Various characters got out of New Orleans this week on Treme, but their experienced during "At the Foot of Canal Street" were very different.

First, there was Antoine, the character most down on his luck. He didn't want to go to Baton Rouge, but how could he turn down an offer from his ex-wife that included free dentistry, time with his sons and even money to purchase them Christmas gifts?

While the visit mostly went well (how great a human being is Larry?!?) and while Antoine concluded the episode in a good mood, he had to also be aware that his relationship with his children is tepid at best. Moreover, this native son of New Orleans might also have an even more troublesome realization: life is actually better outside of The Big Easy.

That's an unwelcome thought for someone so committed to the city.

Then, there's Sonny. He wishes he were a native son of New Orleans. He convinced Annie to move there and wants nothing more than to succeed as an artist there. But he's overshadowed by his girlfriend and is yet to move about street musician level.

But Sonny takes pleasure in at least bringing the bouncer from Houston back to show him all he's missed by never visiting the region. Sonny was simply aghast to learn that this man lived five hours from such a hotbed of culture and has never stepped foot in the town.

This sort of awe-inspiring devotion to New Orleans, this unwavering defense of the area, was also evident in Davis and Creighton on the episode, as it is every week with these two.

The final character that was featured on outside of New Orleans was Delmond, but his case is very different: he has no interest in being a son of the city. He makes a point of saying he doesn't play New Orleans, but he's faced with an ironic twist to his career: to succeed professionally, he'll have to embrace (and return to) his native land.

While Delmond would love to think he's a fully accepted member of NYC and has moved on from his past, he gets reminded this week that he's a stranger in New York. His girlfriend (one of many, apparently) is far more familiar with the players and inner workings of the city than Delmond is.

A couple other notes/observations from the episode:

• While we know Treme takes place a few years ago, soon after Katrina, a quick glance would make it seem like modern day. So it's a nice (and hilarious) touch to have Creighton first discover YouTube, as it was just taking off during this time.
• Love the contrast of Antoine's kids eating at The Olive Garden or Friday's. Hard to imagine any restaurants someone from New Orleans would despise more.
• The insurance agent falls asleep at night by drinking. Funny, nice touch to have him seem at least somewhat human.
• Perhaps my favorite scene yet on the show: Davis destroying the inflatable lawn Santa, and Creighton looking on admirably.

What did you think of the episode?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.