Treme is a show about life, and it understands that death is just as much a part of life as everything else; yet, it never falls into a pit of despair, always striking a nice balance between the entertaining and the depressing. This is on full display in this episode.
This episode is brutal to watch: classic Pelecanos. As optimistic as the show can be at times, it also illustrates the futility of certain situations. The episode deals brilliantly with the themes of death, the past, and broken dreams: Albert gives Davina a tour of his childhood on the way to his deathbed, Annie doesn’t want to accept the “death” of her life in this town, Janette has to deal with the “death” of her name, Davis goes through the “death” of his deal and has to return to his former life, Toni breaks down over the seeming futility of all her previous work (all involving murders), and Charisse is killed, forcing Antoine to deal with the heartbreak and illustrating the sad reality of the situation.
Oftentimes, we need to hold onto something to keep us going in our lives: a restaurant, our music, a friend, a vendetta. Yet, it seems as if some of our characters are realizing the necessity of moving on; for example, Albert takes Davina on a tour of his childhood, and we can tell how much he loved it. However, he know that he has to accept what’s coming, and he makes sure to warn both himself and his children.
Of course, the show also sprinkles in some truly hilarious and entertaining moments: Antoine and LaDonna’s scene in the bar is a beautiful thing to watch, as well as Janette and Davis coming up with new insults.
I can only stand back and admire this work of art that’s unfolding, and it’s almost over.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-“I’ve been boycotting your bank for 10 years.” “I’d been wondering where that $300 had gotten to.” BOOM.
-Speaking of, the way the show’s handling Nelson and Liguori is brilliant; they start off seeming like villains, but they grow into people we can sympathize with, with stories we’re willing to invest our time in.
-I still can’t get over The Observer being Annie’s agent.
-“All sane men are afraid to die.” You’re destroying me inside, Clarke Peters.
Credit to HBO and Treme for all pictures. I own nothing.
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