“Bring It On” – Vampire Diaries

       

Well right off the bat we have to say this (though it may be an unpopular opinion, based on some of the responses we’ve had in the past) – no-humanity-Elena is just better. We brace for the cries of ‘how could you think indiscriminate killing is better?!’ To that, we have a simple answer. She’s a vampire. This is, to all intents and purposes, a show about vampires. We don’t want wishy-washy Twilight vamps here. There’s no history on the show of that. These vampires are supposed to be, and frequently are, bloodthirsty killing machines. And to see Elena embrace that? Well that’s just wonderful. No more whining, no more second-guessing, no more guilt… all that with the added bonus of her being a brutally honest bitch? We’ve never been happier. And we’re enjoying it while we can because we know that all of her friends can’t let her stay like that forever. Even now they’re working on finding her the cure, just because they don’t like her like this.

And, truly, that’s the most troubling aspect of this entire episode – not Elena’s wild abandon, not the fact that she almost staked Caroline, but the fact that everyone in her life is so controlling. She’s Bella Swan and everyone else is Edward Cullen. (Forgive the Twilight references. We’re having a marathon of the movies this weekend.) The discussions they have about her behind her back, their constant use of the sire bond to get her to be compliant and do what they want, their disapproval, their lecturing… It’s like they’re trying to program her. They’ve taken away her free will. Or tried to, at least, because the other interesting aspect of Elena post-humanity is that the sire bond is gone. Completely gone. It was tied to her feelings for Damon and, now that she doesn’t feel anymore, he can no longer control her. The fact that she heads off on a road trip to New York with him at the end of the episode, much as we’d like to believe otherwise, was more a matter of convenience than love.

The rest of the story progressed well. Rebekah is back and quickly filled Damon in on Shane’s death, dispensing with any doubt that we’ll have weeks and weeks of them not knowing Silas is in their midst. They also quickly figure out that Silas is in town. Though they haven’t put him and Bonnie together, they notice that all the blood stores in the area have been stolen and reason that Silas is stockpiling. Klaus is trying to talk Haley into telling him where Katharine is, but only succeeds in talking her in to bed. He notices a birthmark that may hold the key to her true parentage. If he can reunite her with her family, she’ll almost certainly tell him what he needs to know about Katharine. But how will the intrepid gang convince him to let them have the cure for Elena before he can destroy it? Tyler sent Matt the deeds to his house, making it a sanctuary for Caroline (she’s the only vampire that’s been invited in). So here we have a safe house for our main characters when the going gets tough with Klaus/Katharine/Silas. That’ll probably come in handy later.

One aspect of the show that has started to bug us, though, is the overt and frequent referencing of New Orleans. Anything and everything related to Katharine and the Originals just keeps coming back to NOLA. The writers are clearing trying to hype The Originals as much as possible. Honestly? We just wish it would air sooner so that they can stop doing that… – B+K

Quoteworthy: “Maybe you should try to turn it all off. Who knows, you might stop whining about how Tyler left you. Added bonus? You won’t have to feel guilty about all the dirty thoughts you have about Klaus.” – Elena, to Caroline

(PS From K: I’m picturing a Treme/The Originals crossover. Davis McAlary tries to take down the corrupt vampire hierarchy with rap/bounce. Toni Bernette files a civil suit on behalf of everyone who’s been bitten and a few vampires who didn’t want to be turned, and takes on the dirty cops who have been covering up the vampire infestation. Sofia Bernette tries to strike up a relationship with a vampire who is far, far older than her. Janette finally quits the restaurant after Feeney tries to force her to introduce blood on the cocktail menu. Antoine finds a whole new pool of ‘women’ with whom to cheat on Desiree. And LaDonna reopens Gigi’s as a dive bar that caters exclusively to vampires. Anyone else want to see that happen? No? Just me?)

