Carnivale (HBO) Review - The Bloody Critique

bloodycritique (61)in #tv • 8 years ago

Set in the dust bowl period of 1930’s America during the great depression, HBO’s Carnivale, created by Daniel Knauf, is about a mysterious group of travelling carnival performers led by Samson (played by Michael J. Anderson), a quick witted, smart and compassionate little person (dwarf) who answers to someone, or something only ever referred to as ‘management’. In the first episode Samson decides to employ Ben Hawkins (played by Nick Stahl) after his mother dies and he’s left with nowhere to live. Ben is a young farmer with the supernatural ability to cure people’s ailments, from a broken bone, to bringing something dead back to life, although using this power comes with a price, something must be sacrificed in the process. The series also follows Brother Justin Crowe (played by Clancy Brown), a devout priest with a warped outlook whose on a self-proclaimed mission to spread the word of the Lord and rid the world of all its evils, and although the stories of both Ben Hawkins and Justin Crowe are told separately, they share a mysterious connection, and a mystical battle between good and evil ensues.

Nick Stahl as Ben Hawkins

Daniel Knauf set the tone in the first episode; there are powerful forces at work here, and the way Carnivale incorporates its supernatural elements into the show is flawlessly done. There’s a perfect blend of gritty realism and mystical fantasy, it’s a very dark show and Daniel Knauf had actually planned to make a lot of the imagery in the series a lot more shocking but HBO wanted to keep it more subtle, and I think it was a wise decision that paid off in the end. In my Game of Thrones review, when talking about their incorporation of the fantasy elements into the story, I said it was like they’d drawn in not only the loyal HBO fans who loved shows like The Sopranos, but they’d pulled in the younger Harry Potter type fans as well, Carnivale isn't exactly like that, there’s a much darker tone throughout the entire series, and it feels a lot more adult. The story is told slowly with naturally developing characters and an authentic environment filled with mystery, every episode feels like it’s building up to something, and despite its early cancellation, it still does!

Clancy Brown as Brother Justin Crowe

This is a very original series, you won’t find anything out there quite like Carnivale; well, I guess the fourth season of American Horror Story? But please understand, that was a rip off of this, and Carnivale is far superior in every aspect any-way. From its unconventional method of story-telling to the dialogue between characters, everything feels poetic; this is a beautifully written show and the cinematography is masterful! They perfectly capture the bleak and abandoned look of the dust bowl era in America, the land is dying and the world Carnivale’s portraying is desolate, you can feel the depression of the time, and it’s all consuming. Jeff Beal, the composer, did an amazing job with the score; Carnivale has a beautifully haunting soundtrack that perfectly captures the shows heavily emotional and mystical themes. The characters are all brilliant, Carnivale is a character driven show with complex relationship dynamics and everyone is written with depth, you believe these characters and you understand them, the whole cast did a fantastic job, the performances are diverse, captivating and believable.

Michael J. Anderson as Samson

First of all, Nick Stahl was great as Ben Hawkins, he’s portrayed in an almost prophetic light right from the off-set, he has the power to heal people but he’s scared to embrace it, it comes with a price and he doesn't understand what it means or what he should do, his story is very intriguing and Nick Stahl was perfect for the role. Clancy Brown as Brother Justin Crowe was absolutely fantastic, there’s an intense desperation to his character; he’s struggling with an internal battle and watching his conflicted performance is an engaging experience! He carries with him such a heavy darkness it’s hard to know where he stands. Clancy Brown perfectly embodies this role and delivers a phenomenal performance! Michael J. Anderson also delivers a phenomenal performance as Samson, his character is smart, sympathetic and fair, outside the mysterious ‘management’; it’s Samson who runs the carnival and makes the tough decisions. The carnival workers are like one big family and Samson is the leader, he’s by far my favourite character and I absolutely loved Michael J. Anderson in the role! The whole cast was fantastic, there are too many great performances to mention them all, but everyone did a brilliant job! The casting was perfect.

Clea Duvall as Sofie Agnesh Bojakshiya

Being cancelled after its second season definitely didn't do the show any favours, it left fans on a cliff hanger with many open questions going unanswered, it was one of television’s many tragedies, but it just wasn't getting the viewing figures it needed for HBO to justify its budget, props to HBO for even taking a risk on a show like this in the first place, and although like any great cancelled TV series it hurts to know that this is an unfinished story, we do get some closure on the main story arc that had been slowly building throughout the series, there’s a level of finality to it but you’ll definitely want more! Don’t let that put you off Carnivale though; it’s a great show either way, and despite its depressing tone, it’s not a depressing experience, there are very dark themes and there are certainly depressing moments, especially when the story starts progressing and you become more emotionally invested in these characters, but it’s an enjoyable experience overall, it’s a great journey with well written characters, interesting storylines and an intriguing mythology.

Carnivale is one of HBO’s hidden gems, I loved it all the way through and I can’t wait to revisit it, I definitely recommend it! If you haven’t seen Carnivale yet, it’s worth your time. Carnivale is the dark horror/drama American Horror Story is trying to be, the attention to detail and the level of depth achieved here is matched by few, and even with its early cancellation Carnivale still holds up as a complete series. If you’re a fan of dark fantasy stories, supernatural horror themes with drama, mystery and gritty authenticity, or if you’re just a fan of HBO, you’ll love Carnivale! It’s a masterpiece.