Review: Carnival Row

Amazon is very much shooting-for the-moon with Carnival Row. Not only by casting talented actors, but also by attacking a large story with a very large scope. I very much imagine someone at Amazon Prime Video offices yelling to underlings to get him something that’s part Game of Thrones and part Harry Potter. The G.O.T. feeling encompasses you quick as you watch and listen to the opening credits to the show. Someone in the art and sound department might have been a little heavy-handed with the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V buttons (Copy and Paste for the less than tech friendly).

That being said, the story follows Rycroft Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) as he solves the crimes of normal humans and magical fairies alike in his role as a Victorian police detective. A man that walks between the species, hoping to bring justice for all. Though Faerie folk are most definitely relegated to second-class citizen status with many serving prominent humans and their households.

His dark and brooding life is turned upside down as a Fairy from his past appears. Under the impression that he was dead, his once love Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevigne) must find her place in Carnival Row. Also a protector by nature, she searches for a way to help her kind, while Rycroft tries to understand what Vignette still means to him, as he chases unimaginable monsters and killers.

Xenophobia and a stout class society allow for many interesting characters chasing dark and malevolent story lines. Fear, anger and regret are only a few of the emotions swirling around on the “Row.” And while we focus on Bloom and Delevigne’s characters, many interesting tales unfold with webs that may overlay or catch viewers by surprise.

A bit slow to start for me, this show locked my interest down around episode three. The magical nature mixed with castle-intrigue taking place in Victorian times really had me hooked. Yes, the show can be a rip off at-times and has some less-than-surprising moments. Neither of those things changes what I know. That with this show and Amazon’s The Boys, I know for a 100% fact I will not be ending my Prime subscription any time soon.