**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Following is a series review and individual episode reviews.
Carnival row has Game of Thrones vibes. This show is set in the 7th Century in a kind of Victorian and mythological world. Carnival Row is based off a film script written by Travis Beacham, which was written when he was still in film school 17 years ago. Unlike most films or TV shows that are based off books means people are normally disappointed as the TV show or film doesn’t follow the books precisely. Yet with Carnival Row, it isn’t based off anything like a book series so there should be little disappointment for not sticking to the original source. As a result, cast and crew have an almost complete blank canvas when creating every little detail for this show.
Throughout this series there are a number of murders which occur on Carnival Row which is like a fantasy Victorian style London area. This area is where all the other mystical creatures including faeries ("Pixies"), fauns ("Pucks"), trolls ("Trows"), centaurs and even werewolves ("Morroks") live. All these races used to live peacefully in their own areas of the world, until war broke out with a mysterious group called The Pact. Humans of the Burgue decided to side with the faeries to protect their homeland from the invaders, The Pact.
A star cast is used to the best of its ability. We meet Rycroft "Philo" Philostrate (played by Orlando Bloom) who is an orphan of the Burgue. Philo grows up and as the series goes on, we learn more and more about Philo's past and where he comes from. Along with Philo, our other main character in this series is faerie Vignette Stonemoss (played by Cara Delevingne), she fell in love with Philo during the war, but this love story wasn’t meant to last for the moment. This war tore these two lovers apart and as a result Vignette though Philo was dead, imagine her surprise when she ends up in the Burgue and finds out he is alive. Nothing is easy for these two, they clearly have feelings for each other that won’t go away but they don’t give into these feelings for a long time as the pain of what happened is too much. Bloom and Delevingne have created amazing characters which are difficult to faulter, their performances throughout are gripping and intense. Bloom's performance in particular is amazing, his character has many different layers and we get to see quite a few of these different sides to him. Philo is the main interest in this series and Bloom does an amazing job in keeping this complex character enjoyable to watch and simple to understand what he is thinking.
Whilst watching this series I looked forward to scenes between Lady Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) and wealthy puck Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi). It was seen as shocking and against social norms for a puck to be the owner of such an expensive house and have such wealth yet it is enjoyable to watch what happens between these two unlikely characters that have been thrown together into circumstances that aren’t what was considered normal.
Overall, this series had a lot of happening in it for only 8 episodes. There are lots of mysteries and characters to keep up with, yet it keeps most episodes interesting to watch. There is very minimal music used throughout however any music that was used had a real impact and created more emotion to what was being portrayed or added to help create eerie atmospheres.
Episode 1: Some Dark God Wakes
This episode sets up all the characters nicely whilst also making us want to know more about these characters especially Philo. In this episode, there is a murderer on the loose, which is called by the police as Jack. All these murders are taking place on Carnival Row. Vignette arrives in Carnival Row believing Philo is dead yet by the end she is told the true fate of Philo after the war.
Philo dresses as a gentleman yet he is a tough inspector not to mess with. We don't learn much about Philo in this first episode but that just makes us want to know what he is hiding from us and why he is hiding it. What Bloom does well is whenever Philo is talking or on screen his character has so much presence that as a viewer, we really listen to what he is saying or watching what he is doing.
Delevingne makes Vignette a very strong and confident fae trying to survive, a great introduction to this emotionally damaged character. Little details chosen by Delevingne and the director make this character have a lot of depth to her like her widows’ braid. In this first episode, Vignette goes on an emotional journey from survival to mourning back to survival of a different kind to heart break to anger. This journey is really interesting to watch especially as we get to know this character.
We are also introduced to Imogen Spurnrose who is an uptight rich lady who lives with her brother Ezra Spurnrose (Andrew Gower) who has lost most of their family fortune to bad investments. Once we have met Imogen and Ezra, they come across as very unlikeable, this is due to them caring about how they are seen by society and not allowing change that is unexpected.
