TV’s Moments of Joy: The Dream Warriors

There’s something loveable about this – there’s a weird, “Let’s put on a show!” quality to the whole thing.It feels like the people involved think the whole thing is awesome, and that makes it strangely compelling.We can’t say why we’re going to keep watching, exactly, but we won’t be able to stop.

Treme – This week’s finale was a stunning wrap-up to a strong season.We weren’t sure how David Simon would do without using a crime story as a framework – that’s sort of his thing, after all.But his post-Katrina series just focused on characters, not all of whom were directly connected.Treme just tells their stories, and it’s amazing.The season finale confirmed what we all feared after last week, with the suicide of one of the most important characters, which just goes to show that Simon hasn’t softened one bit.And the flashbacks showing the cast hours before Katrina hit were simply chilling.But what Treme really gave us was a story about how ordinary people bear up under extraordinary circumstances.The people of Treme aren’t heroes, but they get up every morning in a city that was all but destroyed, and they try to reclaim their lives.The simplest activities require a strength, dignity, and passion that most of us can’t even imagine.It’s landmark television.