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"Me Donkey Want Water"
Season 3, Episode 3
Me Donkey Want Water
Air date October 7, 2012
Written by George Pelecanos
Directed by Adam Davidson
Episode chronology
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"Saints"
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"The Greatest Love"

"Me Donkey Want Water" is the third episode of the third season. It is the 24th episode of the series overall. It was written by Executive Producer George Pelecanos and directed by Adam Davidson. It was first broadcast on HBO on October 7, 2012 and drew 0.48 million viewers.[1]

Ladonna Batiste-Williams remains away from her in-laws house, putting pressure on her husband Larry to find them a new home. Antoine Batiste puts Delmond Lambreaux on to Ladonna's bar as a practice space for the Guardians of the Flame. L.P. interviews the family of the man who was shot by vigilantes who thought he was a looter. Janette agrees to partner with Feeny to open a restaurant in New Orleans. Toni gets word of Officer Wilson beating up an innocent man for spilling a drink and decides to move against him. She warns Sofia not to make herself a target. Terry solves his murder case. Nelson begins his NOAH work and meets a new woman. Davis recruits Al "Carnival Time" Johnson for his opera.

Plot[]

Delmond Lambreaux sits in with the Ernie Vincent Band as they play Justine's Next Stop. Officer Billy Wilson picks up a case of beer from behind the bar as "tribute". He bumps into one of the patrons on his way out, and the man spills his drink down Wilson's uniform. The man apologizes but Wilson punches him, hauls him outside, and beats him down. Alison Myers follows Wilson outside, watching the unwarranted violence. Fearing for her safety, Cornell Williams stops playing and goes after her. Wilson tells the man's friends to take him home, calmly gets into his patrol car and drives away. The onlookers are horrified by his brazen brutality.

Lieutenant Terry Colson takes a personal interest in the investigation of the murder of hairdresser Jay Cardella. He interviews Jay's colleague who gives him a suspect, a hustler named Bobby who dated Jay's roommate. She says that Bobby is a drug addict who borrowed money from Jay. Colson stakes out Bobby's hangout and arrests him when he shows up. Sofia rewards Colson with a free cup of coffee when he comes in to the cafe where she works.

Alison talks to Toni Bernette about what she saw. Toni has already looked into Wilson as a suspect in the Abreu murder and takes the news as a signal to try a fresh approach. She places an advert in the New Orleans Weekly asking anyone with complaints about Wilson to contact her. She fears that the corrupt officer will retailiate and warns Sofia not to do anything that would make herself a target.

LaDonna Batiste-Williams returns to her brother-in-law's house to pick up her sons for school. Her husband Larry comes out to talk to her and urges her to move back in to give him more time to find them a new place. She is obstinate about living apart as long as he is staying with his brother but invites him to visit her at work. He takes her out after the bar closes and they have a nice evening, ending with her inviting him up to her hotel room.

Delmond plays a gig for the voices of the wetlands project with Antoine Batiste. They share a drink afterwards and Delmond mentions that he is looking for a new venue for the Guardians of the Flame to use for their practice sessions. Albert suggests Delmond approach LaDonna about using Gigi's Lounge.

Albert Lambreaux works precisely on his contracting job and banters with his colleagues about his sudden adoption of a face mask, not revealing his newly diagnosed lung disease. He begins to sew his Mardi Gras costume with the rest of the Guardians and shares his designs with Delmond. Delmond later visits LaDonna to discuss using her bar. Albert returns to his doctors and gets bad news; his blood work shows Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Desiree returns to her family home, still empty since Katrina. She is perturbed to find a NOAH sign on the lawn. Her neighbor tells her that it was put out a few weeks earlier and she had assumed that Desiree had been contacted. Desiree asks her to call if anything else happens to the property. Antoine returns from his gig and talks Desiree into letting him go on a short tour with the group. She insists that she will call him every night.

Desiree attends a community meeting about the NOAH program. She meets activist Pamela Galette who tells her more about the bizarrely disorganized project. That night Desiree tries to call Antoine at his motel but he does not answer; he is too busy having sex with someone else.

Nelson Hidalgo talks through his plans for NOAH business with his new partner Robinette. Nelson is insistent that they play straight and do a good job on all of their assigned properties. He explains that NOAH is small time but that by performing well they can hope to access better funded government work. He warns Robinette that it is foolish to try and game the system here because people are already complaining about the scheme. They head out to post signs on the properties they have been assigned and run into Desiree. She angrily confronts Nelson about the lack of notice from NOAH and Robinette sees the wisdom of playing it straight.

