Tourism

Nah, this isn't an article or interview or head-to-head deathmatch, just another oddly worded title. And the urge to post today comes from a desire to turn this aimless energy into something productive and thoughtful, namely finally getting my thoughts about the first season of "Treme" down so I can move on while also burning off some creative steam. Cool, let's get right to it.

At one point, I had all kinds of insightful things to say about "Treme" that were going to tackle tough questions raised in interviews and other reviews, but they're all long forgotten. So maybe it'd be best to make it super-personal and address that title, which came from my own personal response to basically every episode of this show: "I'm moving to New Orleans. That's all there is to it, I'm [expletive removed, because I'm starting to try and keep it semi-professional] going." But unlike Jules and Amsterdam, it isn't the one thing that's dragging my daydreams towards the idea of a future in New Orleans, it's everything, even the post-massive natural disaster suffering. Okay, that sounds pretty bad, but bear with me: "Treme" is what, to my young and impressionable little brain, the real New Orleans is like, because what better way to see a city through its people dealing with the consequences of a hurricane? Exactly. And that's what I've been getting at: "Treme" is great because of its characters. Well, and some other things too, but the characters are basically the meat and bread of this show. See, unlike "The Wire," a show I'm legally bound to refer to here because we're talking about David Simon, "Treme" doesn't have a super plot-driven story. Now, bear in mind that I'm one of those guys who will tell you that "The Wire" is probably one of the greatest shows in the history of the medium of television (something I fully intend on doing in great length once I finish the 5th season, which is what I'm up to now), and who will stand up and argue that part of what makes that particular show excellent is the detailed cast of characters, their complex morality, their stories and personalities, and how all of that becomes a part of the story. But at the heart of it all, "The Wire" is about the results of the things these characters do; a lot happens in a season, and it's very much about the journey. But not much has happened over the course of this first season of "Treme," activity-wise. People move around, have interactions, do things like go down to Texas or end up in jail, but nobody stages drug sweeps or makes investigations or kills other people (and if they did, I sure as hell wouldn't ruin it here for you). Here's a good comparison: a lot of the first season of "Treme" surrounds people's preparations for Mardi Gras and the outcomes of the things that happen on that day. A lot of the first season of "The Wire" is about trying to bring down a drug ring in West Baltimore through all manner of wiretaps and police work. At the end of the day, "Treme" is about how the characters interact with each other and grow, while "The Wire" is about information and actions, and how this changes other information and other actions.

Glad I've pontificated at extreme length. For those of you not yet alienated, let's move on. The characters are the major draw for "Treme." Almost everyone is written and acted with a warmth and humanity that is instantly winning (I will probably never be able to see Steve Zahn in anything without thinking of Davis, for example). There is humor, there is life, and there is anger; this is a show of emotions, and how they've been stirred by the catastrophe. And what makes everything so winning is that, in spite of some minor theatricality inherent in television, these seem like truly real people, and that in turn makes their lives what real life in New Orleans is like, and because everyone, through their highs and lows, trials and triumphs, etcetera etcetera is so real and full of life, it makes the prospect of living in New Orleans highly appealing, the vivacity of it all. Of course, that may have something to do with the fantastic second line scenes, and the music, and the food, and all that stuff (in our cast of characters we do have a Mardi Gras Indian Chief, a chef and a good number of musicians, so there's a bit of bias). Speaking as a man who's never been down to New Orleans, it seems rather idyllic, even in the throes of recovery. Thus our title: David Simon, for me, has worked as the best advertiser the city could ever dream of.

But I'm drifting way off target. I pretty much said it all in the comparison paragraph: "Treme" is one of the warmest and most optimistically human ("The Wire" can be kind of tough-realty bleak, and I hear similar things about "Generation Kill") David Simon productions around, quite accessible and a true pleasure to watch. It does polemicize about the infuriating ignorance the rest of the nation chose to send down Louisiana way, and there are some truly downer moments, but it's all part of the cliched rich pageant of life. And all the little things are just right- jokes, good musical interludes (that actually progress the story!), cool images, and wonderful, wonderful relationships that build and mature in odd and pleasing ways. I think episode eight was probably the single most joyous piece of television that I can remember watching, ever. Bottom line: way to go David Simon, you have succeeded in making a show about life in a special place at a critical time that doesn't feel exploitative or fake in any way. "The Wire" still earns my vote for the best ever television show, but it's like comparing "The Big Lebowski" and "Chinatown." One is a masterpiece of American cinema that tells a tough story, an the other is a masterpiece of wonder and joy. This has become a little overwrought in its praises, so I'll end things for real now.