“Tipitina” – Treme

       

Treme follows a pattern. Where most shows will have a big finale to keep viewers hooked and desperate for the next season, Treme gets all of the big stuff out of the way early and leaves the finale episode for a quiet ending – not with a bang, but a whimper. Season 1 had Creighton committing suicide in the penultimate episode. Season 2 had Harley’s shooting three episodes before the end. The season closers, therefore, tend to leave room for other storylines to wrap up, peter out and melt away. They show life as it moves on. Nothing to keep it static. Nothing to keep people stuck in limbo for a year. No major cliffhangers. And it’s no different this year. Last week’s episode saw everything coming to a head. LP was ready to go to print, Toni found a witness, Davis quit (for real this time), Gigi’s burned… And this week was reserved for wrapping things up in neat little bows. Yeah, for sure there are some unresolved strands. Some things were left dangling. But nothing to give us any sleepless nights between now and the Season 4 premiere.

LP’s article comes out and, after giving a copy to everyone involved, he leaves town. No Sofia hook up. Sadness!

Toni and Terry on the other hand? Plenty of hooking up. And although it hadn’t happened by the end of the finale, I predict Terry quitting early on in Season 4. After his fellow detectives planted drugs in his car in an effort to get him arrested, I don’t see how he can stay.

LaDonna’s trial finally went ahead, but she has to be wishing it didn’t – a hung jury led to a mistrial and LaDonna’s rapist back on the streets. “Burnt me out for nothing.”

Like we predicted last week, Davis’ farewell track (the original of which, written by the inspiration for McAlary, Davis Rogan, can be heard here) was his biggest hit. He’s going to find it hard to stick to his guns and turn his back on the biz now. He has officially and publically quit, and has even engaged in a symbolic passing of the torch, but will the lure of fame draw him back in?

Annie moves out. Her record’s been released and she’s got a new man. She doesn’t need Davis anymore. And, in a melancholy twist, Davis has got the one thing he always wanted, but lost the things he really loved.

Antoine has organized a fundraiser for LaDonna and Gigi’s. Pretty much everyone who’s anyone in the Treme music business is playing, as are a few notable celebrities (Trombone Shorty, for one).

Delmond and Albert realize that the Jazz Center is never going to be what it should be and decline to be part of it anymore.

Janette is having some stinking rows with Feeney about the direction the restaurant is taking.

But life goes on. Acceptances are made and stories move forward. Life is cyclical and the one thing that never changes is that we just keep living and doing. Won’t Bow. Don’t Know How.

As we say goodbye to these familiar faces at the end of another season, we’re offered vignettes of their lives as they move on with their stories. They’re not going to be stuck in the past. And neither should we be. In a symbolic farewell to Annie, Davis goes to see her at Jazz Fest, then turns his back and walks away. Terry and Toni play happy families with Sofia – it’s great to see the Bernette women happy again. Despite her rages, Janette hasn’t given up on her cooking. She’s staying at Desautel’s. Sonny and Linh got married! Antoine has morphed even further into the grown-up, contributing member of society. I love this version of him. Toni brings the Abreu witness to talk to the Feds, and they promise a genuine investigation. LaDonna wants to keep fighting and won’t accept the mistrial. Toni’s house is still getting buzzed by the cops. Albert sends his old costumes to a new museum dedicated to the Indians, and he’s already sewing for next year’s Mardi Gras. Can’t keep a good city down. – K

 

Quoteworthy: “A lot of talk in the press. A lot of money changing hands. Few people get rich, but nothing gets done.” – Albert, telling Delmond how New Orleans “works”

“Poor Man’s Paradise” – Treme

       

In Treme’s penultimate episode, we’re finally getting some traction on those big, big stories – LP Everett’s investigation into Henry Glover’s death and Toni’s investigation into the Abreu case. We were also treated to what is most definitely a rarity in TV these days: instead of dragging out Toni’s misunderstanding of Terry’s bullet-related motives, she was quickly disabused of her assumptions. And showing up at his trailer late at night just might suggest that this relationship is set to move into new territories.

I think Terry, while we’re on the subject, is inches from quitting. I know Treme’s tagline has always been ‘Won’t Bow. Don’t Know How.’ but this is one character I’d love to see giving up. He’s the one person in NOPD who isn’t trying to cover up corruption and I love him for it. He’s doing things right. And I don’t want to see him suffer for it. After he gets a beating from suspects because his fellow officers don’t trust him and don’t back him up, he asks for a transfer from his unit. When he tells the chief that, yes, he’s been talking to the FBI, Terry is told, “If you have a problem with your fellow officers, deal with it or quit.” Please, Terry. Quit. We’ve already had to deal with the death of Owen Slater. Don’t make us deal with yours.

