History Series / Treme

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY:
** The title and the neighborhood it comes from is pronounced "Tre-MAY", "TRE-May", or "Tremmy" (in the documentary ''Cutting Loose'')
** Annie's first scene features her giving a subtle lesson in how to say New Orleans ("ORE-lens," not "Or-LEENS," as it's usually pronounced in songs for a better rhyme and/or rhythm).

* RealityHasNoSubtitles: When Sonny ends up working on a Vietnamese fishing boat in season 2 and beyond, and they speak Vietnamese, it's never translated into English, unless it gets translated for him. Ditto with any of the other languages spoken on the show, like French.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Happens InUniverse after [[spoiler: Harley]] is murdered, when [[spoiler: Annie]] discovers a large collection of unfinished songs in his apartment, and attempts to finish them herself.

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal:
** Davis' slogan "Pot for potholes."
** Creighton's rant "Fuck you, you fucking fucks."

Season two skips ahead several months and begins on All Saints' Day 2006. More than a year after Katrina, more and more people are returning, but unfortunately this includes a good deal of criminals, plus one new major character in Nelson Hildalgo, a Texan with a very vaguely defined job who's looking to make some money off the rebuilding efforts.

** [[spoiler:"What do you ''do''?"]]

** Former New Orleans city councilman Oliver Thomas plays himself, all the way up to the part where [[spoiler:he's indicted of corruption and resigns, and even when he's in prison.]]
** Restaurant Critic Alan Richman also plays himself in season 2, and his scathing review of New Orleans cuisine is featured. [[spoiler: Fair play to him, he allowed David Simon to have Janette the chef throw a drink in his face.]]
* [[AuthorAppeal Author]] [[JustForPun Appeal]]: Inverted in the case of [[Series/NoReservations Anthony Bourdain]], who has made appeals to write for the show, and finally got his wish with a story co-credit in Season 2.
* ActorExistenceFailure: Michael Showers, who played Captain Guidry in season 2, was mysteriously found dead in the Mississippi River.
* AuthorExistenceFailure: Happens InUniverse after [[spoiler:Harley]] is murdered, when [[spoiler:Annie]] discovers a large collection of unfinished songs in his apartment, and attempts to finish them herself.
* BadCopIncompetentCop:

** Also subverted; fans speculated that Sonny and Annie were based on a real musician couple who broke up a few months after the hurricane, followed by the man murdering the woman and then jumping off a hotel roof a few days later. The producers have thoroughly denied it, and the real event is mentioned in season two.
** Davis is based partly on Davis Rogan, a ne'er-do-well musician and DJ, and much of Davis' life - his chequered employment history, his songs, his banishment from local bars - is taken directly from Rogan's. Rogan's friend Simply even appears as Davis's friend Simply. (For bonus recursion, Davis Rogan appears as himself in several scenes.)

* BilingualBonus: French, Spanish and Vietnamese are all used to provide extra plot and/or gags.

** Season one begins and ends with a second line, and in season two it's a kid walking down the street practicing his trumpet.
** In season three, we start with musicians being arrested for an unauthorized tribute concert. At the end of the episode they do it again, and this time the cops act as their escort.

* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Terry]] leaves New Orleans in the finale after rationalizing he's burnt a big bridge. As he drives away from Louisiana, its music radio station becomes garbled, marking the sad end of an era.

* ChekhovsSkill: In season one, Davis demonstrates remarkable knowledge of wine when he steals some from Jeanette's restaurant. In season four, he spends some time working as her sommelier.

* DramaticIrony: Some characters in the Season 1 finale flashback -particularly Davis and Creighton- discuss that the Katrina will amount to nothing or won't affect the city, as it's usually the case with most hurricanes.

* FourLinesAllWaiting: By season two, the show's scope is so wide that most characters only get two or three scenes an episode.

* FinaleCredits: See also SilentCredits

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: In season two, it bizarrely seems like everyone in town except Sofia knows about [[spoiler:her father's suicide.]]
* MeaningfulEcho: David Simon works in quite a few of the most famous lines from ''Series/TheWire''. Examples include Davis saying "and all the pieces matter" and Terry saying "the game is rigged" in season 3.

* MotorMouth: Davis
* NWordPrivileges:

* OnceASeason: A Mardi Grass episode, which needless to say it's some SeriousBusiness. The Creightons will loop Professor Longhair's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wAMr3V5lN4 Go To The Mardi Gras]].

* PersonaNonGrata: Davis is told to behave by a bartender, otherwise they'll put back again the sign "If your name is Davis [=Mcalary=], please leave."

-->'''[=LaDonna=]:''' You very handy, Mr Lambreaux.

* SilentCredits: It is included as a Finale Credits as a tribute to the musical and cultural community of New Orleans, and also one to writer/producer David Mills, who died on set late in production of season 1

* ViewersAreGeniuses: The show assumes a basic familiarity with New Orleans culture, or a capacity to pick up on things quickly after being thrown straight into the deep end, David Simon-style. Lesser viewers would be confused as to why [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras_Indians African-Americans dance around in Indian costumes]] and why [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_funeral everyone locksteps during funerals]].
* WhamEpisode:
** "Wish Someone Would Care"
** "What Is New Orleans?" is season two's.
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: [[spoiler:Asked by Nelson's cousin to him in the season 2 finale. See ArmorPiercingQuestion.]]

* HenpeckedHusband: Antoine frequently considers himself to be this to Desiree, but as he's [[OneHourWorkWeek frequently unemployed]] and [[YourCheatingHeart sleeps around a ton]], her nagging of him is actually pretty reasonable.

* TooSoon: In-universe. The citizens find highly disrespectful the existence of "Katrina bus tours."

