Not to come off as 'more of a fan' for my connection with Treme but here is why I think it's a remarkable show:
I was born in Louisiana and lived there up until last July when I moved up north. I lived in NOLA, attending college the year before the storm.
I am from a city called Lake Charles that was actually mentioned a few episodes ago.
When Katrina hit I evacuated New Orleans to be with my family in Lake Charles. On the day of the storm,after the levee broke, the mood in Louisiana was unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Two hours away in Lake Charles it was sunny and there wasn't even a hint of the horrible events that were taking place.
I thought I'd never relate until a month later when Lake Charles and the rest of Southwest Louisiana was hit by Rita, an even more powerful storm than Katrina.
We were displaced to north LA for two months then came back to clean up without electricity for a week and school didnt start back up for another month.
New Orleans had flooding and Lake Charles had the fallen trees. It was like when they say tornadoes demolish a house then leave the neighbors house unscathed. We had a few branches throught our roof while our neighbor's house was smashed by a giant oak.
Anyway, Treme brings back all of these memories. And though at times it can be painfully sad, I think that it is doing an amazing job at capturing the general feel of the reconstructing time: Some faired well and others faired really bad. The hurricanes didn't choose who they were going to hurt.
Also being a Louisianian there are LOADS of references and inside jokes. Seeing a steady intake of Abita amber and crawfish, Baton Rouge hatred and trips to Tipitina's make me very happy.
And from me as a tv fan: This guy I know/hate asked me about it pronouncing it 'Treem'(which is a dead giveaway they have never seen the show) and he wanted to know if I think it is more boring than The Wire. Though I can understand that it is moving pretty slow, it really upsets me to know that people out there will write it off after one episode as 'too boring.' It's a shame that people don't have patience for story a character development. I mean really what do you expect from a show the focuses on lives in a post-Katrina New Orleans?
Also I'd say all of the acting is really strong (Goodman, Zahn). And I have been in love with Kim Dickens since Friday Night Lights.