Davis’s opera isn’t getting released. He quits the music business. Loses Annie (after making a drunken scene). I really, really don’t like her lately, so I’m not going to be upset if she has less screen time. In saying that, though, this week’s episode marked the very first time that I’ve liked a) her voice, or b) any of her songs. Is that progress? Also, Annie was looking mighty pregnant in one scene there – are we about to welcome a Treme baby???

Desiree is heavily involved with bringing down NOAH. Pays a visit to Nelson and Robinette’s office. Nelson says that as of right now they’re out of the NOAH business and ‘here, have a list of all the people I’ve ever met ever’. To the unseasoned observer it might almost appear as though he has a conscience, but no. He just doesn’t want his company to be the face of New Orleans corruption – not when he’s on the verge of hitting the big time with all those government contracts.

Toni is about to call off the Wilson thing until she speaks to Bernard and he tells her he knows someone who witnessed the Abreu shooting. Mr Brown points the finger at Wilson, says he saw him pulling the trigger on Abreu (and having the foresight to holster his service weapon and pull his own).

LP is ready to go to print with his Glover story. As he drops a list of questions to NOPD, could he look any more like the cat that got the cream? With the completion of the majority of work on Glover and Abreu, we foresee bad times for NOPD in Sunday’s season finale and, most likely, stretching into Season 4.

Delmond has been asked to tour his record in Europe.

Janette is miserable in her job and hates that the Crawfish Ravioli is her signature dish.

After another encounter with Matches Man, La Donna is nervous. That nervousness is justified – in the final scenes, we see Gigi’s burning. But will it turn out that the fire wasn’t of Matches Man’s doing, but was orchestrated by those noise-complaint neighbors?

Another question: Now that Toni has the means to take down Wilson, will Sofia come back to New Orleans in time for an excitement- and adrenalin-fuelled tryst with LP?

Looking forward to the season finale now! – K

 

Quoteworthy: “There’s something to be said for doing one thing right.” – Lionel Ferbos 

“Don’t You Leave Me Here” – Treme

      

As the season begins to wind down (there are only two episodes left, after this one), we begin to see some things that vaguely resemble the winding up of different storylines.

Chief among these is the trial of LaDonna’s rapist. A court date has been set for some time in April and, in an effort to intimidate her out of testifying, the harassment has started. They’ve stepped it up from match lighting to calling her house and parking outside waving burning papers at her. She’s clearly terrified, but we know LaDonna well enough by now to know she won’t back down.

I’m gonna stop pretending I know what the hell is going on with Nelson’s whole thing. Really. Haven’t a clue. I know it’s corrupt, whatever it is, and has something to do with building. So I shall describe what he did in this episode: he did a corrupt thing so he could get involved in the building of a thing. Everyone caught up? Great! He appears to be involved in the Jazz Center project now.

Davis and Annie are drifting further and further apart. No harm, really. Davis is a pain in the ass sometimes, but he’s loveable. I actively dislike Annie. So if she left, I wouldn’t be too cut up about it. Davis’ CD is finished, by the way. He’s not 100 per cent happy with it, but that’s more a case of him projecting his general unhappiness with life. He feels that, at this age, he should have a little more control over what happens to him. We might be about to see a new, more grown-up Davis McAlary. Unlikely, I know.

Janette’s restaurant opens and is a critical success. Yet she doesn’t seem happy. I think she loves what she’s doing, but not who she’s doing it with. Can you blame her? Feeney is a little gauche, for want of a better word. He doesn’t understand the business he’s in. He’s just a little bit classless. Or that’s the impression I’m getting anyway. I could be way off base. Either way, something’s not clicking.

Sonny proposes to Linh. She says yes. But he still needs to clear it with her dad. Also, he needs to grow his beard back. He’s not a man who should be clean-shaven.

Antoine is determined to improve his playing. Starts jamming with Delmond and his modern jazz friends. He’s struggling but he’ll get there. As a fellow trombone player, I applaud his attempts to do it. I can attest to the fact that that shit ain’t easy. But, like Desiree, I wonder a little about why he’s going down this route. Like she said, “I don’t think you’re going to be happy getting good at something you don’t love.”

