In today's column, I review "Treme," the new series about life in post-Katrina New Orleans from David Simon and "The Wire" gang. It's really, really good, but don't go in expecting "The Wire 2: The Squeakquel."
Friday, April 09, 2010
'Treme' review: Sepinwall on TV
In today's column, I review "Treme," the new series about life in post-Katrina New Orleans from David Simon and "The Wire" gang. It's really, really good, but don't go in expecting "The Wire 2: The Squeakquel."
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12 comments:
No Squeakel?!? I was really hoping for a gun-toting, CGI squirrel voiced by Michael K Williams. Darn.
David Simon was on Colbert the other night, leading to this hilarious exchange:
Colbert: You must've soaked up a lot of the Mardi Gras culture - how many people showed you their tits?
Simon: Does that include actresses trying to get work?
Colbert: That includes John Goodman.
I lol'd.
I have to say that I had read some lukewarm and even cranky reviews, so it was with some trepidation that I read your take on it. I'm so relieved that you find it rewarding. Day after tomorrow for the rest of us!!
Kim Dickens has had roles on Deadwood, Friday Night Lights and Lost. She never showed up on The Wire but is now making up for it by being in Treme from the jump.
Is she the most under-appreciated TV actress of the past 10 years?
Omagus, if you're a Kim Dickens fan, you should check out Zero Effect, a 1998 Jake Kasdan movie with Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller.
Thanks, Kayvan, for mentioning that interview. I missed it, so watched it on the website, and it was very funny.
If anyone else missed it - http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/270019/april-07-2010/david-simon
I have no TV, so it will be a while before I see the show. Maybe years. ;(
But I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the review, Alan.
I wish the Slings and Arrows people had followed up their quality show with another quality show the way the Homicide tradition has continued. (I rate Slings and Arrows as the best thing ever on TV and would consider buying a TV and moving to Canada for another Paul Gross series.)
Well, for the record, after the first season of The Wire, that similar feeling of being blown away might not have been that strong. ("Well, Berlin Alexanderplatz kinda sorta did the same thing"). But what makes The Wire The Wire is the conflation of each season as they further the social metaphors and illustrate progressively greater subtlety and insight to everything that gets addressed. For example, the Omar we knew in seasons 4 and 5 was not the same Omar we got introduced to in season 1.
Indeed, if all we got was Season 1 of The Wire, it wouldn't be, well...
The Wire
(Could I USE "The Wire" more often?)
Unfortunately there is a scheduling issue: Treme and Breaking Bad are in the same timeslot. I think I'm going to watch Breaking Bad, and then check out Treme on HBO On Demand tomorrow. I'm really hoping it turns out to be a good series. I'm not at all expecting a show like The Wire, but I am hoping for a really good drama. The last great family drama was Six Feet Under, so I'm hoping this one can fill in the void when SFU went off the air.
I really liked the show but I'm not sure what they're trying to do with Zahn.
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