'Treme' Season 2 gets a slight retool, music sounds just as sweet

When "Treme" debuted in 2010, David Simon's follow-up to "The Wire," had everything going for it: an enviable roster of acting talent, the sumptuous New Orleans backdrop and, quite likely, the greatest vehicle for musical performance of any scripted program. The only thing missing, according to some viewers, was a linear storyline.

But the series about change in the post-Katrina city switches gears, quite appropriately, in its sophomore year.

Season 2 of "Treme" picks up seven months later, with Toni (Melissa Leo) struggling to raise her daughter after her husband's suicide, Janette (Kim Dickens) finding life as a New York chef unfulfilling, Antoine (Wendell Pierce) still unsuccessful making ends meet as musician and LaDonna (Khandi Alexander) trying to maintain her life in New Orleans while her family carries on without her in Baton Rouge.

And that's just a small sampling of the arcs in place. The cast and storylines remain as meticulously scattered as before, with a heightened sense of urgency to their respective plights.

Season 1 seemed to pride itself on the slow, thoughtful development -- but Creighton's (John Goodman) death may have unintentionally raised the stakes. Crime is on the rise after the initial shock of the hurricane and most of the ensemble is forced to finally confront the new landscape.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/04/treme-season-2-gets-a-slight-retool-music-sounds-just-as-sweet.html