On Your Way Down
Treme | Season 2 | Episode 3

On Your Way Down

TV-MA | 58 MIN

Written by: James Yoshimura
Directed by: Simon Cellan Jones

Nelson Hidalgo shows more enthusiasm for the old cartoons on television than for his semi-nude date. In New York, Janette Desautel hustles in Enrico Brulard's kitchen. Patrons at a gallery look at photos from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath as Annie and pianist David Torkanowsky play in the background.

Outside of the shuttered Robideaux's supermarket, Antoinette "Toni" Bernette interviews Officer James Distel about Joey Abreu's death. She is increasingly surprised by what he tells her: He found the body decomposing inside the store. He filed a report-albeit on a paper plate-into evidence, along with the bullet casings he found on the scene.

Delmond Lambreaux joins his bandmates for breakfast and complains that, despite the positive reviews, sales of his new CD have been weak.

Annie takes in the photos at the gallery and spots one of Sonny rescuing Hurricane Katrina survivors, just as he claimed he had done.

Rushing to band rehearsal, Antoine Batiste has trouble finding a cab that will pick him up. When he finally arrives, he has trouble keeping his musicians in line.

Robinette and Albert Lambreaux haul debris to the dump and talk about how complaints from the Vietnamese community in eastern New Orleans forced the city to close another landfill. Waiting on a long line to access the dump, the two of them argue about the correct name of the Road Home program.

Toni follows up with Distel's 5th District captain and finds out the crime was referred to the First District, the district where the body was found.

LaDonna Batiste-Williams and her patrons talk about how traditional second line parades are in danger because the city has dramatically raised the parade fees it charges social aid and pleasure clubs to hold their annual events. Antoine Batiste arrives and chats up LaDonna about letting his band provide live music for Gigi's.

Davis McAlary goes to Desautel's to fetch her mail and discovers that her home has been robbed. After calling the police, Davis alerts Janette, who is at work. She works up the courage to ask Chef Brulard for time off to return to New Orleans, but gets an earful about her lack of commitment.

Toni and her colleague Andrea Cazayoux watch Sofia's latest rant on YouTube. Sensing Toni's concern, Andrea Cazayoux suggests she arrange for an internship so Sofia has a place to channel her energy.

Desiree gets Batiste a band instructor job interview at Theophile Jones Elie elementary school. He balks, claiming that steady work will impede his efforts to form his own band. But Desiree insists that gigging for cash isn't enough. He'll need a steady salary on paper if they want a home loan.

LaDonna closes up Gigi's for the night but gets suspicious of a young man who tries to come in and use the phone. LaDonna leaves the bar and is attacked by the young man and an accomplice.

Sonny goes to The Spotted Cat to hear music and asks guitarist John Rodli if he knows of any gigs. Heading home in frustration, he watches as the police raid his apartment and haul his roommates away for dealing drugs. Sonny returns to his wrecked apartment. His keyboard is in pieces and his guitar is missing.

A passerby spots LaDonna, beaten and unconscious inside her bar, and carries her to the hospital. Larry Williams rushes to his wife's bedside and is asked to wait outside her room, unaware that the doctor is talking to LaDonna about administering a rape exam.

Hidalgo drives to Robinette's work site, pleased to hear he's finished his debris removal job. He invites him to his hotel for a drink to discuss his next assignment.

Toni goes to Colson and asks for help with the Abreu case. She can't approach the 1st District captain herself because she sued him a few years back. Colson tries to follow up with Capt. Grayson, who criticizes Colson's friendship with Toni.

Larry stays by LaDonna's side, forcing her to send away a detective trying to investigate the case.

Janette arrives home in New Orleans to find that her things have been strewn all over the place by the burglars.

Batiste has trouble wrangling his band and they urge him to find a guitar player to fill out their sound.

Colson tells Toni that Distel's reports were never filed - neither the paper plate nor the casings made it to the First District, or to Homicide.

When Larry leaves the room to sign discharge papers for LaDonna, she is given a series of pills to prevent pregnancy and STDs. Det. LeRoy returns to begin her investigation.

Hidalgo puts Robinette in charge of the company's demolition work and offers to pay him 5 percent. Hidalgo readily informs Robinette his own share is 50 percent - he is bringing the rain after all.

Janette spends the night at Jacques' and catches up with her old friend.

Delmond performs in New York and senses the crowd's indifference. The club manager points out that Delmond needs an Internet presence - a website, Facebook, anything to market himself.

George Cotrell notices that Albert has yet to begin sewing his Indian suit even though it's already December and Carnival is around the corner.

Batiste emerges in the morning and spots the suit that Desiree has laid out for him - "You're going to get a job today," she says.

Janette goes to a Road Home office and finds she's just one of hundreds mired in the bureaucracy. She strikes up a conversation with Lambreaux, who is seated next to her, and marvels that she's trying to get an audience without a scheduled appointment.

Toni tells Vincent Abreu she's hit a dead-end and sends him home with the promise she'll stay on the case.

Hidalgo meets with City Council President Oliver Thomas, but Thomas advises him to make local connections if he wants to make headway.

Sofia shows up at Thomas' office to start as an intern. She and Alison Myers, her mom's intern, stumble upon a mayoral press conference to name a recovery czar.

Batiste shows up at the school, and overwhelmed by the unruly sea of kids running around, tells the cab driver to take him away.

Sonny canvasses music stores for his stolen guitar and finds a want ad for the Soul Apostles, Batiste's band.

Desautel gets nowhere at the Road Home office without an appointment, but Lambreaux advances to the next stage.

Delmond chews out his manager, James Woodrow, for not being up to date with modern marketing methods. He mounts a defense, then he gets fired fired.

Batiste's crew finally pulls together a song. He heads to Gigi's to celebrate, but finds it closed.

Hidalgo watches politics on the TV at his hotel bar. Sonny listens to Harley play on Frenchmen Street and manages to borrow an electronic guitar an amplifier from him so he can audition for Antoine's band.

Larry nurses LaDonna at home and tells her how scared he was when he couldn't locate her.

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