Down in the Treme…

In addition to watching the first two new episodes of Futurama last week, I had a chance to catch (a few weeks late) the final two episodes of Treme, the magnificent new HBO series by the fine folks behind The Wire (A.K.A. The greatest television series ever created).

When I wrote about the initial installment of Treme I was pretty dang high on the series, and I am pleased to say that, if anything, I think even MORE HIGHLY of the series now that its first ten-episode series has wrapped up.

It’s remarkable to me how fleshed out the vast ensemble of characters on the show have become over this first short (ten episodes) season.  There’s been more character development in these ten episodes than in the entire run of many TV shows.  Over the course of the season, each and every character on the show got their due, and I’m impressed and stunned at how attached I’ve become to these characters (even the less-than-noble ones!) in such a short time.

In my review of the premiere, I commented that the one cast-member who seemed to stick out to me was Steve Zahn’s full-of-himself, bumbling character Davis.  I found Davis to be annoyingly childish, and he felt out-of-place on the show.  Well, I stand corrected, because now at the end of the season I think that Davis is one of my favorite characters!  As noted above, this is due to the writers’ great work in exploring and deepening their characters over the course of the season.  The fine acting — on the part of Steve Zahn and the rest of the superb cast — doesn’t hurt, either!

As was always the case on The Wire, the writers of Treme have managed to tell a complete story over the course of the season.  The final episode, “I’ll Fly Away,” brings closure to a number of story-lines and character-arcs, while still leaving ENORMOUS untapped story-potential for future seasons to (hopefully) explore.

What else can I say?  The first season of Treme was heart-breaking and hilarious, and gripping from the first minute to the last.  The music of the show is extraordinary (and the show’s theme-song is my favorite since Firefly).  If you haven’t seen this show, go watch it now.  Me, I’ll be counting the days until season two…