Shaking some dust

CARNIVÀLE

It’s taken me a good long while to get round to it, but I finally finished watching the second (and sadly final) season of HBOs hugely underrated TV series, Carnivàle. The show was only broadcast here terrestrially on TG4, so there was precious little chance of many people having seen it, which is a real shame considering how special and unique a show it turned out to be.

Set in 1930s America during the heart of the depression, the show followed a curious mix of characters that travelled in a carnival from one dusty little town to the next. Broadly speaking, the show dealt with the never-ending battle between good and evil, forces that were physically embodied by two characters on the show. While this all sounds quite far-fetched, the writers made it work by setting the story against a gritty, realistic backdrop and populating the show with complicated, three-dimensional characters.

What really made the show so compelling was its characters. I’ve never known a show to be populated by such a range of rich and vibrant individuals. Unlike most shows, we aren’t simply given a summarised introduction to each of the characters in the pilot episode. Instead we naturally get to know them as series progresses. But because they each have their distinct personalities (complimented by beautifully nuanced performances from the actors), you get a feel for each of them quite quickly. There was a depth and realism to each of the characters that I found endlessly engaging.

Some disliked the shows relatively slow pace (although it did pick up steam in season 2), but I really have to applaud the writers for taking their time to develop the story and allowing their characters to breathe. I’ll admit, the show demands quite a bit of patience from the viewers. And while most episodes will leave you with a few unanswered questions, you never feel cheated because at least SOME mysteries are revealed. From the very start, series creator Daniel Knaff had an overall arc planned for the show, so it was satisfying to see how plot points given in one episode (which seemed random and confusing at the time) were eventually expanded upon and finally made sense as the show progressed. Its always refreshing to experience a well crafted story arc on television!

The writing for the show was never less than engaging and almost always compelling. The feeling of dread and menace that the show managed to convey was astounding. The tension would build ever so slowly throughout the episode and only when the credits rolled would I realise that I’d a knot in my stomach!

The casting was absolutely spot-on. And it was a true ensemble cast, where even the “no-name” actors got just as much screen time as their better known counterparts. The acting was equally top notch all round, everyone filling out his or her respective roles like they were born to play them.

Even though they all deserve a mention, it would be remiss if I didn’t single out Clancy Brown for his exceptional portrayal of Brother Justin Crowe. He was like a force of nature when on camera and dominated all his scenes with a presence that was both mesmerising and terrifying. He was dark and evil and frequently scared the hell outta me. Equally praise-worthy was Amy Madigan who played his sister Iris with a fervour that bordered on the fanatical.

With a hefty $4 million per episode budget, the production of the show was gargantuan. Chief among the highlights was the “Carnival” itself. The attraction featured rides, tents, stalls, trailers and even a fully working Ferris wheel. The entire beast took four days just to dismantle and reconstruct (which they had to do each week, as the show was shot on location!). From the start, the Carnival takes pride of place in the show and is so alive as to almost be a character in and of itself.

The crew went to great lengths to make the show as authentic as they could. The sights, sounds and dialogue were so reminiscent of the period, that you’d swear they travelled back in time 60 odd years to film the show. This attention to detail really helped to ground the show in reality and gave the actors something tangible to work with.

The production design was out of this world and would be the envy of any big-budget Hollywood movie. The sets were lavish affairs (even the broken-down squalid ones) and the costumes really are of another age, brimming with fine little touches. The make-up and visual effects were exceptional, most of the time working so subtly that you don’t even realise they were an effect.

Even though they picked up the pace in season 2 with some huge plot advancements, Carnivàle never managed to retain the audience it had during its first season and HBO were forced to cancel it. The other factor was of course the immense running costs of the show.

The vast story arc for the show was plotted out in three “books”, with two seasons to a book, so only the first book was completed. While this did result in an ending of sorts (the main arc of seasons 1 & 2 is resolved), the writers made no effort to tie up the many threads that would have been followed up in subsequent seasons. Even though I would have liked for everything to be wrapped up in a nice neat bow, I’m pleased that the writers refused to compromise the original vision of the story, just to facilitate the cancellation of the show.

Carnivàle is a rarity in T.V. land; bold, challenging and well worth repeated viewings. A word of warning though; after watching this show, most other programmes will seem cheap and shallow in comparison!