A young woman comes to Nelson's offices looking for work. He instead takes her on a date. She is vociferous and materialistic but he remains cool and beds her.

Davis McAlary has Al "Carnival Time" Johnson over to play some music and work on his opera. Johnson talks about being cheated out of royalties for his music throughout his career and Davis is sympathetic. Davis approaches Mimi and suggests they put out a record to pay tribute to the legends of New Orleans R&B and forego their royalties. He believes the gesture will help to build anticipation for his musical. Mimi negotiates for a greater share of some of their other upcoming releases and then accepts.

Annie has dinner with Marvin Frey. They talk about her sound and she mentions a direction she wants to take. He suggests introducing her to Wilco and trying to get a support slot on their tour. He talks through his terms for becoming her manager. She is enthusiastic and takes away what he tells her is a standard contract.

Annie returns home and Davis excitedly tells her about his new project. She heads out to a gig in Morgan City, staying overnight in a motel. The gig goes down well with the out of town crowd.

Janette Desautel tours a potential restaurant site with investor Tim Feeny. She is impressed by the size of the place, the facilities, and Feeny's existing support arrangements for equipment breakdowns. She goes out for dinner with Feeny and they agree to move ahead with opening a restaurant together. Janette goes to see Jacques Jhoni and recruits him as her sous chef for the new venture. She returns to New York to claim her things and says goodbye to her roommates Chas and Nick.

Sonny finally gets time alone with Linh, but they are forced to spend it in the backseat of a car like a pair of teenagers. Linh's father Tran comes to watch Sonny play with Guitar Lightnin' Lee and impresses Sonny with his passion for the blues.

L.P. Everett continues his investigation into vigilante shootings during the storm. He interviews the family of Mr. Glover. They tell him that they have had no word from the police on who shot their relative, and no information about why his body was burned. William Tanner takes L.P. out to the site where his car was dumped after it was seized by police when he was trying to help Glover.

Appearances[]

Main:Me Donkey Want Water/Appearances

First appearances[]

The following named, recurring characters are introduced in this episode:

  1. Danny - contractor working for Nelson Hidalgo.

Credits[]

Cast[]

Starring

  1. Khandi Alexander as Ladonna Batiste-Williams
  2. Rob Brown as Delmond Lambreaux
  3. Chris Coy as L.P. Everett
  4. Kim Dickens as Janette Desautel
  5. India Ennenga as Sofia Bernette
  6. Michiel Huisman as Sonny
  7. Melissa Leo as Antoinette Bernette
  8. Lucia Micarelli as Annie
  9. David Morse as Terry Colson
  10. Clarke Peters as Albert Lambreux
  11. Wendell Pierce as Antoine Batiste
  12. Jon Seda as Nelson Hidalgo
  13. Steve Zahn as Davis McAlary

Guest starring

  1. Elizabeth Ashley as Aunt Mimi
  2. Sam Robards as Tim Feeny
  3. Derek Cecil as Chas, Janette's roommate
  4. James Ransone as Nick, Janette's roommate
  5. LeToya Luckett as Alison Myers, Toni's assistant
  6. Phyllis Montana LeBlanc as Desiree
  7. Hong Chau as Linh
  8. Yul Vazquez as Detective Anthony Nokolich
  9. Michael Cerveris as Marvin Frey, Annie's agent
  10. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Jacques Jhoni
  11. Davi Jay as Robinette
  12. Lance E. Nichols as Larry Williams
  13. Cornell Williams as himself
  14. Al "Carnival Time" Johnson as himself
  15. Lee Nguyen as Tran, Sonny's boss
  16. Sam Malone as William Tanner, L.P.'s source
  17. Nicole Barre as a resident
  18. Taryn Terrell as Cindy, Nelson's friend
  19. Otto DeJean as George Cotrell, Guardian's
  20. Eddie Vanison as Memphis Ronnie, Guardian's
  21. Cordell Moore as Albert's doctor
  22. Shawn Richardz as Pamela Galette, NOAH protestor
  23. Karen-Kaia Livers as Mrs. Robinette
  24. Ben McCrea as Bobby, murder suspect
  25. Lauren Allen as Resident 1
  26. Paul Artigues as himself, chef
  27. Renwick Scott as Alcide Batiste
  28. Marjorie Parker as Jay's colleague
  29. Sean-Michael Bruno as Randall Batiste
  30. Glenn Fields as himself (drummer in Annie's band)
  31. Daniel Coolik as himself
  32. Rhonda Dents as Neesie, Desiree's neighbor
  33. Lucky Johnson as Officer Billy Wilson
  34. Nicole Collins as Patrice Glover
  35. Avis-Marie Barnes as Edna Glover
  36. Luis Cruz as a Contractor
  37. Ryan George as Wilson's victim
  38. Daniel Millan as Contractor 2
  39. Joseph Deaver as a NOAH spokesperson
  40. Wilbert Williams as Danny
  41. Renette DeJoie Hall as herself, the New Orleans weekly editor
  42. Erie Vincent & The Top Notes as themselves
  43. Red Stick Ramblers as the Bayou St. John Playboys
  44. Guitar Lightnin' Lee & The Thunder Band as themselves
  45. Tab Benoit, Anders Osborne and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux as themselves

