Treme

Finally.

Daymo.

Boy, what you doin' in jail?

I don't know.

What do you mean, you don't know?

What the fuck you get arrested for?

I told you, Ladonna, I don't know.

Messing around with that dope again, ain't it?

Ma goin' crazy behind this. You took her through hell.

Get me out of here, sis.

Come on, get me out.

Whoo!

I know that you're a busy man.

I'm glad you found your way back.

And it's good of you to stop by today, Mr. President,

If only for a short visit.

It lets us know that New Orleans still has your heart.

Half of our people are not home.

Charity hospital is still closed,

With people dying down here for lack of medical care.

And, yes, I know we're only five months away

From the next hurricane season

With our flood control still in a state of half-assedness.

Hey, what can we expect?

We're not the Dutch

Who keep half their country out of the North Sea

As a matter of routine.

We're just Americans

Doing the best we can manage.

But I digress.

What I mean to say, Mr. President,

Is that I continue to believe

In the better angel of your nature;

The one who, a few days after the storm,

Stood in front of a floodlit Jackson square

And promised to rebuild the Gulf coast.

So let me banish from my mind

The image of you lightly joking

About the high times you spent here

In our city as a youth

While bodies floated in our streets.

And far be it for me, with all my excesses

And impulses, to judge you

For a few untethered, unfocused words.

All will be forgiven, Mr. President,

If you just simply

Take a moment, as I often do,

And watch yourself in Jackson square

And listen to those stirring words.

And then keep your fucking promise.

I need to use the bathroom,

But I didn't want to come through till you were awake.

Um, go ahead.

Sonny?

- Sonny? - Hmm?

How long is your new friend supposed to stay here?

Mmm.

You crawled into bed late.

- Did you get much done? - Some.

I had something to say.

Who got the "f you" this time?

Oh, you can say "fuck." She can't hear you over that bounce rap,

Where her heroes are undoubtedly saying "fuck"

And "shit" and "keep off me, bitch."

No progress on the novel? Classes startin'.

The novel seems so unimportant, academic.

Cray, what is more important than your writing-- your real writing?

- Krewe du vieux, maybe. - Oh, that nonsense.

The first parade after the storm is not nonsense.

It sets the tone.

I take my responsibilities very seriously.

Hence the haircut.

I thought that was for Tulane coming back.

Tulane, I changed my underwear.

oh, I see!

What's the krewe du vieux theme this year?

George Bush, Kathleen Blanco, Ray Nagin, sperm.

Seriously.

Just curious-- how do you always manage to get past the desk sergeant?

I brought king cake. If you want a slice, you'd better hustle.

Batiste, Antoine.

Remind me again.

His trombone-- it's not at temporary evidence;

It's not with your arresting officers;

It's not on any property slip in the court file.

I'll throw some calls.

Thanks, Terry.

That's him. That's him.

You're sure, right?

You think I'm gonna forget that man?

Yeah, you.

You. You need me, boss.

- You done any roofin'? - I've done it all.

And I speak English, if that matters.

You.

And that's it. That's it.

All right, this should be easy enough. I can take it from here.

Oh, hell no. I want to see his ugly grill

When you serve up them papers. I ain't missing this no how.

Let me just lock my car.

Come on.

Yeah, I gotcha.

Well, you better call him.

Yeah, all right then. I'll call the man.

- Thanks, Toni. - You're welcome.

Good lookin' out.

Ooh oh!

You fine, girl. Where you headed?

They got a temporary personnel office up for the school system.

I need to go see what happens to me now that fortier isn't gonna reopen.

- You doin' that today? - Schools are starting up.

I don't let 'em know I'm back, they gonna give that job away.

Who was that?

- The lawyer. - They find your 'bone?

Naw, not yet. But she got this number

For these cats from japan-- jazz fans and shit.

They hooked up with the Tipitina foundation

And want to help out with stuff.

Payin' cash money on instruments and all.

- They from Japan? - Mm-hmm.

- Japan Japan? - Mm-hmm. That's what she say.

I'm supposed to call the man at the hotel.

Might have to go downtown to meet him.

- You got the baby today. - No, see, but--

But my ass. I'm out.

- Tenemos Los shingles. - Okay.

- Thaddeus Riley? - Yeah.

You are hereby served.

Yeah. I gotcha.

I gotcha good, Riley. We goin' to court.

Miss Ladee, you didn't need to do this.

Y'all crazy to work for this man.

Like as not, he gonna plead poverty when it come time to pay y'all.

- That's how he do. - Shit.

Okay, $50 each, four songs.

$12.50 a song, man?

I'm already paying seven players and two back-up singers.

- I can't afford more. - Broke-ass guitar player.

- Yeah, but you're not doing it for the money. - I'm not?

This is for New Orleans in her hour of need.

Man, I've been in my hour of need my whole damn life.

Where New Orleans been for me?

Years from now, you're gonna be sittin' here

Staring into the... Deep and compassionate eyes

Of a man... A stranger, perhaps,

Who's trying to explain the meaning of your life...

Get a grip, seriously.

...Your noblest deeds, your finest accomplishments.

I can tune a bass drunk.

And you will justify yourself by saying

That for next to no money at all...

I played on DJ Davis Mcalary's...

Legendary... Four-song epistle...

Against all that is unholy and...

Corrupt in the government of New Orleans.

Man, is this epistle in b-flat, at least?

B-flat, fine. And that compassionate stranger--

His eyes will widen.

And by virtue of your participation

In this musical recording alone...

He will view your naked humanity in a new light.

Is this the dirty part?

And he will say unto you... "that is really great, pal.

But it's closing time.

"You need to put that in a go-cup and get the fuck out."

- Right? You're in! - All right, Davis, you're on.

- Yes! - Man, give me my fiddy now.

Yeah! Gotta wash my hands now.

Team Mcalary! Whoo!

Yes!

Asshole.

Sorry I'm late, Toni.

Let me tell you, if my afternoon is anything like my morning,

- This here gonna be right. - What happened?

I'm just sayin', this lawyerin' shit could get good to a person.

Oyez oyez oyez. All rise.

Section "a" of the criminal court,

Parish of Orleans, state of Louisiana,

Is now in session.

The honorable John Gatling presiding.

God save this state and the honorable court.

Please be seated.

So what's left of this afternoon

Is all about Brooks v. Orleans criminal sheriff's office

And the Louisiana department of corrections. A habeas corpus.

- Miss Bernette? - Yes, your honor.

Representing the family of David Maurice Brooks,