Treme - The Complete Fourth Season

Whoever said "Parting is such sweet sorrow" must have known that coming to the last episodes of a favorite television show can feel very much like losing an old friend. That's true in the case of "Treme," David Simon's post-Katrina portrait of New Orleans.

Though "Treme: The Complete Fourth Season" only consisted of five episodes, that in itself is proof of HBO's dedication to the artistry of its programs. Like "The Wire" before it (another David Simon show), "Treme" spent its life on the bubble -- under the bubble, really, with dismal ratings. But those who watched it knew that "Treme" is an extraordinary document, a record of the culture, cuisine, music, and politics of a unique American city.

Previous season sets offered Blu-ray exclusive content in the form of interactive features exploring the city and its musical landscape. That's not the case here; both the DVD and Blu-ray sets contain the same minimal extras, namely two audio tracks (one accompanies the season's first episode; the other the series finale). Half the episodes, barely any extras... and so what? If you love this show, you'll treasure the crisp hi-def transfer and the music-friendly audio (DTS HD 5.1 -- I'm not a tech geek, but I appreciate the good stuff when I hear it).

There's no discussing the events of these final episodes without spoiling the fun, so I'll leave it to you to re-live (or experience for the first time) these final few hours. At $49.99, the price is a little steep for a valedictory half-season, but there's another option available in the release of the complete season, also out now and costing $134.99.

"Treme:The Complete Fourth Season"
Blu-ray
$49.99
http://store.hbo.com/treme-the-complete-fourth-season-blu-ray/detail.php?p=479589&v=hbo_dvds_blu-ray