Treme:
The Complete Series
(2010 - 2013/Seasons 1 - 4/HBO Blu-ray)
Picture:
A- Sound: A- Extras: B Episodes: B+
From
the creators of The
Wire
(Eric Overmyer & David Simon) we were given Treme;
named after the historic street in New Orleans the drama series
centers on the people of the city who must rebuild their life after
the destruction and tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.
Picking
up the pieces after a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina is no easy
task; and from this heartbreak and devastation we are given the
narrative for an energetic, deep, emotional series entitled Treme.
The series focuses on the working class citizens of New Orleans
constructing a storyline that allows the musicians, chefs, political
corruptness, police, and the struggle to rebuild a city to take
center stage. For a city that elicits thoughts of parade floats,
beads and Mardi Gras hurricane Katrina was a direct blow to the
tourism that the city desperately needed to survive; if life wasn't
hard enough for the hard working citizens a natural disaster was the
last thing they needed.
New
to Blu-ray is Treme:
The Complete Series that
houses all 4 seasons of the interestingly underrated series. For
this reviewer it was a series that flew under the radar and was
discovered all too late; getting critical and general acclaim alike,
but little advertising or push to hit it big. Treme
pushes
forward several months after Hurricane Katrina; no more TV crews, no
more money, and little support. It seemed that the only thing the
people of the devastated New Orleans could rely on were each other,
but mostly themselves. As the series highlights the interesting,
charismatic citizens like Creighton (John Goodman) a Tulane professor
fed up with the government's handling of Katrina, the trombone player
Antoine Bastiste (Wendell Pierce), the persistent lawyer Toni
Bernette (Melissa Leo), Lieutenant Terry Colson (David Morse), the
women named Ladonna (Khandi Alexander) who is desperately seeking her
brother, the radio jockey Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn), and many
others.
Throughout
the four seasons, we bob and weave through their lives, while
concurrently see how they interact with one another; showcasing that
we are all closer than we may at times realize. It is a series about
characters and their relationships. Whereas other series may have
flashy effects, gruesome shock factor, or sex that sells Treme
is
about the people; establishing itself as a masterpiece of emotion and
insight. The enduring nature of the human race is something that
Simon and Overmyer clearly wanted to show front and center; along
with the missteps and ignorance of the US government.
The
audience will be captivated by the emotion delivered by this series
and it will seem like no time as each episode flies by. Some
characters will endure the life of the series (at a cost), while
others will move on in one way or another; making it rather taxing on
the soul as the audience inevitably becomes emotionally invested in
the characters. The series is a journey that develops over the four
seasons. There isn't a big build up or cliffhanger; in fact I'm not
sure there is even a plot. But the level of depth and sentiment this
series demonstrates is admirable to say the least; making the people
of New Orleans the real plot point, driving home that the human
spirit is tough, gritty, and at times pushed to its limits.
The
technical features are consistent with those released on the
standalone versions of this series on Blu-ray. For all four seasons
the picture is consistent (to say the least) with bright colors,
crisp/clear images, fine detail/texture, and little too no light/dark
issues in its 1.78 X 1, 1080 MPEG-4 AVC encoded presentation. HBO has
always been known for their high quality releases and Treme
is no
exception as it nearly flawlessly bounces between the dark shadows of
the Jazz bars to the bright, colorful, bustling streets of New
Orleans. The sound is equally impressive in its 5.1 DTS HD (MA)
Master Audio lossless track for each episode. Granted there are no
epic action sequences to push the speakers, but the music (which is
critical to the series) fills the soundscape and panning effects,
coupled with spot on dialogue makes it an admirable track.
Extras
are carried over from the standalone releases and are as follows:
Audio
Commentaries (multiple seasons)
Music
Commentaries (multiple seasons)
Making
of Treme
Treme:
Beyond Bourbon Street
Down
in the Treme: A Look at the Music and Culture of New Orleans
(multiple seasons)
The
Music of Treme (multiple seasons)
The
Art of Treme
Behind
Treme: Food for Thought
Behind
Treme: Clarke Peters and the Mardi Gras Indians
Behind
Treme: Chef Dinner
Behind
Treme: David Simon
Behind
Treme: Neville Brothers
Welcome
to the Underground
The
Other Side II: Web Series
Exclusive
Bonus Disc with 15 of the best Musical performances the series had
to offer
One
of the most deeply emotional series I have ever had the pleasure of
viewing. Wonderful from beginning to end and a must see (hear). You
can see coverage of the early seasons elsewhere on this site.
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
