I was gonna give this a 10 but since their are no more episodes I am shocked to say the least, this show was amazing, the characters, the acting, the mythology etc...... I enjoyed the episode but it seems like only 1 chapter of the story has been told, to this day I still don't understand why this show was cancelled, I read in an article that Daniel knauf, the creator intended to have 13/16 episodes in this season and that their were supposed to be 6 seasons, SIX!!! I really liked this show and as a viewer, who has watched all 24 episodes deserves some sort of closure here in the form of a graphic novel, mini series or even a MOVIE to wrap it all up, its all I want, I heard that deadwood got revived as a movie recently which means that this show should get one as well! anyways im gonna miss this show and I hope for more in the future so my vote is 8, it would have been 10 but cancellation hurts it.
7 Reviews
Stunning show for which Hbo should go for a Deadwood like revival
maropwnz16 May 2019
Yet they are so different. Both so solidly delivered, I find this show to be even more ambitious. Great casting and directing. Conceptually studied and praiseworthy. Wouldn't mind watching a s3 at all. A movie could work.
Fascinating look into a troubled time fraught with mythology.
edisonnosidE15 April 2006
Carnivàle was not widely advertised or promoted, yet it gathered an enormous cult following through word of mouth.
It is a dark look at a time when Americans were desperately searching for miracles, and in Carnivàle, miracles are found, basically through two of the actors. One is a Creature of Darkness and one is a Creature of Light. Their awareness of one another evolves slowly, through dreams, visions and contact with other strange... 'presences.'
With a cast of characters such as never been seen together before on the same view screen, you will never be bored, and often fascinated as characters seek to avoid or to further their destinies while barely aware that behind the scenes lurks a presence and the possibility of a fate which exceeds the darkest dreams of this dark time.
It is a dark look at a time when Americans were desperately searching for miracles, and in Carnivàle, miracles are found, basically through two of the actors. One is a Creature of Darkness and one is a Creature of Light. Their awareness of one another evolves slowly, through dreams, visions and contact with other strange... 'presences.'
With a cast of characters such as never been seen together before on the same view screen, you will never be bored, and often fascinated as characters seek to avoid or to further their destinies while barely aware that behind the scenes lurks a presence and the possibility of a fate which exceeds the darkest dreams of this dark time.
Ending on a high!
qqwwxx21 April 2020
Great and open finale
MsMoebius2 April 2022
I loved this ending for so many reasons
I believe it closed most on the questions opened during the show
And the best .... It is an open finale
I agree that we sometimes prefer "nice and happy endings" but this finale allows us to build a whole "what if..." world of what would have happened if another season had been launched
I agree that the show was cancelled and that another season could have been great for the fan, but sometimes it is better not to extend too much and just let the audience use the imagination and play with it
10 points for the Sophie surprise !!!
Season 2: Clearer forward motion and more engaging and involving than first season, although ending is defined by cancellation
bob the moo18 April 2014
I'm sure even absolute fans of this show would acknowledge that it really doesn't help the casual viewer to get drawn into it – and in particular the first season was very much a case of trusting it to see where it was all going. Of course as we know this strategy didn't pay off and the ratings never justified the high cost to keep it going. This is a shame because although the show continues its comparatively slow pace and rather dense tone and material, the second season is built on a lot more knowledge and understanding of what is going on, as well as more willingness on the part of the viewer to continue to go with it, because generally we have seen it steadily pay off, albeit in a manner and pace that is of the show's dictating.
The second season has a clearer forward motion thanks to the ground work of the first season; I felt I had more understanding of the characters and who they were both in the story but also the bigger picture – so although the show was still slow moving, it didn't feel quite so much a case of "trust me" as the first season did. This isn't to say that the second season suddenly becomes more accessible and easy to follow, because it doesn't; it continues to keep a dark, ominous tone that is rather unsettling but engaging at the same time. The imagery throughout is brutal, violent and disturbing, generally not delivered in cheap jump-scare style but rather being done as a bed of unease and threat. The characters in and around this do not distract from the main thrust either and generally those of the carnival were kept involved and close, with bigger plots and smaller ones generally working.
Of course the downside of all of this is that the show does not get a fantastic ending. The confrontation is good (although does end up with fighting in a field) but the ending was clearly written with the intension of more and as a result it leaves almost everything wide open with nothing resolved. Although this is annoying, it doesn't mean the season is not worth watching because it is engaging in the rather elegant and paced manner it tells the story and, although it was done at huge cost, the production values are high and the ambition of the show shows. For sure it has its limitations in how slow paced it is and how it throws oddity at the viewer often with little immediate explanation, however it does improve on the first season in that regard and generally does reward those that stay with it, even if ultimately the ending is unsatisfactory in light of its cancellation.
The second season has a clearer forward motion thanks to the ground work of the first season; I felt I had more understanding of the characters and who they were both in the story but also the bigger picture – so although the show was still slow moving, it didn't feel quite so much a case of "trust me" as the first season did. This isn't to say that the second season suddenly becomes more accessible and easy to follow, because it doesn't; it continues to keep a dark, ominous tone that is rather unsettling but engaging at the same time. The imagery throughout is brutal, violent and disturbing, generally not delivered in cheap jump-scare style but rather being done as a bed of unease and threat. The characters in and around this do not distract from the main thrust either and generally those of the carnival were kept involved and close, with bigger plots and smaller ones generally working.
Of course the downside of all of this is that the show does not get a fantastic ending. The confrontation is good (although does end up with fighting in a field) but the ending was clearly written with the intension of more and as a result it leaves almost everything wide open with nothing resolved. Although this is annoying, it doesn't mean the season is not worth watching because it is engaging in the rather elegant and paced manner it tells the story and, although it was done at huge cost, the production values are high and the ambition of the show shows. For sure it has its limitations in how slow paced it is and how it throws oddity at the viewer often with little immediate explanation, however it does improve on the first season in that regard and generally does reward those that stay with it, even if ultimately the ending is unsatisfactory in light of its cancellation.
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