"The water of the Gulf stretched out before her, gleaming with the million lights of the sun. The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander an abysses of solitude. All along the white beach, up and down, there was no living thing in sight. A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water."
-- Kate Chopin, The Awakening
The second-to-last episode of Treme this season, titled for the Irma Thomas song, "I Wish Someone Would Care," would also have worked with the Wilco song, "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart."
David Simon and George Pelicanos wrote the episode that I've waited a day to cover because it's a hell of a spoiler. John Goodman's character Creighton starts the episode teaching from The Awakening, in which the main character kills herself by wading into the water off of Grand Isle. That's a hundred-and-eleven-year-old spoiler if you haven't read the book. It's not lost on me that Edna would have to wade through dead sea turtles, oil and Corexit to drown herself at Grand Isle now.
Anyone following the Gulf Coast economic and environmental fallout by the BP oil leak has to wonder how gobsmacked one area can be. I don't know if Simon meant to tie the new disaster together with his suicidal professor reading to his class from The Awakening, but as a sidenote, the Kate Chopin House which served as a Bayou Folk Museum has been destroyed by fire.
Gobsmacked.
Here is this week's Treme breakdown:
Albert -- Not Bowing Down
Albert works on his suit, giving his potential future stepnephew life lessons along the way. The Big Chief's eyes light up when his son Delmond remembers how much he hoped to mask with the Indians when he was a boy. Police try to broker a truce with Albert reminding him that Chief of Chiefs Tootie Montana died at City Hall while demanding peace between the Mardi Gras Indians and the police. Albert asks the officers, "You giving your gang the same message you bringing mine?" Police and politicians have long been considered just another gang in New Orleans. At a Murdered Gulf Rally last month, Dr. John stood on the banks of the Mississippi River and demanded that the Crips and the Bloods running Congress do something about stopping the environmental attack on the Gulf. As far as speaking out fearlessly, Big Chief Albert tells Delmond, "They gonna do what the gonna do. Me? I'm gonna be heard."
Annie -- No Man, New Band
After spending the season hectoring the Treme team not to make Annie and Sonny the French Quarter fatalities from "Shake the Devil Off," it turns out Annie may live out the season. Especially now that she and Sonny split up when she leaves the band. She tell him, "You're drunk or high all the time," but with no musical partnership Sonny doesn't want a personal one either. Annie regroups with a new music partner, wisely declining his invitation to post-gig socialization. Creighton tips them $20 to play "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans," on his day of constant foreshadowing.
Antoine -- Gigging
This episode shows Antoine as his own version of a family man. Told that his baby Honore is "Done up like a porkchop, man!" he cleans up the barbecue sauce before going onstage for his gig with Kermit Ruffins. Having a smoke, having a drink and getting the barbecue sauce off the baby - it's a good night. He also tries to build on last week's Ladonna hookup, and based on the fact that she shuts him down with, "That was a Mardi Gras fuck," it was indeed a hookup. He offers her money to fix her roof, and she understandably asks him, "Who is you?" Back at the gig, the lights are flickering from the storm but Kermit tells the crowd, "We safe and warm in here so let's have some fun," before launching back into the music.
Creighton -- Dead or Alive
"Tobacco would be one more bullet in the chamber," the professor said when offered a cigarette in the episode-long foreshadowing. He explains to his students that real life does not offer closure, and that Emma in "The Awakening" is "Looking for truth, or some kind of peace." When asked if the class dialogue will be in the test Creighton answers, "Gwenneth my dear, everything will be on the test and the test will be everything but fear not -- for in the end every one of us will be tested and every one of us will be found wanting." More nervous giggles. Kids these days are almost impossible to throw warning signs at. Watching the professor attempt to finish his book reminds you that this is a show not only about musicians, but also about a writer. "It rained one day into the next," he types before erasing the text in disgust. Suicide was widespread post-Katrina. I lost friends. We still don't know whether Creighton is dead but upon leaving the house, he compliments his wife and daughter (warning sign, warning sign), then travels the city saying his own kind of goodbye. Lunch at Liuzza's, a last cigarette bummed on the ferry boat and Creighton disappears from sight. John Goodman has lost a dramatic amount of weight post-season, so I'm hoping that he's waiting around on that island from Lost for a tie-in movie. Or undead as Vampire Creighton on True Blood. Or that he's somehow just around the bend.
Davis - Feckless and Festive
In the spirit of "Let's put on a show," Davis decides that his party stylings will give New Orleans the shot in the arm it needs to make it from Mardi Gras to Jazzfest. "Only musicians and hot women are invited," is one of his lines of the night. The other is, "You know nothing of my alchemy." Real Davis fires up TV Davis' party, and Tara Brewer sings the Irma Thomas tune the episode is named after. John Magnie of The Subdudes, whose tune closes the show, rocks the party on piano. Magnie was the late James Booker's driver when he first moved to town, so he has the New Orleans sound and the stories. Davis spends the post-party trying to convince Janette not to leave town, and on his post-party high he's one hell of a booster.
Janette - Rained out and Roofless
People who throw outdoor events in New Orleans are taking their chances, and Janette loses that gamble. She hires Jon Cleary for a Bacchanal gig at her guerrilla chef courtyard party and tries to negotiate him down to $1,000. Yeah, no. Her parents attend and just as they're looking hopeful the heavens pour down rain. As if that weren't bad enough, the rain breaks in her roof. The message? Break up with Davis and your life goes to hell. She makes it to Davis' house by end of his party she wasn't invited to, and spends the night. He encourages her to hang in there but she's ready to move on. "I am better than good, but this town beat me. As much as I love it, I'm not trying to fight with it anymore." Davis makes a good case for New Orleans as opposed to living in a place where, "Everyone's dressed in business suits working, working, working. Would you rather have a strong economy or a four hour lunch?" In the face of the city's beautiful moments Janette answers, "They're just moments. They're not a life."
Ladonna - Raw but Resilient
When Toni tries to get Ladonna to push for an independent autopsy for her brother to find out if he was assaulted in prison, Ladonna answers, "The boy is dead. It stays wrong for us no matter what else happens." Her focus is on pushing through as her mother's advocate for Road Home funding which often took years to materialize. A fortunate surprise is the volunteer who offers to fix the roof of her bar. She's surprised that it will only take two days to complete and he tells her, "No disrespect, but y'all got a defective work ethic down here." Ladonna answers him with the best doubletake of all time.
Toni -- Holding Pattern
Toni is the character on the show who fixes things for others, so it's going to be interesting to see how she holds together in the next episode when she needs to accept help instead of giving it. She'll have to be strong for her daughter Sophia, she'll have to hold out hope until there's not a ghost of a chance, and she'll have to find a way to make it without Creighton. At the end of the episode when he's not answering his cell phone she tells her daughter, "It's probably just out of juice. You know how he forgets to charge it." From the tone of her voice you just know that she already knows.
Sonny -- NOW he writes originals?
Full Post continued at: NewOrleans.com...
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Oh and Antoine was giving Ladonna money to repair the family crypt, not for her roof. He bugs the crap out of me, his family and baby need that money!! But i agree the commentary by the texan roofer re: N.O. work ethic was awesome.
Ugh that sweet little daughter without a father is an idea that just makes me sick. He clearly has (had?) PTSD, especially obvious when writing about what happened made him shaky and fearful. But what a selfish bastard to do that to his family!
I am SO glad Annie is finally away from toxic keyboard addict guy. The way she kept taking his crap and acting grateful for his scraps of attention was sad and disgusting to see. She is amazing and no tuba is going to replace her gorgeous violin. Here's to Annie and I hope Janette sticks around too. I'd love to see a win for her.