Carnival Row (TV Series) Carnival Row (2023) User Reviews

Rushed and not living up to its potential

[coertcom · 6/10 · 20 March 2023]

It feels a bit like you're read a bedtime story where the parent gets bored and ends it prematurely with "They all lived happily ever after, now go to sleep".

They did a decent job of trying to tie up loose ends, but you can tell that this wasn't the original scope and that messes with the pacing.

It also didn't help the New Dawn was introduced relatively late and felt a bit tacked on. I'm sure that was meant to be flushed out more in Season 3, but now it was a quick come and go.

Which is too bad, the world they build was pretty great, but it had more potential than this, and as a result the whole thing leaves me a bit underwhelmed.

A weak finish .

[johndavidson-1 · 6/10 · 20 March 2023]

This season has had its ups and downs but the finale is something of a damp squib.

The plan to lure the big bad into carnival row kinda works out but after all the previous killings the Sparras was far too easily dispatched.

The new dawn plan to lure attention away from parliament so that the Sparras could kill everyone is equally daft.

Based on previous killings it didn't need the help and the soldiers weren't distracted anyway.

The mob of things hellbent on killing the denizens of carnival row were hardly trapped in the square and the number of shooters and I'm still not sure why they all just gave up and melted away when Orlando bloom turned up.

Cara Delevingne's petulant fey annoys to the last . Why anyone puts up with her selfishness and stupidity is beyond me.

It's a pity because the aesthetics are great and the opportunity for social/political examination was interesting.

But with cartoonish racist industrialists on one side and cartoonish commie/anarchist multiculturalists on the other it was always struggling to find a path through to a conclusion that wasn't utterly preposterous.

The rejection of power was in some ways the least bad way to end Philo's arc.

I doubt there will be a season 3.

WHAAT!

[dderose-626-157210 · 6/10 · 21 March 2023]

Season 2 episode 10 and this is the finale? Sorry but this does not measure up to any of the previous episodes. Plot holes...Philo was hung but he survived. How, if I may ask? Or perhaps I missed something.

Another thing that bugged me...the sudden shift from war in episode 9 to apparent peace in episode 10. While I'm sure it took some time the viewer has no idea how long it took or what really happened to the New Dawn movement.

I enjoyed the series very much but some viewers may be put off by the number of important characters in the show. You really have to watch it closely or you're bound to miss a crucial segment.

Season 2, I felt like it was cut short. Perhaps there should have been a few more episodes to allow for a smoother transition to a peace-loving community/society.

Solid conclusion

[tdsearles25 · 7/10 · 19 March 2023]

Overall I thought it was a well done finale with only a few missteps. After disastrous finale's for Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Dexter, and others, it was nice to see an ending NOT be a dumpster fire.

I will say that this season was a little frustrating with Vignette. She quickly became the least likeable character and each episode she was driven by a new emotion, constantly flip flopping around with everything

I don't mind that she ended up with Tourmaline, because Philo deserves better. But it DID seem forced and it didn't make sense. Season 1 was all about Philo and Vignette fighting for each other and going against the social construct. The writers seemed to abandon that here. And after Vignettes choices, it would have made more sense for Tourmaline to resent her. Why build up the relationship with Darius?

But the Sparas storyline was very good, loved the way Philo pulled it off at the end. Overall a fun ride and a good show. If they ever decide to pick it back up for another season I say don't bring back Vignette. Go somewhere fresh for the next story. Chart a new course in this world.

Season Two Review

[southdavid · 6/10 · 7 October 2023]

Four years have passed between the first and second seasons of "Carnival Row", not in the story, rather in real life. Partially covid related, of course, but that's a long time to remember what happened in that first season. Looking back on my review of that season, I wasn't particularly wild about it at the time, and it was only the last couple of episodes that kept me on board. I feel fairly similar about this second run.

The Row is now established as a ghetto, with wire across the top to the fae flying away and with crime and disease on the rise. Vignette (Cara Delevingne) has committed to the Black Raven's and tries to smuggle medicines back in. Murders are taking place in the city and whilst the inhabitants of the Row are blamed, a much more dangerous party is behind them. Elsewhere, the New Dawn revolutionary forces prevail in their current uprising and set their sights on The Burgue.

