I can't tell you how many times I'd hear that this show had to be watched "in the right mood". Heck, even 30 Rock made a joke about it in the same way. That, and knowing that it was based on the aftermath of New Orleans, made me assume that it was this really depressing, really raw, bleak show. I was kind of weary of watching something incredibly down and something that seemed like it would have a ton of melodrama. So I was completely shocked at how optimistic it is, and how it turned out to be the one show that I could just put on to put me in a better mood. Oh sure, it is pretty depressing in some of the developments, but overall, it's definitely focused on trying to show people rising up, instead of staying down. It's also not at all driven by plot, which I'm sure is a big part of the reason that it's so completely underrated/underseen. The Wire's definitely the thing this reminds me the most of, even if it doesn't have that show's immediate punch impacts. Ultimately, one either takes to this show or doesn't, either swept by it and completely enthralled by its characters and willing to see their lives transpire or isn't. I don't know how realistic in its depiction of New Orleans it is, but all I know is that I found it a fantastic world to get lost in, a sort of laid-back, relaxed form of realism entertainment that often felt transcendent, that I rarely see in TV these days. A glorious ensemble, a glorious array of characters, and glorious music all around. A fantastic, fantastic season, and I hope the show doesn't change in any way in its following seasons.
