Carnival Row

Carnival Row is an American neo-noir[3] fantasy web television series created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on August 30, 2019. The series stars Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne, Simon McBurney, Tamzin Merchant, David Gyasi, Andrew Gower, Karla Crome, Arty Froushan, Indira Varma, and Jared Harris. In July 2019, it was announced that Amazon had renewed Carnival Row for a second season.

Carnival Row
Genre
Created by
Based onA Killing on Carnival Row (film script)
by Travis Beacham[2]
Starring
Composer(s)
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Orlando Bloom
Production location(s)Czech Republic
Camera setupMultiple-camera
Running time50-67 minutes
Production company(s)
Release
Original networkPrime Video
Original releaseAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30) –
present (present)

Premise

Carnival Row follows "mythical creatures who have fled their war-torn homeland and gathered in the city as tensions are simmering between citizens and the growing immigrant population."[4] At the center of the drama is the investigation into a string of unsolved murders, madness of power, unresolved love, and social adjustments eating away at whatever uneasy peace exists.

Cast and characters

Main
  • Orlando Bloom as Rycroft Philostrate ("Philo"), an Inspector of the Burgue Constabulary, investigating a dark conspiracy at the heart of the city. A veteran of the war, he sympathizes with the fae to the disgust of many of his colleagues.
  • Cara Delevingne as Vignette Stonemoss, a fae and Philo's former lover who believed him to be dead following a war. She falls in with a group of fae ruffians known as the Black Raven while dealing with her complicated feelings for Philo.
  • Simon McBurney as Runyon Millworthy, a human street performer and master of a troupe of kobolds.
  • Tamzin Merchant as Imogen Spurnrose, an heiress who becomes involved with Agreus to support her lifestyle.
  • David Gyasi as Agreus Astrayon, a wealthy faun (also known by their derogatory name of "Puck") shunned by Burgue high society for his appearance and origin.
  • Andrew Gower as Ezra Spurnrose, Imogen's brother whom she blames for mishandling the family finances and driving them into debt.
  • Karla Crome as Tourmaline Larou, Vignette's friend and former lover, Poet Laureate of Tirnanoc (Tir na nÓg being the "Land of the Youth", of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, or "People of the Goddess Danu", a legendary ancient Celtic fae race), and a courtesan at the Tetterby Hotel in Carnival Row.
  • Arty Froushan as Jonah Breakspear, Absalom's son who rebels against his controlling father.
  • Indira Varma as Piety Breakspear, Absalom's manipulative wife who seeks to enshrine her family's legacy.
  • Jared Harris as Absalom Breakspear, the Chancellor of the Republic of the Burgue.

Recurring
  • Caroline Ford as Sophie Longerbane, the power-seeking daughter of Ritter Longerbane.
  • Alice Krige as Aoife Tsigani, a Haruspex (or witch) in the service of Piety Breakspear.
  • Ariyon Bakare as Darius Sykes, Philo's old friend and a former soldier of the Burgue now held in captive luxury due to having been cursed as a Marrok (a type of wolf-man) during the war.
  • Maeve Dermody as Portia Fyfe, Philo's landlady whose romantic advances he frequently rebuffs.
  • Jamie Harris as Sergeant Dombey, a constable under the rank of sergeant known to harbor racist beliefs against the Fae and despises Philo for sympathizing with them.
  • Waj Ali as Constable Berwick, Philo's timid partner who nevertheless remains loyal to him.
  • James Beaumont as Constable Cuppins, a constable who finds Philo's interest in the Fae unnatural.
  • Tracey Wilkinson as Afissa, the "Puck" housemaid and cook to the Spurnroses.
  • Anna Rust as Fleury, a Pix courtesan at Moira's brothel.
  • Mark Lewis Jones as Magistrate Flute, the head constable in the Burgue who urges solidarity amongst his officers and frequently butts heads with Philo over his concern for the Fae's welfare.
  • Leanne Best as Madame Moira, the proprietor of The Tetterby Hotel, which she uses as a brothel.
  • Theo Barklem-Biggs as Cabal, a "Puck" malcontent seeking to bring his brethren together.
  • Ronan Vibert as Ritter Longerbane, Sophie's father, Absalom Breakspear's primary political opponent, and longtime advocate of Fae subjugation.
  • Chloe Pirrie as Dahlia, the ruthless Fae leader of the Black Raven.
  • Scott Reid as Quilliam ("Quill"), a "Puck" footman, unjustly dismissed by the Chancellor, who turns to radicalism.
  • Sinead Phelps as Jenila, Sophie Longerbane's "Puck" lady's maid.
  • Jim High as Fergus, a human servant in Mr. Agreus' household.
  • Erika Starkova as Aisling Querelle, Philo's mother and a once-famous Pix singer turned to the life of a scavenger.

