What I’m Watching: Treme

Treme: Season 1, Episode 4 “At the Foot of Canal Street” (B+)

Like many of the HBO shows that came before it, this series knows how to pull off a spectacular opening. Antoine’s endless time in the waiting room could have been a bore, but having him break out in song along with the other exhausted patients was very moving. The most powerful part of the episode, however, definitely came from Creighton, who discovered the best platform for him, that of YouTube. His rant at the camera, the tamest part of which was “blow me,” was fantastic, and it would really make for a great Emmy clip. Even if the show doesn’t end up having success with the Emmys, I imagine that Goodman should be ahead of the pack for his episode-stealing moments (the term scene-stealing doesn’t quite apply since he’s usually featured in his scenes alone). That was a terrific smile that appeared on his face when people recognized him and encouraged him in town. Not all of the storylines in the episode were so hopeful and positive, however. The success of Ladonna and Toni in getting the inmate posing as Ladonna’s brother admit to the fact that he wasn’t who he said he was ended up being short-lived when he said that he wouldn’t put any of it on the record. It’s so frustrating for them to have to start from scratch, but that should establish a good arc to be explored over the remainder over the season. By contrast, it was satisfying to see Antoine actually bond with his sons after not having the best family-related track record.