Carnival Row's real problem is that, much like the first season, it manages to take all these amazing fantasy elements and somehow churn out a show I'm (on the whole) not that bothered about. It's fairly apparent that this season was written as the final one, so it has to decide which of the plot points to wrap up and how. It quickly (though not perhaps quickly enough) jettisons the internal politics of the Burgue and focuses on the external threat of the liberating New Dawn, led by Leonora, played by Joanne Whalley, who seems to be making up for her years in smaller projects by being in everything. At the start I really struggled to remember that was going on in this politics of this one, as there's a glut of shows that involve politics in a fantasy world and I'm not sure I'm always able to remember what's going on where.

Performances were alright though, and the special effects were often really good - particular the creature that's involved in the murder this time, which was a memorable and fairly horrific effect.

It picked up again towards the conclusion, as the main plots came to a head but if you were to ask me whether or not I'd recommend the series to you, having seen it all, I'd say that unless you're really into steampunk fantasy, it's not worth your time.

Generally satisfying ending with few exceptions

[simanunan · 9/10 · 17 March 2023]

I liked the ending overall, althought I feel there were few misses in there.

I very much liked the Sparas storyline and the chancellor stuff back in this season. I liked that Dombey changed his views. Also Imogen/Agreus storyline was quite interesting too and I loved their ending.

I really don't like that Philo ended up alone and Vignette with Tourmaline. I felt like the whole first season tried to show how much Philo and Vignette love each other and fight for their relationship, meanwhile whole second season was building up a relationship between Tourmaline and Darius. Killing off Darius told me that's not how it's gonna end, sadly. I would much rather welcome both of them dying or none and them ending together, they seemed to me like a much better pair than Vignette and Tourmaline. Vignette was acting really silly this whole season in general, but I can't honestly say I cared that much.

I also missed some kind of musical theme in this season, like we had in the first season with Philo's mum's singing. It was so haunting and well done and it made me fell inlove with the series back then.

There were some loose ends but nothing too important I guess.

I wonder if it's gonna continue in some way in the future or if this is really the last we're gonna hear about the Row.

the best finale we could hope for with what we had...left

[WordsworthStone · 8/10 · 20 March 2023]

Let's be plain, this second season--also its final season--just had no footing to realize the first series setup, storylines planned to span several seasons.

A pre-pandemic production, hopeful in a traversal of fantasy in a steampunk setting, post-Victorian, industrial rev, better wizards than Harry, a bit grittier, and grown.

We explore steampunk tropes; society in the modern industry, the stratification between social classes, ostracizing outcasts, bringing order and civilization to free neck of the woods.

Then the pandemic happened, there were more audiences than before, projections were made, then uncertainty and delays, sudden elevation of streaming over traditional studio models, nothing good happened in the background, but Amazon just called them delays.

A couple years pass, Amazon Prime has this thing just floating there on their to-do list, professional procrastination... delays, decide to sum up the whole planned story arch in just two seasons. B-lines were trimmed like fat, leaving the taste of underwhelming.

But it's a story with a beginning middle and an end (sorta) and that beats a large percentage of studio productions.

This does not do well with Cara Delevinges track record with fantastical stories.

Thank the Martyr

[theknownames · 9/10 · 17 April 2023]

We could have been Firefly'd !

Season one was unexpectedly good.

Season two took so long to come around that I started putting off watching it when it did .

Ot wasn't meant to be the last season . They knew it wouldn't be renewed and they managed to gave those precious couple of episodes to wrap things up !

So many people were involved in this series , too many to leave under contract during the pandemic , they needed other work .

My review : I was not going for a fae type series but this was done so well despite my prior judgements.

The world building was excellent and the cast were so finely chosen! I wish we got to see Imogene have a baby ! Or the evolution of the Row or a grand return to Tír na nÓg , or the look on everyone's faces when Philo claimed his birthright, oh and the prophecy ..wow I could go on .

But . I must appreciate the final season and the way it ended because it felt like the writers did all they could for the fans in the face of the series having to end abruptly. We got the possibilities of seasons unfolding and the final outcome that must have been intended. We got a hit if the new order as well .

When I saw how this episode was rated and so I wasn't expecting there to be an ending at all.

GOT all over again...

[moonygardens · 5/10 · 19 March 2023]

Bleh. If I watch this series again, I'll stop at season 1. Why did Philo end up alone? It made no sense for his season 1 character, which was all about his facing his fae fears and opening up to love, when he finally did there was so much character growth. Season two, he chases Vignette around while she flies off to different plots willy nilly. For some reason Vignette and Tourmaline end up together even though T lectures V through half the episodes about how she keeps flying off to join a cause-which V does again and again. Yet Philo, who was constant, gives big speeches about how he deserves to be alone. It makes no sense. Poor way to end an otherwise entertaining show. There was also a trippy scene where Philo talks to his alter ego in jail, and it was so off putting, irrelevant, and unnecessary that I struggled to make it to the lack luster ending. These big budget shows with millions of viewers deserve better.