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Some Dark God Wakes"Thor FreudenthalStory by : René Echevarria and Travis Beacham
Teleplay by : René Echevarria		August 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
Vignette Stonemoss escapes Pact soldiers onto a ship with other fae-folk she has helped flee Pact-occupied fae land. A storm at sea leaves Vignette the sole survivor. The ship belonged to Ezra Spurnrose, who lives with his sister Imogen in one of the Burgue’s richer neighborhoods. Having lost a significant profit in the shipwreck, he expects the indentured Vignette to work as a lady's maid to Imogen. Vignette goes to Carnival Row on an errand, meeting her old friend Tourmaline, now a prostitute, who reveals Vignette's lover Philo is still alive. Now a police inspector investigating violent attacks on fae-folk, Philo realizes the suspect is a sailor. He tries to catch the assailant, but the man, before committing suicide, warns him that a "dark god" has awakened under the city. Vignette tells Philo that she knows he is alive. Imogen and Ezra are shocked to learn their new neighbor is a faun named Agreus. Absalom Breakspear, Chancellor of the city, faces strong opposition from his rival Longerbane. He and his wife Piety discuss their son Jonah, whom he warns not to visit Carnival Row.
2"Aisling"Thor FreudenthalRené EchevarriaAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
A fae named Aisling is murdered near the sewers. Philo learns Aisling was a singer turned scavenger, and asks a fae butcher to perform an autopsy, allowing a fae priestess to perform last rites. Imogen meets Agreus, rebuffing his advances. A drunk Ezra attempts to rape Vignette and she assaults him in self-defense; Ezra files a police complaint accusing her of stealing. Philo overhears this and buys Vignette's contract from him. Ezra tells Imogen they are financially unstable, and he plans to give the house as collateral to the bank to procure another ship. Imogen has her own plans, and writes to Agreus, reciprocating his interest. Vignette joins the Black Raven, a rebel fae group dealing in contraband and is tasked to steal a flag from inside police headquarters. She succeeds by blackmailing Philo into letting her escape. Philo meets Darius, an old army friend currently in prison. Jonah is kidnapped while visiting Tourmaline. Without a ransom demand, Piety suggests they consult a witch, who sacrifices Absalom's pet bear and tells him Longerbane kidnapped his son. It is revealed Piety is behind the kidnapping, asking the witch, her family's loyal servant, to lie.
3"Kingdoms of the Moon"Anna FoersterTravis BeachamAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
A flashback reveals Philo and Darius were soldiers with the Burguish army, occupying a fae village near a telegraph line. Sent to investigate whether the faefolk are a threat, Philo finds a library guarded by Vignette, who threatens him to stay silent and is ordered to keep a close eye on him by Mima. Vignette helps the Burguishmen fix the telegraph line across a ravine, where they are attacked by Pact soldiers who morph into Marroks (a type of wolf-man) using injections. Darius is bitten, turning into a Marrok which Philo promises to keep secret. Tourmaline and other fae seek refuge at the village when their home is attacked by the Pact. Tourmaline talks to Vignette, her past lover, asking what Vignette’s plans are with Philo after the war. Vignette confronts Philo about their future, and he reveals he is a half-blood orphan who had his wings cut off as a child to pass as a man. News arrives that the Burgue has ordered its troops home. The Pact attacks the village, and Philo asks Mima to tell Vignette he is dead, to protect her. In the present, Vignette tells Philo she will keep his secret, but their love is finished.
4"The Joining of Unlike Things"Thor Freudenthal
Anna Foerster		Travis Beacham, Marc Guggenheim and Peter CameronAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
Finch, headmaster of Philo's former orphanage and his foster father, is murdered. Philo encounters the killer in the sewers after finding that it left the footprints of a faun and a trow. The priestess explains to Philo that the creature may be a Darkasher, a golem reanimated from various corpses with dark magic. To prove this theory, Philo asks the witch to create a Darkasher bonded to him, which requires her to sexually assault him in Vignette’s form to collect his seed. Distraught, Absalom agrees with Piety to take Longerbane into custody until he confesses to kidnapping their son. Agreus agrees to support Imogen if she helps him gain acceptance from her peers. Suspecting Vignette is an informant, Dahlia orders her to find the real informant or die. Tourmaline forces Philo to reveal the informant is Hamlyn, who tells Philo that a deceased member of the Black Raven named Wren was hired to dig up several bodies. Finding Longerbane on the brink of death, Piety poisons him, telling Absalom where to find Jonah. Vignette attacks Hamlyn, but he overpowers her and Philo shoots him dead. Dahlia promotes Vignette in Hamlyn's place after bringing her his wing. Jonah is returned to Absalom, but recognizes the sound of Piety's heels from captivity. Philo takes his landlady Portia on a date.
