Thus far, Carnival Row has faltered under the high expectations held, falling a little flat on the promising basis of a new magical world. Written for the screen by Travis Beacham, Carnival Row is a neo-noir fantasy drama that depicts a society with two sides: human and mythological immigrant creatures in a universe ripe with post-war bleakness and bouts of blatant discrimination.
Starring human detective and war veteran, Rycroft Philostrate (Orlando Bloom), and a rebellious refugee faerie by the name of Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne), their worlds rejoin after Vignette strays from the path of the law and “Philo” follows the wake of a mysterious trail of death.
Getting to know the Characters
The show is split between three main perspectives of storytelling. At the fore-front we have Vignette and Philo who are running into each other while on different sides of the law. Within the first half of the season, we see their tense dynamic and you can sense the history between them. Vignette finds herself in more trouble than expected while her faerie friend, Tourmaline (Karla Crome), attempts to advise her. Philo must pick a world to exist in after some lifelong secrets are exposed.
On the other hand, we have a sophisticated and posh sibling team who are on the edge of bankruptcy. Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) is cunning, yet lacks compassion and her brother, Ezra (Andrew Gower), is a desperate fool looking for quick cash in the sketchiest of endeavours.
Thus far, Imogen has been butting heads with the wealthy new neighbour, a Puck as they say, (a mythological creature with horns) who calls himself Agreus (David Gyasi). They find themselves in common waters when they can both offer something of importance to the other.
Finally, we see a more politically troubling angle of a chancellor and his family. Throughout the first four episodes we witness family betrayal, brutal strategy and more questions than answers arise when Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) is abducted from a faerie brothel in the middle of the night.
Repetitive reproach
Carnival Row starts off slow, building in anticipation. However, the predictability of the events is something to take notice of. The first two episodes drag on as if you were dipped in molasses. Despite this, the third episode is where the story truly picks up. It depicts the very first meeting between Vignette and Philo, during the Great War between the Burge and the Pact, two warring civilizations.
Taking refugee in Vignette’s faerie camp, Philo feels pulled to her in a deep way. We then find out that Philo has a more tragic past than originally believed. He’s been abandoned in more ways than one. Fearing Vignette’s fate, Philo disappears, only to be seen when their worlds collide in the present.
Overall, we are introduced to the Burge, a society that degrades mythological creatures for their unique differences. It is an analysis of racism on a monumental spectrum and truly drives the question to who the monster really is. The creatures or humans?
With a plethora of magically crafted beings, there are various concepts of social hierarchy. There is a visible line of tension, bound to break at any minute as problems of epic proportions pile up. The murders are the work of an ancient and unseemly monster, and Philo must investigate the way it ticks. Vignette must join a rebel faerie cause in order to feel she is of use to those around her.
Imogen and Agreus must work together, despite their disgust with one another, in order to gain whatever they need. In Imogen’s case, money, and in Agreus’ social acceptance as an outcast of a posh neighbourhood. Although the series has been a gradual climb, it appears to be paying off in some respects. Philo’s investigation is picking up, himself and Vignette appear to be mending their broken bond in their own fashion and perhaps Imogen will find comfort and friendship in her neighbour.
Conclusion: Season 1 of Carnival Row
Truthfully, I was not invested within the show’s rather peculiar plot line as it seemed to be something out of Game of Thrones in a more redundant scale. Despite this, I found myself growing fond when the pace picked up. I only wish the series did not drop you like a hot pan into a world without prior context or explanation of the society we expect to see. A bit more of the specifics would benefit the show greatly in terms of fine-tuning.
In conclusion, I dub the halfway point of Carnival Row to be merely saved by a sweet tale of a man struggling with his identity and a faerie’s love of books.
What fantasy television series is your favourite and why? Discuss in the comments below!
Carnival Row is now streaming on Amazon Prime as of August 30th.
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