Along with dealing with mythical creatures and murders, this world just like our own has issues with their government. In a particular scene we see two parties of parliament arguing and blaming each other. One side want the fae folk to leave, the other want them to stay which is a rising issue we will see in the rest of the series, getting worse and worse.
Music is extremely quiet when used in scenes, so you barely notice it yet when music is used it makes a real impact. The music used in this episode created eerie undertones to certain scenes which helps make this show unique with the unique score used.
Episode one introduces all the important characters and ideas really well for the rest of the series. Editing is really smooth and clear and keeps what is happening on screen exciting to watch. This episode ends with a huge cliff-hanger which make viewers excited to watch the next episode straight away so we can find out what darkness is out there.
Episode 2: Aisling
We pick up right where we left off in the first episode. Philo discovers the dead pixie that we saw get taken at the end of the last episode by the mysterious creature. Also, Imogen Spurnrose our uptight lady, is horrified by her new neighbour as he is a puck and for her it goes against what she knows to be a social norm. Along with this, we are properly introduced to the Breakspear family as Jonah Breakspear (played by Arty Froushan) is abducted and his family the Chancellor and head of the majority party Absalom Breakspear (played by Jared Harris) and his power-hungry mother Piety Breakspear (Indira Varma) come up with a plan to get him back.
This episode has a lot happening and there are many subplots introduced with a lot more characters. It is unclear at this moment how all these different subplots are linked to the murders, but it will be interesting to find out the results of all these plots coming together.
In this episode Vignette is emotionally broken as she comes to terms with what Philo has put her through. Whilst Philo, himself, is guilty for what he did to Vignette. It is clear from Delevingne and Bloom's performances that there is still a lot of love and affection between these two characters, yet a lot of heartbreak and regret is what is keeping them apart.
What is very noticeable about Carnival Row is that the aesthetic is very dark as this show is quite dark and deals with serious and shocking issues. Carnival Row is hiding lots of secrets, most of them are unknown to us as of yet. A big thing about this episode which could be frustrating for some viewers is the fact that we are teased a lot with Philo with-holding information from us. Therefore, as an audience we wanted to know who is this character? What is he hiding? And why is he hiding so much from us and other characters he is apparently close to.
There is a huge surprise that isn’t expected with Jonah's abduction, which shows that this series is going to be full of twists and turns that you might not expect.
Overall, episode two is just as good as the first episode. The mystery is growing about who is this creature and who is Philo. Tension is growing between Vignette and Philo, and Imogen and Agreus. Nothing is clear in this show but that’s what makes it interesting to watch as you want to know more.
Episode 3: Kingdoms of the Moon
For the first two episodes we were invested in the Burgue and the murders of Carnival Row. Instead for this episode we taken back into the past, into the war. We finally get some answers and an insight into Vignette and Philo's relationship.
We get to see another side to this couple in this episode. Bloom and Delevingne's characters have hope in this episode, hope to defeat The Pact, hope to stay together. We get to see a softer side to our main characters; we see that both Vignette and Philo have a love of books and they bond over a certain story. Philo manages to talk to Vignette about secrets he hasn’t ever told anyone before. It is refreshing change to see these characters in a different light, this is portrayed effectively by all the cast and characters we meet in this episode.
Very little has been mentioned about The Pact, all we know is that they are the enemy in the war. We don’t get given much more information about this enemy. However, we do meet werewolves which may have something to do with them. What is interesting as in episode two, we meet a man who is locked up and we don’t know why. Yet we find out what happened in this episode and it might not what you expect. Philo is a good man and that is proven in this episode as we learn what he does for his friend.
As the final ten minutes of the episode begin there is an excitement of what is to happen next when The Pact ships approach. This episode draws you into the characters that are fighting however we are invested more into Vignette and Philo more and we get answers to what happened between these two and more about their past and the uncertainty of Philo's belongings.
Episode 4: The Joining of Unlike Things
Episode four is complete contrast to the previous episode, we learnt all about the past and now we are back in the present. We have another murder and get a small look at what the beast looks like. We don’t get to see clearly enough what this monster looks like which can be annoying because we have to wait yet it keeps us wondering is this a beast or a person in disguise?