Albert starts chemo. Seems to be taking it well at first but is a quivering, vomiting wreck before long. What a horrible disease and a horrible cure.

After Sofia gets arrested at a party, Toni suggests that she go live with her grandma until everything blows over. That she finish the school year there. In Florida. Sofia’s not happy, but she’s packing before the episode is finished. And is furious at her mother. I can’t really blame her. I know Toni’s doing what she’s doing for the good of a lot of people, but it’s really screwing things up for Sofia.

And while we’re on that, Toni gets those files she was looking for and discovers that she might not be able to trust Terry as far as she thought – she’s come across a report about those bullets from what feels like decades ago. Remember? She found them and gave them to Terry? Then he sent them off to ballistics, saying one was from the Seals case (both of them were) and one was from Abreu (it wasn’t), and that a cop might have been involved in the shooting? And then one of them never made it to ballistics? Except he never told Toni he was doing any of this? Which is a pity because now Toni is assuming he’s crooked and is involved in the cover-up conspiracy. It’s sad that he’s going to have to be dragged into this, considering that he’s the only cop in the city who isn’t corrupt. Except for that bullet thing. – K

 

Quoteworthy: “What I am, chef, is a motherfuckin’ preofessional.” – Derek, waiter extraordinaire

“Promised Land” – Treme

It’s Mardi Gras!

Toni’s still working hard on the Abreu and Glover cases. She gets an emergency court order preventing NOPD from throwing out investigative files before she can look through them (or something).

Sofia’s broken up with the boyfriend. She’s clearly into LP but he’s valiantly fighting their growing attraction. He thought her boyfriend was too old for her, and he’s the same age, so obviously he’s going to do his best to avoid anything happening between them. Don’t see that lasting.

Janette is having trouble reconciling herself with making traditional New Orleans fare for a bunch of tourists. She eventually realizes that it’s not just about her – the more PR work she does, the more likely it is that the restaurant will be a success and that her staff’s jobs will be secure – and goes on The Today Show with Al Roker.

A friend of Delmond and his sister is heavily involved in a documentary that showed at Sundance. Mid-way through the episode, we see the Indians watching it. This part of the episode moved me to tears. It’s so easy to forget when watching Treme that all of this really happened and it happened to real people. Now that the show’s New Orleans is moving on, we forget about the tragedy that started everything. This brought it back home with a bang as we heard a recorded conversation between an elderly woman trapped in her attic as the waters rose and the emergency services who told her help wasn’t coming.

But as is always the case with Treme, the misery never lasts long – this is a city that refuses to bow (as the tagline so proudly proclaims) and is even less likely to do so on Mardi Gras. Things move on.

Antoine’s students finally march in a parade and, in a sweet moment, have a jamming session with the Marine band.

Nelson’s in DC to meet with a contact who invites him to the DC Mardi Gras party to meet some Louisiana big-wigs. Annie is playing at the party. The crowd isn’t what she’s used to – talking over the bands, ignoring the importance of the lyrics. Which is probably why she’s less than happy when her manager tells her he’s booked her for shows on Mardi Gras day and she won’t be home in New Orleans for the whole day of festivities.

Which is unfortunate because if she was maybe Davis and Janette wouldn’t have fallen back into old habits.

There’s a nod to Harley as Annie and his sister scatter his ashes into the river at the end of the Ste. Anne parade, and then Annie is whisked back off to her new life with a sad look in her eye.

Albert marches, just like he wanted. He doesn’t look too well after the parades, though. Mardi Gras definitely took its toll. Has he left enough time for the chemo to do its job, or has his stubbornness walked him into an early grave?

Sonny’s been sober for two weeks and even manages to stay clean on Mardi Gras.

Terry is becoming even more disillusioned with the NOPD in the wake of a Mardi Gras full of beatings and excuses, and sees their downfall coming, just around the corner.

Mixed bag of Mardi Gras fun and misery. I guess that’s just the Treme experience in a nutshell. – K

 

Quoteworthy: “Something is coming, Tony. Something big, and ugly, and overdue. … Keep yourself clean. … Something is coming, so stay clean of this shit.” – Terry

“I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say” – Treme

   

God. I hope I never experience a Christmas as bleak as this one. Wow. I’m almost speechless. Great episode, though – I’ll just start by saying that. New Orleans going even more to hell than it already was, if that’s even possible. Other than Annie getting signed to Lost Highway and earning the approval of her classical-music obsessed mother, and Delmond getting involved in the National Jazz Center project, I genuinely don’t think one single happy thing happened in the whole episode. I’m full of an overwhelming sense of depression. I’m glad HBO didn’t air this in December or I would’ve been weeping into my Christmas dinner.