A good, if slightly disappointing ending

[Ar_Pharazon_the_golden · 8/10 · 11 April 2023]

I don't know if it is because the story was meant to go on longer (it certainly deserved to) but although the series ends decently, in the sense it provides an ending without leaving anything open*, there are certainly some things that had so much more potential.

The primary among them being that let's be honest, the communists should have won - they are the good guys here (actually no; they are the far less bad guys here), and the issue is not so much that they lose, but the very rushed and unconvincing 'and so because Philo prevented a bloodbath in parliament, the entire racist capitalist society took steps to the right direction'. If anything, Eleonora-Lenin deserved much better. And Agreus, the slave-trader class traitor, deserved much worse. I am sad he survived.

The show to its credit never took a clear side, but in the end (and probably due to the need to provide a finale) it does feel like it reinforces the obvious lie that armed struggle doesn't work, but working together with the oppressor might. Pity, because otherwise Carnival Row remains to the end a magnificent show, with great acting (even ACAB-sample Dombey managed to sell his character change), blurred morality, serious issues and social commentary and great visuals.

*though there is a certain hole in the plot, with the Sparas suddenly being not so hard to kill, and more importantly, with how it flies from parliament to the Row, while Philo, on foot, catches up with it one minute later.

What a beautiful series & wrapped up delightfully

[mary-54-50951 · 10/10 · 19 March 2023]

I don't have enough words to explain how much I loved this whole series!

The story, the characters, the cast, the themes, the costumes, the sets, the music, the twists and turns. Everything ! I shared the whole watching experience with my partner and he was as captivated as I was.

We were late to the party and only watched series 1 a few months before series 2 was released.

Lucky us - we didn't have to wait long for more.

Quite a few times through both series we wondered 'how on Earth will they get out of that!?'

It was glorious to watch and the casting was perfect.

We were completely drawn in and hooked - what a world was created!

Every episode was a feast for the senses.

The final episode exceeded our expectations and just left us wanting more.

How can it be the end?

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you to all involved :-)

Ridiculous

[aliaxara · 1/10 · 9 April 2023]

What is wrong with these people? Why do they keep sacrificing their friends in favor of their enemies? The main protagonists are endlessly annoying and seem to place everyone else's welfare above each other and themselves. Some of the best characters are killed off.

And the ridiculously pretty, overly contrived ending where everything falls into place but we have no idea how. Let's save everyone who is in favor of the status quo and kill off the revolutionaries but everything changes and works out anyway. This is extremely lazy writing. An unfortunate mess of a finale in what was up to now a perfectly wonderful show.

Tense Suspense & A Richly Detailed Plot - Season 2 Review

[JoshuaMercott · 8/10 · 12 June 2023]

My Impressions:

It proved to be a riveting return to yesteryear London, what with the "critch" - all manner of magical and non-human creatures - being forcibly separated from 'normal society' following the murder of bigshot politician Absalom Breakspear.

A full-blown revolution was in the wings; pun intended. Magical mysteries were also in the air, especially centered around Tourmaline and Haruspex.

Personal challenges and interpersonal chemistry both took remarkable strides (in more than one direction) where Vignette-Rycroft, Agreus-Imogen, and Vignette-Tourmaline were concerned.

I especially enjoyed the political agendas that played out this season. There was so much worth appreciating, particularly around character interactions and secret allegiances. The last three episodes, especially, were jam-packed with notable twists and turns.

An outstanding creature design graced the mystery monster at the heart of this season. It was called a Sparas, and it deserves its own horror spinoff., if you ask me The creature wasn't new to the "Carnival Row" lore, though. Rycroft saw one during the battle of Timanoc, which was given its own flashback sequence in season 2.

All in all, this season was fast-paced and as balanced as it could be. Although a few sequences were rushed near the end, it didn't affect the core plot from successfully soaring over the finish line.

Hair-makeup and costume design were amazing. Art direction and set decoration were exemplary. Stunts and VFX were praiseworthy. Editing and sound effects were great. Musical scoring was engaging. Cinematography was outstanding. Screenplay was well-layered. Direction was neat.

