This page began life as the August edition of the
Fragments e-zine when we were lucky enough to be sent a preview
tape of the first three episodes of Carnivale, the new HBO series
which began in September 2003. This is not the usual sort of fan
website; there's no episode guide as such, no transcripts and
no discussion room - if you want that there are other good fan
sites listed in the links section and on the Carnivale Ring webring.
What this page does have, is reviews and analysis. It is, however,
the home of the Carnivale webring. Anyone with a Carnivale website
is welcome to join the Carnivale Ring - sites on the series, its
cast or crew are all included (click join on the webring banner).
Or simply visit the other sites
Anyway, here's some material on Carnivale which will
hopefully be informative or interesting to curious visitors. Submission
are welcome - send any commentaries, reviews or analysis of Carnivale,
either of individual episodes or the series as a whole to Fragments.
"Before the beginning,
After the great war between heaven and hell,
God created the earth and gave dominion over it to the crafty
ape he called man.
And to each generation was born a creature of light and a creature
of darkness,
And great armies clashed by night in the ancient war between good
and evil.
There was magic then,
Nobility,
And unimaginable cruelty.
And so it was until the day that a false sun exploded over Trinity,
And man forever traded away wonder for reason."
As a reviewer for a science fiction & fantasy
magazine, I was lucky enough to see previews of the first three
episodes. And it was captivating. Pessimistically, I doubt this
show will have longevity; the episodes I've seen tend towards
bizarre and unexplained narratives, and it's doubtful such material
will ever be commercial (but I really, really hope it is a success).
So what exactly is it that is so appealing about Carnivale? Well,
it's one of the most strange and intruguing series since Twin
Peaks and it has some of the same quirks and oddities as shows
like American Gothic and Miracles (the recently defunct series
with Angus MacFaddyen and Skeet Ulrich). Carnivale's story is
meandering and, at first, unclear. It throws snippets of information
into the plot that only become clear in hindsight. It's very rich
in imagery and much of the narrative unfolds through images as
much as through dialogue. The characters are gloriously perverse
and the scenario for the whole series wonderfully morbid. As for
genre, it is not really horror, but it is definitely dark fantasy
- what the French (and Clive Barker) call the fantastique.
It is certainly evocative of the fantasy novels of Tim Powers
and James Blaylock.
Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl). Hawkins is a young fugitive
with a 'gift' who is sheltered from the law by a travelling carnival.
Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown). A preacher in
California, Justin also seems to possess the power to cause 'miracles'
and believes he has been given a mission to preach to society's
dispossessed.
Samson (Michael J. Anderson). Samson is the manager
of a travelling carnival and ear to the unseen 'management'.
Sofie (Clea DuVall). Sofie is a tarot card reader
who can communicate telepathically with her comatose mother.
