The quick spoiler-free review: Carniv?le answered the criticisms of the first season by increasing the pace and getting on with the plot while maintaining the mystery and weirdness that made it an awesome show to begin with. Any fan of the first season will love the second. If liked Carniv?le, but couldn’t stand the pacing then you should definitely check out season two.
Without spoiling anything, they’ve left it wide open for a third season although HBO has yet to pick it up. It would be criminal if they didn’t.
If you want to send HBO an email requesting a third season, head here.
Read on for the spoiler filled review and discussion.If Carniv?le was a meal then season one would be the cooking. In season two we finally got to dig in.
This season revealed so many secrets and confirmed so many rumors that it was almost hard to keep track of what was coming: The showdown between Ben and Justin.
It’s clear now that Scudder and Justin were dark (evil) and Ben and Management were light (good), but where does that leave Sophie? She is the Omega (whatever that means), she’s Justin’s daughter, and she may be carrying Ben’s baby. She has healing powers, but has the black eyes of the dark side. One definition for Omega is “the end” so maybe she is the end of the line for creatures of light and darkness.
For season three I’d like to see them go back to before the first season and show how Management, Lodz, and Scudder got into this and reveal more of the backstory. Then, it would jump back to the “present” for the the last episode to show Sophie’s destiny as the Omega. It’s the only way I see them having enough room for character development.
Two huge storylines didn’t get resolved in season 2. The obvious one is the return of Lodz. I have no idea how Lodz is supposed to return and I guess we’ll never know until season three airs. The other is the visions of the atomic blast. It seemed as if Ben’s purpose was to prevent an upcoming nuclear war, but that angle didn’t get any time in the season finale.
Overall, I thought the second season was great. I’m fascinated by the parallel power lines that seem to switch each generation. HBO better bring it back for a third season.
Comments
4 responses to “Carniv?le: Season Two Review”
Ah, my cross-dressing uncle. We accept him and his swishy ways.
Technically he’s not cross dressing. He’s only half cross dressing unless he’s really a woman on his right side and a man on his left side.
Look, he’s the only “successful” or “glamorous” Hipp. We’ve got to take him down a few pegs whenever we can.
I like the idea of doing a ‘prequel’ storyline with Management, Lodz and Scudder — lots of great backstory there. And can we stop killing Jonesy now? Sheesh. Let the man live already.
I think the casting on this show is just tremendous. With maybe 1 or 2 exceptions, this is the best work a lot of these folks have done, and the best roles a lot of them have ever been given.