Bad season good final

[uzman-31261 · 9/10 · 3 April 2023]

This show's first season was good. Characters, acting, scenario and cast was promising. Because it is quite nice to watch class distinctions and conflicts in a fantastic universe. Actually I didn't know that this season was the last season. I learnt it after 6. Episode. Because the serie didn't continue well and I thought this season could be cancelled. I cheched it and yes I was right. The whole season was very big disappointing but this final makes happy me too much. Because all the pieces of puzzle came together with this episode. If there is a continuation of the series one day, I am ready to give it another chance just for this finale.

Great show couldnt stick the landing

[sahandehteshami · 1/10 · 29 March 2023]

The first 35 minutes of the show were great, but it just didn't feel like it needed to end like that especially vignette marrying that girl didn't add up at all because there is no character building or romance between them for the last season it just felt like the ending of the show and building of the show didn't come together and felt like some thing that has underlying philosophies and belief systems lying underneath it. It left a lot to be desired and not in a good way because it really was seeming like the season was going to end on a cliffhanger, but they just didn't. They wrapped everything up but most of the relationships and storylines like the main character of becoming chancellor. I am the entire aftermath of him getting shot was just skipped. I think if they ended the season with Philostate getting shot it would've been perfect and then they could've just season to do the political sides. The ending was too easy and felt like it wasn't written by the same person that wrote the entire show and this is coming from someone who thinks this is much better than rings of power. I'm a big fan of the show. I am really disappointed.

So much lost potential, mainly due to Delevingne's absence of talent & terrible writing

[DianaFiD · 4/10 · 11 April 2023]

Just to be clear, I'm rating and reviewing only season 2. Season 1 has my 8 stars (Not giving Season 1 a full 10 due to Delevingne's terrible performance).

I'll be quite brief. This was a very dissapointing second and final season to a very good series, a very good idea & a world with so much potential.

The team of wonderful actors and the interesting subplots suffered two major blows: First, by the lead actress's stale, untalented acting, which reminded more of a bored, snarky teen acting at a cringy high school play, rather than an actress acting on TV. Alongisde Amber Heard at Aquaman, she's the most horrible female protagonist I've ever watched at a fantasy series - no, at any series actually. She had absolutely no interest in taking part in the series, completely uninvested, emotionless, brainless acting. A shoe would have acted better. If there is ever an Oscar for keeping the same annoying straight face through 18 one-hour episodes, she would have won it. There are TONS of good actresses, why this full of herself model was chosen, is beyond me.

Second, the writing in season 2 had absolutely nothing to do with season 1. There were too many subplots, too many characters, and the writers probably felt it's best to kill 40% of the main characters in the first episodes, and the rest 40% at the last episode. Whoever left, was left with a half-told story. The chararacters suffered a "GoT type" of transformation, where they behave erratically, change their minds mid-sentence, and overall give the impression they're under the influence of LSD, All. The. Time. (or "lixir" if you prefer!)

It's such a shame, really. You have a team of amazing actors, (Tamzin Merhcant - "Imogen" is one of my favourite in the series, and I was so moved to watch Orlando Bloom again after quite some time), you have incredible visuals, a world so rich to discover and tell its story, and you ruin everything! Everything!

Season 1 gave me every reason to want to watch more, (even tolerate Delevingne, although I truly hope she NEVER appears on anything, EVER AGAIN), but season 2 took it all away from me, and I won't forgive them for that.

A good start, an unsatisfactory and lukewarm ending

[miabednaz · 5/10 · 20 April 2024]

I created an account just to do this review. Well, the last episode of the 2nd season really pissed me off.

The series is ok. I really liked the first season. It is rich, opulent, imaginative, intriguing. I liked it a lot.

As it usually happens with good series, it is difficult to follow the first with the second season. The second season was solid until the last two episodes.

The ending is lukewarm... the whole story about the revolution deserved a better elaboration and finish, even if the revolution was suppressed. She should have left a glimmer of hope and a tear in my eyes. But it left me without emotion. Right at the beginning, I felt that it was just another battle, not a war, and nothing significant would change. Although the film is like that, it forced a change that would not happen in the real world.

And if you build a heterosexual romance for 1 season and 3/4, it is not clear to me why you destroy it in the last episode and leave the viewers unsatisfied? I mean, it was obvious what the chemistry was building on. If chemistry was built on the trangle: homosexual and heterosexual aspirations, the end would be understandable to me. And if chemistry was homosexual all the time, I would get used to it and cheer in that direction, after all, I am a romantic. But this end is simply political. The ending left me unsatisfied, emotionless and angry. No chemistry, no emotions, pure politics and subjection to trends.