5"Grieve No More"Andy GoddardIan Deitchman and Kristin RobinsonAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
As the Darkasher cannot be killed while its master lives, Philo searches for its creator. Over Ezra's objections, Imogen invites Agreus to a tea party with her friends, which proves humiliating when he insists on being treated as their equal. As Agreus prepares to leave, Ezra swallows his pride and permits him to stay. Afterward, Agreus gives him a check. Philo returns to the orphanage, revisiting painful memories, and meets with the assistant headmaster who reveals that Finch regularly traveled to the Tetterby for companionship. Longerbane's ambitious daughter Sophie assumes his office and declares her opposition to coexistence with the fae. Enthralled by her, Jonah grows distant from his family. Runyon's kobold performers are seized by the police and deported as unregistered pets. Philo learns the truth from Madame Moira: Finch was in a secret relationship with police coroner Morange who confesses that Finch knew Aisling in his younger days, leading Philo to deduce Aisling was his mother. That night, Morange is murdered in his home by the Darkasher. Jonah's former footman Quill joins a secret society of "Pucks" after their leader Cabal gives him a book to read.
6"Unaccompanied Fae"Andy GoddardStephanie K. SmithAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
Philo's fellow police officers become suspicious as he seems to be making no progress on his case. Jonah meets Sophie and learns she abhors her father's politics, but cannot afford to alienate his supporters. She tells him they are very much alike, but he is still under his parents' thumb. Philo tells Portia he is a half-blood and she ends their relationship and kicks him out. Vignette discovers her library is on display at a Burguish museum. Enraged, she accosts the patrons and is arrested for trespassing. During a procession, Quill witnesses a fellow Puck being beaten by an abusive foreman which Cabal offers as proof humans will never accept the Fae. Imogen accompanies Agreus to a charity auction where he impresses her with his wit and humiliates a haughty couple who insult her. Constable Dombey forces Portia to reveal Philo's secret. Berwick tries to explain Philo's theory about the Darkasher, which Dombey and the Magistrate are convinced Philo made up to disguise the killings. Runyon tells Philo that the late Mr. Spurnrose, an admirer of Aisling, let her stay at his house to give birth safely. Philo is taken into police custody.
7"The World to Come"Jon AmielStory by : René Echevarria
Teleplay by : Peter Cameron		August 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
Dombey hopes Philo will be killed by human prisoners. Vignette warns him and he fights them off. The witch warns Piety that she will die soon and that the police have the wrong man. Guilt-stricken, Portia tells the police she lied about Philo. The Magistrate offers to free Philo if he swears he is a man, but Philo admits he is half-fae. Dombey plots to have Philo murdered before trial. Hired as Jonah’s tutor, Runyon lambasts him for his lack of purpose, driving Jonah to accept Sophie’s offer to force his father from power. Furious to learn his father sheltered Aisling, Ezra tells Imogen that Agreus will cast her aside. She visits Agreus where they confess their mutual feelings and have sex. Cabal inducts Quill into his society by having him kill the foreman. Philo and Vignette reconcile and realize the killer is Philo's father who wants to rid himself of his half-blood son and has been killing those close to him to learn his identity. Philo is removed from his cell by Dombey, having been warned by Berwick of his plans. Instead of being killed, Philo is taken to a rural estate to meet his biological father: Absalom.
8"The Gloaming"Jon AmielTravis BeachamAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)
Absalom prepares to kill Philo until his son convinces him that he did not kill Aisling. Swapping stories, Absalom promises to free Vignette, but a disguised Quill stabs him in his office. Piety reveals to Jonah that Sophie is his half-sister from her affair with Ritter and Jonah realizes his father always suspected he was not his biological son. Catching Agreus and Imogen sleeping together, Ezra tries to shoot Agreus who strikes him. Piety smothers her husband and inspects his liver, learning of Vignette's existence. The witch is killed, warning Philo that Vignette is in danger. Piety sends the Darkasher to kill Philo, but Vignette frees herself and stabs Piety with a pair of shears, killing her and her monster. As his mother's body has not been found, Jonah assumes the role of acting chancellor with Runyon as his chief advisor and deduces Sophie was responsible for the blackmails by convincing Piety that Philo, not him, was destined for greatness. Nevertheless, Jonah forms an alliance with Sophie. Agreus and Imogen take Agreus' ship to find a new home. In light of the uprisings, Jonah establishes a ghetto for the Fae, forbidding them to leave the Burgue or interact with humans where Fleury is shot for trying to fly away from the Tetterby Hotel. Embracing his fae heritage, Philo joins Vignette and the other fae in the ghetto.