As an audience as we got so invested in Vignette and Philo in the previous episode that is it easy to forget about all the other characters and storylines we were introduced in the first two episodes. As a result, in this episode we spend a considerable amount of time with Imogen and Agreus. Imogen invites the puck for tea as she wants his money to save her home, let’s say this plan didn’t go down too well. Along with this, Jonah is finally saved, and the leader of the opposition met a horrifying death.
This episode compared to the other episodes shows how strong and dark women can be, this is down to the brilliant performances by all the females of this cast. The performances are strong as the cast manage to show how strong their characters are so effortlessly, but they make them intimidating and not to be messed with. The strong and dark side of women is shown through Piety Breakspear killing Ritter Longerbanes whilst playing/using her husband and everyone around her to get what she wants. Also, Vignette is shown to be strong as she is fighting for her survival whilst her best friend, Tourmaline (Karla Crome) is trying to protect her. These are a few examples of how women are shown to be strong yet dark and tough in this episode and shown by amazing performances by all the performers mentioned.
This is a very intense episode with a lot happening and can be difficult to keep up at times. However, it is good that we get a slight relief near the end of this episode as we get a sweet moment between Vignette and Philo as they reflect on how they regret how things ended. The score used really helped added much more emotion and cut through the action we just witnessed. Yet once the credits start to roll as a viewer I am saddened as it feels all hope for Vignette and Philo's relationship might be over for good. This episode shows how much we are now invested in certain characters and it can be upsetting when we see certain characters hurt and upset.
Episode 5: Grieve No More
Episode five feels slow at times compared to the past few episodes which had a lot happening. This episode feels like it falls a bit short. It still has moments which are really gripping especially in parliament with Sophie Longerbanes (Caroline Ford) speech, but other parts feel slow in comparison.
We go to where Philo was brought up and learn how he got a scar on the back of his head. We see there is a lot of mystery still with Philo's upbringing, yet we don’t have to wait too long for the answers.
Religions and different beliefs are pushed more in this episode than any other. We are introduced to a puck religion/organisation who we will see more of in future episodes who don’t exactly follow the law. Speaking of pucks, we spend more time with Agreus and Imogen in this episode. Agreus wants to be accepted by society so the puck is a guest at Imogen’s party which is difficult for her other guests to understand. The puck wants to be welcomed in society, yet it is difficult as it is unusual for a puck to have such power and money, they are usually the help. David Gyasi does an incredible job in portraying Agreus as it is a very complex character. Gyasi has made Agreus a very strong figure as he has gone through hard times. It is confusing whether to like this character or not because at times you want to like this character yet then he has a nasty side by the way he talks to Imogen which puts you off this character.
As mentioned at the start, this episode is slow in parts but the last 10 minutes are really interesting. We discover what happened to Philo's wings and we learn who is mother is. The discovery of Philo's mother is one of the most unexpected and surprising things in this entire series. The identity of Philo's mother and the link between all the murders so far is extremely clever and the writers and creators have done such a good job of making everything work. The plot and all the character's backstories have been interweaved so well that there are surprises you don’t expect and as a viewer you enjoy these new revelations.
With this bittersweet revelation we get to hear beautiful songs which are moving/emotional and make the final moments of this episode the most emotional part of the whole episode, leaving viewers with a bittersweet feeling.
Episode 6: Unaccompanied Fae
We are three quarters the way through this first series, in the last episode there is a huge revelation made and, in this episode, Philo is trying to move on from Vignette. Philo tells Portia about his secrets and for a woman who claims to love him she can’t accept who he truly is which is disappointing.
