'Carnival Row' Is Enjoyable but Inconsequential

Basically, Carnival Row is a fantasy TV series made for the Game of Thrones era of television that brings fairy tale creatures into a Victorian setting.  Specifically, it’s mostly set in a country called the Burgue, a Victorian England analogue in which many of its human citizens are prejudiced against the “Critch” immigrants who have come to the land.  “Critch”, by the way, is the slur many humans throw at the non-human races – the faeries (“Pix”, “Fae”), the fauns (“Pucks”), the centaurs, the kobolds, etc. (the show will likely show more races in the next seasons).

The Critch in the Burgue are mostly refugees resulting from the wars that the Burgue went to.  Once they get to the Burgue, they must work as indentured servants for a couple of years in order to pay for their voyage – an arrangement that proves to be a profitable enterprise for human businessmen.  However, when a Critch finally manages to pay off his or her debts, there are not much economic opportunities available for him or her.  Usually, the Critch eventually find themselves in the slum called “Carnival Row”, maintaining an impoverished existence by living off menial jobs, prostitution, or crime.

The plot primarily centers on Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom), a police inspector and a veteran of the war in Tirnanoc (the homeland of the Fae) who is assigned to investigate a string of gruesome, seemingly unconnected murders that leads him to uncover a much darker conspiracy.  Meanwhile, after years of helping Fae refugees to get to the Burgue, the faery Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) – Philo’s lover in Tirnanoc whom he had led to believe that he died during the war – finally flees to the Brogue herself.  Their reunion understandably proves to be an awkward, bitter, heartbreaking one.

While Philo and Vignette are dealing with their stuff, there are also two major subplots unfolding in the progress of the 8-episode debut season.  The first involves the Chancellor Absalom Breakspear (Jared Harris), his scheming wife Piety (Indira Varma), and their Fae brothel-loving son Jonah (Arty Froushan).  The second one follows a rich faun named Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi), who believes his wealth should be enough to bulldoze the prejudice that’s on his way of becoming part of Burgue high society, and Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant), a young heiress whose disgust for Agreus gradually changes into admiration and affection over time.  The first subplot eventually becomes relevant to the main storyline; the second, not so much.

Carnival Row wants a little bit of everything going on for it.  It goes for mystery, political intrigue, legit high fantasy pedigree, Shakespearean romance, historical allegory, and social commentary – among other things.  The result is genuinely entertaining as a whole, but those individual components aren’t as compelling as the show probably wants them to be.

Personally, I wish the “mystery” component was a bit stronger.  I expected Philo to be this Sherlock Holmes-esque – or, more accurately, considering the “fantasy-Victorian mashup” factor, Simon Archard-esque – character.  But he’s not.  In fact, he doesn’t display much of an appeal and dimension as a main character.  This is my biggest disappointment in this show.

The wordbuilding is pretty solid and promising.  And the production design and effects make for some arresting, stylish visuals (at least, by TV standards). However, the show doesn’t offer anything more profound beyond that.  In the case of its storytelling, themes, and characters, it doesn’t generate anything deep, resonating, and striking. 

All in all, as far as season one is concerned, Carnival Row is just an enjoyable but inconsequential show.  But it does have exciting potential.  And future seasons could end up being special.