Production

Development

On January 9, 2015, Amazon signed a development deal for the series which, at the time had Guillermo del Toro on board as a co-writer, executive producer, and director. The series, set to be co-written by del Toro, Travis Beacham, and Rene Echeverria, is based on a feature film spec script written by Beacham, entitled A Killing on Carnival Row. The company ordered three scripts with the expectation that if the series went into production del Toro would direct the first episode.[5] On June 6, 2016, the production was given a pilot order with the previously announced creative team still set to be involved.[6]

On May 10, 2017, the production was given a series order with Beacham and Echeverria still executive producing, and with Echeverria expected to act as showrunner. Filmmaker Paul McGuigan was set to direct the series. By this point, del Toro had stepped away from the project, as his feature film schedule did not permit him to stay on as an executive producer as the project moved forward.[7] On November 10, 2017, filmmaker Jon Amiel replaced McGuigan as director.[8]

On June 3, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on August 30, 2019.[9]

In July 2019, Amazon renewed the series for a second season.[10]

Casting

In August 2017, Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne were cast in the series' two lead roles.[11][12] On September 22, 2017, it was reported that David Gyasi, Karla Crome, Indira Varma, and Tamzin Merchant had joined the main cast.[13] In October 2017, it was announced that Simon McBurney, Alice Krige, and Jared Harris had been cast in recurring roles.[14][15] On November 3, 2017, it was reported Ariyon Bakare was joining the series in a recurring capacity.[16] On December 15, 2017, it was announced that Andrew Gower and Jamie Harris had been cast in recurring roles.[17] On January 30, 2018, it was reported that Scott Reid had joined the cast as a series regular.[18] On October 8, 2018, it was reported that Anna Rust had joined the cast in a recurring capacity.[19]

Filming

The series spent almost five months in pre-production before filming began. The series was shot entirely in the Czech Republic throughout 108 shooting days.[20] Principal photography began in October 2017.[21] Much of the work was done at the Barrandov Studios in Prague, while locations included the city of Liberec, the chateaux in Frýdlant and Krnsko, and at the Prachov Rocks (Prachovské skály) area.[22] Filming for the first season concluded on March 14, 2018.[20]

Production on the second season commenced in November 2019, but stopped in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of the first week of May, preparations for resumption of production were underway.[23][24] However, Amazon has yet to resume production on the show.[25] They were three weeks from being wrapped on season two when the pandemic forced the production to shut down. But instead of making everyone wait for them to finish filming, Amazon is planning on releasing the first five episodes of Carnival Row season 2 and then adding an extra episode when they go back to finish the shoot. So they would release five episodes and then down the road the final four.[26]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Carnival Row holds a 55% approval rating based on 60 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Beautiful, but bloated, Carnival Row boasts meticulously crafted mythology and luscious world building—unfortunately its story of haves and have nots simply has too much going on to create anything cohesive."[27] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[28]

Sam Brooks of the New Zealand-based The Spinoff noted that the premise of the show is "a mish-mash of influences and inspirations, from Neil Gaiman to Mortal Engines (the novels not the film)".[29]

Accolades

Carnival Row was nominated for Best Genre Series at the 2020 Satellite Awards.[30]

gollark: It was muted possibly.
gollark: *I* can, hold on.
gollark: I am using Opus. 128kbps is "transparent" quality.
gollark: Why?
gollark: Maybe it has bad peering to the UK.

