Discussion of episodes (beware spoilers).
UPDATE, 5th October 2003: Reviews of new episodes
will be added soon. Meanwhile, visitors can continue to rate the
latest episodes on the votes page.
Episode 1: Milfay (14th September 2003)
"There was magic then, nobility, and unimaginable
cruelty."
Carnivale opens with a close-up of
Michael J. Anderson delivering the lines given in full at the
top of this page. Anderson, you will probably remember, played
the Little Man From Another Place in Twin Peaks, adding to the
Lynchian feel from the start. I take it from the reference to
Trinity, that the setting of the series in the 1930s means that
it is a time when wonder is still present in the world and the
ancient war between good and evil is still taking place. This
raises the central question of who the creatures of light and
darkness are amongst the characters we subsequently meet. Regardless,
magic and miracles are still present in the world.
This narration is followed by a series of images, which are intriguing,
disturbing and a bit bewildering. I found they made much more
delightful sense when I watched them again after seeing the three
episodes. Many of the shots are taken from succeeding episodes.
These images turn out to be a dream. It is 1934 in Oklahoma and
on a farm laid waste in the dust bowl, a fugitive from a chain
gang watches his mother die.
Incidentally, the titles came at the end of this episode. I'm
not sure whether the episode will be broadcast like this. The
images under the titles centre around a series of tarot cards
(one of the major characters is a tarot reader in the carnival).
The paintings on the cards are taken from classical paintings;
I haven't identified them yet, but think I may have spotted examples
of Breughal and Michelangelo. The camera zooms in and actually
enters the cards; other images thus intercut are archive footage
of various events from the 1930s, ...
Episode 2: After the Ball is Over (21st September
2003)
"Every Prophet in His House"
The significnce of dreams increases
apace in the opening scene of episode two as Brother Justin walks
into a diner, followed by Hawkins, Scudder (the man who appeared
variously as a WWI soldier, dressed in a formal evening suit,
and as a miner) and a German officer. Hawkins joins Brother Justin
at the counter, whilst Scudder and the officer sit at a table
in a booth.
Again, this episode runs on a slow
burn and there is further establishment of the main characters.
There is a bigger focus on Brother Justin as he seeks to carry
out the vision he had in episde one of turning Chin's nightclub
into a house of God for the dispossed. Meanwhile Hawkins, having
been sent on a bogus job to tidy the baggage car, finds a trunk
in it (even though the Carnivale has no baggage car) ...
Episode 3: Tipton (28th September 2003)
Big Sky Farms
Having turned around and headed south
as Management have requested (against the better judgement of
Lodz and Jonsey), the Carnivale rolls into town just as the funeral
procession from the dream in episode one is taking place. This
is shot in quite a dreamy and melodic way, again there is a touch
of the Lynchian about it (although I don't want to belabour these
intertextual references, they do seem to have become established
as generic tropes in general since Twin Peaks and his earlier
films). The mother of the girl Hawkins healed in episode one spots
Hawkins and proclaims his miracle.
The Carnivale then proceeds to set
up, but the local sheriff (who has had dealings in the past with
Samson, albeit not unfriendly ones from the tone of the conversation,
denies Samson permission to open to the locals. He claims this
is because his people will be ripped off. Samson is inspired instead
to visit the local church and offer the preacher half the gate
from his revival. Samson convinces the sheriff (grudingly) that
they have given up their past ways when a young healer - Hawkins
obviously, although his 'gift' does not yet seem to be common
knowledge - came their way. They have found God and now offer
healing services instead of sideshows. ...
Carnivale
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