Desiree’s mom’s house was knocked (despite the fact that it was on lists for remediation). LP and Toni are struggling to find anyone who knows anything about Henry Glover’s death. This episode sees them cold calling out-of-state forensic pathologists to see if they can track down the one who worked on Glover’s body. Davis’s Musical Heritage Tour is only serving to highlight how the city is allowing great icons of cultural history – like Perseverance Hall – to fall apart. Janette is beginning to regret getting into business with Feeney, who is not living up to expectations. He keeps getting distracted by beours (I’ll let slang.ie explain that one to you). The entire black community is let down by a unanimous vote in council to tear down the projects, even though they’re not damaged and so many people are homeless. Albert rails against society for trying to wash the poor away. And, by the way, he’s on the verge of giving up. He says he’s too tired to fight these battles anymore. Might be something to do with getting pepper sprayed by cops. Sonny relapses. Nelson’s being shut out by local officials. I never would’ve cared about that before, but his indignation at the way the council came to their decision about the projects warmed me toward him. Sofia is being harassed by cops and seems to be working on the assumption that when she leaves New Orleans she’s never coming back. And you couldn’t blame her. Not when one of them takes a bat to Toni’s car windscreen. Protect and serve, huh?

I’m so depressed right now. – K

 

Quoteworthy: “They say that a lot here… ‘used to be’.” – Annie’s mom

“The Greatest Love” – ‘Treme’

     

This one could go, too. To be fair, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I should just give up on watching TV altogether. None of it seems to be appealing to me overmuch these days.

This episode is all about coming up against walls and waiting (in vain?) for things to get better. This thematic interpretation is brought home with a resounding crash by the performance of Waiting for Godot to which Sofia, LP and Toni go – “Motherfucker ain’t coming.” Things won’t get better.

Annie is doing really well, touring and making a name for herself. But she’s starting to leave Davis behind. While she enjoys all the perks that come with success, Davis is struggling to put together his benefit CD, and doing laundry is the highlight of his day. As Annie slips through his fingers, we wonder if we’ll be seeing a different side of Davis in the coming weeks – a more pessimistic man than the one we’re used to. Nelson and Robinette have quickly tired of their NOAH contract. Robinette thinks they’re not doing enough and Nelson doesn’t think he’s getting enough. He’s starting to talk about moving on. Toni’s starting to get a little traction in her crusade against Officer Wilson, but the people coming forward are still afraid. LP is still working on Henry Glover and people keep telling him to be careful. With good reason. The more he delves into the case the more the cops hype up their intimidation, eventually tailing him and Sofia. While we’re on the subject, I’m seeing sparks flying between these two (though that may be all in my head). But her boyfriend’s a jerk. LP would be a much better choice for her. Jacques and Janette are interviewing at the restaurant. The wall that Jacques is coming up against? Janette. Okay, that sounded dirtier than I had intended. I mean that she’s consumed with the restaurant and is ignoring him, romantically. He might soon tire of her seeing him only as her sous-chef. Sofia’s also starting to get the blowback from Toni’s campaign against Wilson. She gets pulled over and ticketed for some bullshit reason. Maybe she and LP will be brought together by mutual hatred for ‘The Man’? Albert Lambreaux goes to the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation for medical help. Antoine goes too – he pretends he can’t pay his Entergy bill so that he can help out a student whose family is going without heat. I love Antoine at the moment. Even though he’s still a womanizing slut, he’s kind of a sweetie.

My Treme decision? Does it stay or does it go? It stays. Maybe not that much happens. Maybe, as Kurt said in Glee, “these songs go on forever”. But, unlike with Boardwalk, I actually like the characters. I want to know what happens to them. So Treme survives this week’s cull. – K

Quoteworthy: “I’m on a sacred mission here.” – Davis, channeling the Blue Brothers

“Knock With Me – Rock With Me” – ‘Treme’

This week’s Season 3 opener typifies the underlying current of Treme – post-Katrina, sometimes nothing changes and sometimes everything does.