Also, we learn more about Sophie, she is presented in a way which doesn’t make her very likeable. Sophie is playing with people's emotions at her father’s funeral and then gets inside Jonah's head. She can come across as threatening and intimidating yet she must be this way for people to take her seriously as she is a woman trying to make it in Parliament. Another woman breaking society norms is Imogen who goes to the auction with the puck, Agreus. In this episode in particular this pair, Imogen and Agreus seem to fit really well together which quite unexpected as in all the previous episodes it has seemed that these two characters won’t work together at all. Yet in this episode it is a nice change to see the turning point in their relationship. Imogen is understanding that it is fine to go against society norms as her friendship is growing with the puck and she is learning that she doesn’t agree with all her friends outdated beliefs anymore. This can be related to society we know today, as what we knew as a social norm years ago has now changed. Our society is now more accepting of everyone. In the Burgue, they aren’t as accepting of other creatures yet this relationship shows that pucks and other creatures should be treated the same as humans as there isn’t a real difference as everyone is a living thing with the rights to love or have money or even buy their own home.
This episode is much better than the previous as we, as viewers, are more engaged in what is happening. We get to see relationships develop and grow and some are destroyed. However, we see a glimpse of hope for our original lovers, Vignette and Philo.
Episode 7: The World to Come
Something is blossoming between Jonah and Sophie in this episode which isn’t just physical which isn’t surprising, it is a very typical pairing. Also, there is tension between Agreus and the Ezra which is enjoyable to watch as these two male egos clash as they discuss the ship they are both funding. Along with this, in this episode we see how far Agreus and Imogen’s relationship has come, at first, she was disgusted by him and disliked the thought of spending any time with him and now Imogen is upset with the thought of never spending any more time with her new friend.
Once again there is outstanding performances from the entire cast. All our characters and relationships have gone on such a journey already in the past seven episodes. Philo is finally accepting who he is as he had a chance to escape yet he made the choice that maybe most people weren’t expecting but it just shows how much Philo as a character has grown since the first episode. A particular moment with some outstanding acting is Delevingne at the end of the episode, she puts in so much emotion and pain in her acting that as viewers you feel heartbroken for her and don’t want to see her cry no more.
This episode is a great build-up for the final episode.
Episode 8: The Gloaming
Philo finally finds out who his father is. It is interesting to see how far the character, Philo, has come from the very first episode. We originally knew nothing about Philo and Philo himself didn’t know much about where he came from. However now we know so much about him, from what he really is and who his parents are. Also, Bloom has done a fantastic job on the journey of his character throughout this series. He was lost and riddled with guilt for his past actions and now he is accepting of who he is and knows what to do to put everything right.
As this is the final episode of the series, clearly there is going to unexpected twists and turns. Imogen and Agreus relationship heats up and we see the true consequences of a relationship like this. Imogen is another character who has been on a journey as well. She started off as closed minded and arrogant, but now she is accepting whilst finding love in the most unlikely place. At first, Imogen isn’t very likeable but as the series went on Imogen became more likeable as she learnt to grow up and stand up against her selfish brother. Even though Agreus and Imogen's relationship heated up in the previous episode that was interesting to watch but in this episode their encounter feels more awkward and uncomfortable when they are together. It's surprising that this encounter feels wrong to watch as if we shouldn’t be watching it or it shouldn’t be happening, although we feel wrong to be watching it and that is just how Ezra feels by seeing them together.
Another unexpected surprise in this episode is the true parentage of Sophie Longerbanes which is revealed in a very shocking way. Throughout the series there was no doubt about Sophie's parents, yet a shocking truth is revealed firstly to Jonah. Jonah has become a much stronger man in this series, and I feel like we will see more of Sophie and Jonah working together in the next series.
Everything that we learnt along the way makes sense in this final episode. The writers have done an amazing job, the plot was intense, with so much going on. At points we may have wondered why certain ideas were introduced yet everything made sense in this final episode.
What this episode does is set up what the next series will be about. At the end of the episode, Parliament have become one and have decided to make the lives of fae, puck, trows etc difficult by forcing all these creatures into Carnival Row. Segregation has begun properly, and, in more force, which means the lives of our beloved characters is going to be much harder. This segregation is reminiscent of the segregation in America during 18th and 19th Century. In the next series we have been told we will see more of this extraordinary world and learn more about The Pact. This last episode gives us what we want yet makes us want more but we know we will have to wait to see what will happen to Vignette and Philo now they are trapped in Carnival Row with no way of escape at the moment.