References
  1. Emma Fraser (September 6, 2019). "Look of the Week: Carnival Row's Steampunk Chic". Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  2. Telegraph Reporters (September 1, 2017). "Carnival Row: everything you need to know about Amazon's starry new series". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  3. Chavez, Danette (August 28, 2019). "Amazon's Carnival Row might work better if it went completely off the rails". AV Club. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  4. Sandberg, Bryn Elise (May 10, 2017). "Amazon Orders Fantasy Drama 'Carnival Row' to Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (January 9, 2015). "Guillermo Del Toro & Travis Beacham's 'Carnival Row' Eyes Series Order At Amazon Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  6. Andreeva, Nellie; Jaafar, Ali (June 6, 2016). "Amazon Orders 5 Pilots from Guillermo del Toro, Amy Sherman-Palladino & Others". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (May 10, 2017). "'Carnival Row' Fantasy Drama From Rene Echevarria & Travis Beacham Gets Amazon Series Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  8. Sandberg, Bryn Elise (November 10, 2017). "'Carnival Row': Director Paul McGuigan Replaced on Amazon's Orlando Bloom Drama (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  9. "Carnival Row Starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne Gets Amazon Premiere Date and Fantastical Trailer". TVLine. June 3, 2019.
  10. Thorne, Will (July 27, 2019). "'Carnival Row' Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  11. Andreeva, Nellie (August 25, 2017). "Orlando Bloom To Star In 'Carnival Row' Fantasy Drama Series For Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  12. Andreeva, Nellie (August 31, 2017). "Cara Delevingne To Star In 'Carnival Row' Fantasy Drama Series For Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  13. Petski, Denise (September 22, 2017). "'Carnival Row': David Gyasi, Karla Crome, Indira Varma & Tamzin Merchant Join Amazon's Fantasy Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  14. Petski, Denise (October 9, 2017). "'Carnival Row' Casts Simon McBurney; Jonny Coyne Joins 'The Blacklist'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  15. Petski, Denise (October 12, 2017). "'Carnival Row': Alice Krige & Jared Harris Set To Recur On Amazon's Fantasy Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  16. Petski, Denise (November 3, 2017). "Michaela Conlin Joins 'Yellowstone'; 'Carnival Row' Casts Ariyon Bakare". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  17. Petski, Denise (December 15, 2017). "'Carnival Row': Andrew Gower & Jamie Harris Set To Recur In Amazon's Fantasy Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  18. "SCOTT REID WILL PLAY 'QUILL' IN AMAZON'S CARNIVAL ROW | Shepherd Management". Shepherd Management. January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  19. "Interview: Actress Anna Rust on Carnival Row & Shooting in Prague". The Prague Reporter. October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  20. Strbova, Denisa (March 21, 2018). "PRODUCTION: Amazon Studios' Carnival Row Wraps Shooting in Czech Republic - FilmNewEurope.com". Film New Europe Association. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  21. Strbova, Denisa (August 31, 2017). "Amazon's Series Carnival Row to Be Shot in the Czech Republic - FilmNewEurope.com". Film New Europe Association. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  22. https://www.praguereporter.com/home/2018/3/16/carnival-row-wraps-shooting-in-prague, Carnival Row Wraps Shooting in Prague
  23. Stacy Perman, Anousha Sakoui (May 18, 2020). "After the coronavirus, the race to resume film production goes global". LATimes.com. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  24. Andreas Wiseman (May 7, 2020). "Czech Republic, Host Of Amazon's 'Carnival Row' & Marvel's 'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier', Says It Is Ready For Film & TV Resumption". Deadline. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  25. https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2548053/carnival-rows-cara-delevingne-gives-update-for-season-2-on-amazon
  26. https://collider.com/orlando-bloom-interview-retaliation-lotr-carnival-row-season-2-kingdom-of-heaven/
  27. "Carnival Row: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  28. "Carnival Row". Metacritic. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  29. Sam Brooks (August 30, 2019). "Review: Carnival Row is stuck in the fantasy ghetto mud". The Spinoff. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  30. 24th Satellite Awards Announce Nominations, ‘Ford v Ferrari’ Leads the Way
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