Carnival Row

This was absolutely splendid. I had no expectations when I started watching it and knew nothing about it, thinking it would be Ripper Street with a touch of fantasy. First couple of episodes I was still thinking that but soon after I was utterly hooked by the believable world building and strong acting from the leads especially Orlando Bloom who shakes free of the last remaining vestiges of Legolas and gives a commanding tragic performance. The Victorian steam punk vibe is excellently bought to life and the underlying story of a displaced people struggling against prejudice and violence in a dark and hostile capital is superbly done. Clearly there are metaphors in this depiction for our own times but they are not so heavy handed as to distract from the main murder investigation that has reflections of the Ripper hunt. The answer to the murder mystery is apparent to the audience some way before the actual denouement and if there is a criticism it would be the stretch on credulity that gets us to the end in a rather hurried and over played final episode. A minor criticism though in gem of a show and I hope we will see more.

The Amazon series is easier to follow even as it introduces initially-unconnected characters in multiple social classes. This gives "Carnival Row" plenty of areas to explore. It seems the time is right for audiences to become invested in this magical world, even if it's a far darker and nastier place than they might have otherwise imagined.

I don't know what the professional critics had against this series. The production values are fabulous, the world building is impressive, the acting is decent, the story is interesting.

Like Game Of Thrones, it's a fantasy series, grounded in reality. Although the scenario is more Steampunk. With violence, nudity, intrigue, blasphemies, etc.

At the heart of the series are serious topics such as refugees\migration. Perhaps critics didn't like the way this topic was handled. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm enjoying it. I give 8 stars out of 10.

If you are a fan of fantasy-drama, then stop reading this, and start watching this series. Need some reasons--where to begin? It has an important overall theme: race. The visuals and sounds are impeccable (e.g. sets, costumes, make-up, and filming locations like Prague). The performances are spot-on. Orlando Bloom gives his most mature, nuanced performance yet, and Cara Delevingne's exceptional portrayal of a fae (fairy) is alone reason to watch the series. Jared Harris raises every scene he is in, as always, and David Gyasi's is outstanding in perhaps the show's most complex role. The emotional writing creates a fully realized world. It is kind of like Pratchett's Discworld (without, unfortunately, the humor). Can't wait for Season 2.

So, i liked the first season and was quite looking forward to the second.

Sadly it has not lived up to the first season, and there is quite a convoluted mess going on. I feel that they have tried to cram two seasons into one or something. However, this is not to say that i found it unwatchable or a chore to get through. It's just that there are many moving parts in this tale, and if i let my mind wander for a few minutes then i was scratching my head as to what exactly was going on.

My biggest gripe by far with the second series is how absolutely annoying i found Cara D's character, Vignette. All she has done throughout the whole season is wander from person to person or group of persons, declaring undying loyalty to them, to their cause, to their undying love ( which she inevitably kicks to the curb sooner rather than later ). So we see Vignette flitting about, figuratively and literally over and over. At some point her characters self centred antics just bored me, and ruined the show for me. Maybe this is what the shows creators were trying to portray and if so then i guess they succeeded.

I gave a review of 8 for season one really, because i feel a quite believable and original world and story that left me wanting more.

If i could score season 2 also i would give it a 6. It wasn't so bad, if a little muddling and regardless of the writing and acting i really rate the production quality. Yes, this is worth a look.