Carnivàle Season 2 - 1.16.08


So, Carnivàle. I watched the first season back in summer of 2006. I finally got to watch the second (and final) season just now. And... man. Woah. I'd like to marathon it, all twenty-four episodes back to back; I think something like this would really be amazing viewed like that. Thanks to wiki summaries and a season one recap on the new discs, I was able to get right in, but this is such a complicated show, it would be much better to watch it without much interruption.

The story takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It follows a traveling circus through the Dustbowl, as forces of Good and Evil inexorably build to an epic confrontation. The first part sounds dull, the second sounds cliche. Carnivàle is absolutely neither, and I'd say without hesitation that it's one of the finest examples of serial storytelling I've ever seen on screen. It's a heady mix of enigmatic magic and gritty history, fraught with questions of religion and threats of apocalypse, and bound up with all manner of humanity.

The show is immensely visual and lovingly detailed, seeped in harsh beauty, gorgeous and grimy in browns and grays. It's obvious that an astonishing amount of research went into this show, and it really pays off. The history is impeccable, but it never feels stale or stiff, like looking at a meticulous but sterile museum display. Instead, everything looks used and worn and indelibly part of daily life. The visuals are so incredible, I constantly found myself wishing the camera would linger so I could gaze at the stuff, but it just keeps moving, almost dismissive of the elaborate (and no doubt painstaking) construction of the past. And really, I never got hung up with marveling over the production design, because the story is far too compelling.

A lot of this is due to the incredible cast. I imagine it's difficult enough to find people who fit the circus "types," and yet the actors here create characters who effortlessly go beyond mere roles. No one is simply one thing; although there are archetypes and destinies at work, there is no pure black or white, no easy answers. People are ugly and contemptiable, lovely and sympathetic, and a thousand shades of gray in between. Everything is changeable, complex, and complicated. Lots of shows try to have multidimensional characters, but few succeed the way this one does.

The vivid depth of character is especially important, given the convoluted nature of the story. Layers of history, scraps of legend, bits and pieces of rumors, and always, the elusive fragments of dreams - through these tenuous sources, the story gradually unfolds. The characters are the skeins that hold the mystery together, and the delicate process of revelation begins to show how everything and everyone is connected. It's deeply fascinating, but demands a high level of attention and a good memory for keeping track of details and fitting them together. Some might find it frustrating, but I think it's extremely rewarding. It also never cheats you; one can tell that the writers know exactly what they're doing, and they're not going to tease you with cheap thrills or careless false leads.

So it's truly heartbreaking that Carnivàle was canceled so soon. It was meant to span six seasons, but instead had to rush to an end at two. It's infuriating, as I know more episodes would have allowed the show to play out properly, with a long slow rise instead of an abrupt mad dash. Such an intricate story deserves to have its time; it kills me imagining what might have been. In recent years, I've been trying to pay more attention to how good stories are constructed and presented; for the most part, this enhances rather than impairs my enjoyment. And it makes me increasingly aware of the skill that goes into the art of storytelling.

Carnivàle is an exceptional work, and the sheer technical prowess behind it is staggering. A rich, challenging narrative with deeply flawed but totally riveting characters, all knitted up in masterful storytelling... with a full six seasons, it would have been mind-boggling. As it is, I think they did the best possible job in an impossible situation. The second season definitely shifts into high gear, but it doesn't feel excessively overburdened. And although a few things feel a little shaky, overall I'm fairly satisfied with the ending.

So there you go. Carnivàle - dark and brilliant, thoughtful and thought-provoking, perhaps the most imaginative and intelligent tv series yet. Dead before its time, but a powerful experience all the same. Check it out.