It’s been 25 months since Katrina and, as the episode begins, we see Antoine Batiste, still clutching his trusty trombone in the back of a cab and still arguing with cabbies. Some things never change.

Then immediately we see the police break up a memorial for Kerwin James following a noise complaint. Forbidden from playing instruments, those gathered for the memorial square off with the cops, singing defiance in their faces. The ‘ringleaders’ – Glen and Derrick – get arrested. We learn, as the episode progresses, that the whole city is in a disgusted uproar over this infringement on New Orleans tradition. It’s just not done in NOLA. As Antoine put it to the unflinching cops, “Anybody with complaints about music in Treme, they in the wrong place altogether.” Sometimes everything changes.

The rest of the episode continues in this same dichotomous way.

 

Things that haven’t changed:

Davis is still determined to make it big in the music biz. This season? He’s writing a musical/opera – “Katrina. And opera. And blues. And fun.”

Toni Bernette is deep into her civil liberties, bailing Antoine out and still avidly pursuing a resolution in the Abreu case.

Janette is still stuck in the throes of “house stuff”, working in New York but travelling down home often. She’s also still in the throes of a friends with benefits ‘relationship’ with Jacques.

Delmond Lambreaux’s music still goes underappreciated and misunderstood by the jazz aficionados and critics.

Terry is still dealing with the fallout from helping Toni with the Abreu case. Every detective in his unit hates him, and it’s impossible for him to work with them. He wants a transfer but is turned down. He bargains for a limit on secondary hours (i.e. the amount of time detectives can spend working as a regular police officer).

Sofia is working at the coffee house. She has a musician boyfriend who hangs there.

Antoine is shut out of another band because of bad timing – this band has suddenly achieved huge success because the main members, Glen and Derrick, were arrested at the memorial and then shamed the NOPD into releasing them. Antoine was arrested after the memorial so he just missed out on that legendary status. And success.

NOLA is corrupt as ever, with a big contractor out of Florida – Miss Mortensen – taking funds from New Orleans Affordable Home-ownership (NOAH) but not putting them into actually renovating houses.

Can’t keep a good neighbourhood down. Despite the cops’ interference the first time around, the NOLA musicians are planning to hold a second memorial.

 

Things that have changed:

Annie has a new band – Annie T and the Bayou St John Playboys. They’re starting to tour and this is their New Orleans debut.

LaDonna, Larry and the boys are living with Larry’s brother and his wife.

LaDonna has a stage/performance area in Gigi’s.

Toni gets visited by a reporter from Berkeley who’s interested in a story about vigilante justice in Algiers during the immediate post-Katrina haze.

Albert Lambreaux is vocally proud of Delmond. And of himself.

 

Things that are neither here nor there:

Janette has a ‘stalker’ at the New York restaurant (Sam Robards, Gossip Girl, The West Wing). Except he’s not. He’s from New Orleans and he wants to offer Janette a job. (Or something. Hard to tell. He still hasn’t spoken.)

Davis is running a really shit musical heritage tour – half of the stops are closed or gone and the other half were made up.

Sonny is still working the fishing boat and dating the Vietnamese girl with the bizarrely strict family.

As Derrick puts it, Glen must have really shamed the NOPD – a cop car shows up to the second memorial, but not to arrest anyone. It’s there as an official escort. Aww! — K

 

Quoteworthy:

“Another month or two of this shit and I really will go ghetto. LaDonna will choke a bitch.” – LaDonna

“Dreamers. Dreamers and drunks.” – Terry’s ex-wife, Kay (Laura Cayouette), on why she never liked New Orleans.

“Like others before, he’s come to poach my prize cook and offer fame and fortune back home. So go talk to the mook. I can’t handle the suspense.” – David Chang (himself)

“Winton would say that but he don’t get the last damn word on what jazz and what ain’t. I been listening to and loving jazz since before that boy was a thought in Emerson’s mind. If he gave them songs even half a listen he’d know that you and me done broke some fresh fucking ground. Dem songs is going to stand, son.” – Albert Lambreaux

“Don’t ever change.” – Terry, summing up the entire premise of the episode for us.

Have a Preview – “Saints”