Treme

Another show I had put on the back burner for many years is Treme, produced by David Simon. You can read my posts for season one and two if you want.

Season three keeps the lenses trained on the sprawling cast of characters who populate New Orleans. More than two years have now passed since the storm, but things have hardly gotten better.

There is corruption at City Hall, where politicians of all stripes allocate federal funds to fix up houses and then tear them down (yes, the same ones...), after getting their cut, of course.

That seems in lockstep with the malaise affecting the police department, where homicides aren't investigated, criminals are hardly pursued, and district attorneys are quick to dismiss charges if a case isn't airtight, so no justice is ever served.

And yet, life goes on. A new Carnival, with its glorious Mardi Gras, is just around the corner. Musicians keep playing, maintaining the tradition alive, all the while new relationships blossom amid others that sour.

Treme is filled with characters among which you'll definitely find several to love (and a few you cannot stand...), but its theme of resilience in the face of adversity is a welcome one, especially at a time like the one we're living in now, with a pandemic that has upended people's lives the world over.

Grade - Season 3: 8