Uncredited

  1. Unknown as Honore Antoinette Batiste
  2. Unknown as Feeny's assistant
  3. Unknown as Antoine's lover

Crew[]

Opening credits

  1. Alexa L. Fogel - Casting
  2. Chester Kaczenski - Production Designer
  3. Malcolm Jamieson - Editor
  4. Ivan Strasburg, bsc - Director of Photography
  5. Joseph Incaprera - Episodic Producer
  6. Anthony Hemingway - Co-Executive Producer
  7. Carolyn Strauss - Executive Producer
  8. George Pelecanos - Executive Producer
  9. Eric Overmyer - Executive Producer
  10. Nina Kostroff Noble - Executive Producer
  11. David Simon &
  12. Eric Overmyer - Creators
  13. George Pelecanos - Writer
  14. Adam Davidson - Director

Closing credits

  1. David Simon - Executive Producer
  2. Joseph Incaprera - Unit Production Manager
  3. Haze JF Bergeron III - First Assistant Director (AD)
  4. Chris DeAngelis - Second AD
  5. Lolis Eric Elie - Story Editor
  6. Jordan Hirsch - Staff Writer
  7. Alonzo V. Wilson - Costume Designer
  8. Blake Leyh - Music Supervisor
  9. Meagan Lewis, CSA - New Orleans Casting
  10. Jessica Levin - Co-Producer
  11. Laura A. Schweigman - Associate Producer
  12. Karen L. Thorson - Consulting Producer
  13. Karen Gadbois - Consultant
  14. Jacques Morial - Consultant
  15. Patrice Glover - Consultant
  16. Davis Rogan - Consultant
  17. Donald Harrison - Consultant
  18. Susan Spicer - Consultant
  19. Mary Howell - Consultant
  20. A.C. Thompson - Consultant
  21. Mick Aniceto - Associate Producer

Music[]

  1. Ernie Vincent Band - "Dap Walk": Delmond sits in at Justine's Next Stop.
  2. John Boutte - "Treme Song": Main title.
  3. Willie Tee - "Teasin' You": Ladonna picks up kids.
  4. Los Butres De Culiacan Sinaloa - "Llamame, Escribeme": Lambreaux happy at work.
  5. Al "Carnival Time" Johnson - "Mathilda": Al Johnson plays for McAlary Chez Mac.
  6. Tom McDermott - "Li'l Liza Jane": Car drives by with music.
  7. Tab Benoit, Monk Boudreaux, Anders Osborne - "We Make A Good Gumbo": Voices of the Wetlands at Howlin' Wolf.
  8. Dr Michael White - "The Truth Of The Blues": Annie & Frey have dinner at Stella.
  9. Irvin Mayfield - "Fatimah": Annie & Frey have dinner at Stella.
  10. James 12 Andrews & The Crescent City All Stars - "James 12": Batiste & Delmond talk in the bar about Indian practice.
  11. Dave Bartholomew - "Good News": Desautel & Jacques walk in the French Quarter.
  12. El Chapo de Sinaloa - "Si Te Agarran las Ganas": Sonny waits in parking lot.
  13. Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "Lonesome Road": McAlary & Mimi have a drink at nice hotel bar.
  14. Tab Benoit, Monk Boudreaux, Anders Osborne - "Me Donkey Want Water": Voices of the Wetlands in Galveston club.
  15. Sonny Rollins - "St. Thomas": Indians sewing at Chez Lambreaux.
  16. Shannon Powell - "SP": Music plays in Coffea Cafe as Colson visits Sofia.
  17. Allen Toussaint - "Victims of the Darkness": Delmond negotiates with LaDonna about practice.
  18. Annie & her band - "Lake Charles": Gig in Morgan City.
  19. Guitar Lightnin' Lee & Sonny - "Good Lover": The band plays at Melvin's bar.
  20. Eric Lidell - "Uncle John": Jukebox plays at Melvin's bar.
  21. John Mooney - "Sacred Ground": End credits.

References[]

External links[]

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