* [[WhatExactlyIsHisJob What, Exactly, Is Your Job?]]: [[spoiler:Asked by Nelson's cousin to him in the season 2 finale. See ArmorPiercingQuestion.]]

* LingerieScene: Downplayed when Sophia has passed out from drinking too much during Mardi Gras and pukes on her shirt. Davis takes her home, takes off her shirt to wash it, and lets her sleep on his couch wearing just a bra and jeans. The scene is not played for fan service or sexual innuendo. Not even Annie takes it as that when she walks in on them.

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: In season two, it bizarrely seems like everyone in town except Sophia knows about [[spoiler:her father's suicide.]]

* NotWhatItLooksLike: Davis says this when Annie walks in on him sitting in a room with a shirtless Sophia passed out in front of him the morning after Mardi Gras. Seriously, it's not.

* ClusterFBomb: Creighton's first YouTube video. Sofia later takes inspiration from him.

Creator/DavidSimon's followup to ''Series/TheWire'' which has garnered just as much critical love right off the bat.

* ContinuityLockout: The show assumes a basic familiarity with New Orleans culture. If not, prepare to be confused as to why [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras_Indians a bunch of African-Americans are dancing around in Indian costumes]], or why [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_funeral everyone seems to be lockstepping during funerals]].

-->'''LaDonna:''' You very handy, Mr Lambreaux.

* LighterAndFluffier: Compared to ''TheWire''. Then again, the same can be said of [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's trip through Hell]].

* MeaningfulEcho: David Simon works in quite a few of the most famous lines from Series/TheWire. Examples include Davis saying "and all the pieces matter" and Terry saying "the game is rigged" in season 3.

* [[AuthorAppeal Author]] [[JustForPun Appeal]]: Inverted in the case of [[NoReservations Anthony Bourdain]], who has made appeals to write for the show, and finally got his wish with a story co-credit in Season 2.

!!Tropes associated with ''Treme''

* CaliforniaDoubling: Mostly averted, but the scenes in New York are all faked on sets.

* LighterAndFluffier: Compared to ''TheWire'' Then again, the same can be said of [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's trip through Hell]].
** DarkerAndEdgier: The 2nd season, with a major focus on rising crime as more people start returning to the city.

* AuthorExistenceFailure:
** Writer David Mills died of a brain aneurysm while on set. Mills also worked on acclaimed series like ''TheWire'', ''NYPD Blue'', ''Homicide'' and was the creator of the tv series ''Kingpin''
** Also happens InUniverse: [[spoiler:After Harley is murdered, Annie discovers a large collection of unfinished songs in his apartment, and attempts to finish them herself.]]

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The production team has publicly stated they hope locals take any inaccuracies this way. It hasn't worked out 100% - see RealityIsUnrealistic below.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: [[spoiler:"What do you ''do''?"]]

* AsHimself / SpecialGuest: Many New Orleans musicians guest star as themselves.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Writer David Mills died of a brain aneurysm while on set. Mills also worked on acclaimed series like ''TheWire'', ''NYPD Blue'', ''Homicide'' and was the creator of the tv series ''Kingpin''
** Also happens in-universe: [[spoiler:After Harley is murdered, Annie discovers a large collection of unfinished songs in his apartment, and attempts to finish them herself.]]
** And an actor one, as Michael Showers, who played Captain Guidry in season 2, was mysteriously found dead in the Mississippi River.
* [[{{Bad Cop Incompetent Cop}} Bad Cop Incompetent Cop]]: The NOPD does not look very good in this series, though given the creators' pervious work, the subject was bound to come up. Offenses include brutality, stealing property, and attempted bribery. Even before Katrina, this sort of behavior was far from out-of-character for the NOPD. Several characters say as much throughout the series. New Orleans natives might say this is TruthInTelevision.

** Put any bereaucratic roadblocks in front of Toni, and you'll just make her try harder to get to the truth.

* ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans: Not always, obviously, but music is a central theme.

* MoodDissonance/MoodWhiplash: It's in the blood of New Orleans, its inhabitants will always find the time to cheer up and celebrate during the direst circumstances, come hell or high water. Not being able to would be the biggest of the tragedies. [[TheFunInFuneral Second line funerals]] are a prominent example.
** Also exemplified in the opening titles; the upbeat song plays over images of people partying and enjoying New Orleans culture -- as well as harrowing images of the storm's destruction and the terrible aftermath, including a ton of artistically-rendered mold. The lyrics itself seem to drive the point home:

* NoPlaceForMeThere[=/=]ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Terry]] leaves New Orleans in the finale after rationalizing he's burnt a big bridge. As he drives away from Louisiana, its music radio station becomes garbled, marking the sad end of an era.

* LighterAndFluffier: Compared to ''TheWire'' Then again, the same can be said of [[DivineComedy Dante's trip through Hell]].

* SmallNamebigEgo: Davis likes to pretend that he is really hip and a great musician when in reality he's just a DJ on a local radio station.

* TheCastShowoff: Wendell Pierce mimed his trombone playing in season one, but learned to play for real starting in season two.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: The commentary on the pilot has David Simon discussing how some locals criticized the show for a shot of the Superdome which showed an undamaged roof, despite the roof having been repaired by the time the show starts.
** This is because the repair in place at the time of the pilot was very temporary. Local viewers are recalling the much longer permanent fix that was done after the pilot.

* SoundtrackDissonance: One ad had upbeat music while the camera panned over a devastated row of houses.

* MoodDissonance: It's in the blood of New Orleans, its inhabitants will always find the time to cheer up and celebrate during the direst circumstances, come hell or high water. Not being able to would be the biggest of the tragedies. [[TheFunInFuneral Second line funerals]] are a prominent example.