HBO PROJECT: Treme (2010) | Boardwalk Empire (2010)

Summary: Three months after, and the citizens of Treme (2010) are still rebuilding their lives. Antoine Baptiste is a musician adverse to paying cab fares. LaDonna, Baptiste's ex-wife, throws shade on the neighborhood brass band section whilst searching for her lost brother. Toni Bernette is a lawyer/crusader who loves bread pudding. Her husband, Creighton (really?), bickers with a British reporter. Albert Lambreaux wears all the feathers as he's got fire can't put it out make lew-lew dewey-dewey bottie bomb-bow. Don't ask restaurateur Janette Desautel about her house, or her poor taste in men, which includes professional music snob Davis McAlary. Played to great irritation by Steve Zahn, Davis is a definite contender for worst HBO character. (For additional anti-Zahn conversation, listen to our commentary for A Perfect Getaway.) (9:50 - 57:27) ... January 16, 1920 was one of the darkest days in American history as the idiots who ran our country decided to address the symptoms, not the causes, of toxic masculinity by making illegal the one thing that gets us through each excruciating day: alcohol. Boardwalk Empire (2010) is about American Hero Nucky Thompson, his hero buddies, including Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano, and Al Capone, and their noble quest to keep us well and truly sauced despite the centurions at the FBI. So, raise a glass of caramel-colored fermented potatoes to these brave men, who in defiance of a ridiculous law, aided our great nation in weathering the dry and dreadful storm known as Prohibition. Plus, babies in cupboards. (57:28 - 2:23:02) ... Also, the Deadwood film, His Dark Materials, and intimacy counselors. (0 - 9:49) | Send feedback to hooplecast@gmail.com. Find our recording schedule, show notes, discussion threads, and more at hooplecast.com. | Recorded November 18, 2018. Released February 4, 2019. [Warning: Explicit Language.]