Carnivàle

[catsidhe]

Carnivàle returned to the ABC a few weeks ago. They've been showing two episodes back to back. Last night was episodes 17 and 18, so last night was the third week of the second series, with six more episodes and thus three more weeks to go.

I know it's a bit late to get into it if you haven't seen any before, but I can't praise this series highly enough. Apocalyptic magick in dustbowl America, 1930s. Freaks and wierdos, and sometimes it's hard to tell who is more freakish: the carnies, or everyone else. Get the DVD, and be prepared to be freaked out. Seriously, some of the episodes show curses and magick which will shock you, and shock you more and more the more you think about the consequenses. And this is me saying it. These two episodes still fsck with my head. If you want light comedy, or a simple story of polite human interaction, do not watch this show. If you actually have a stomach for morally complex story of bad things happening to everyone, good bad and indifferent (many more of the last two than the first), then gird your loins and watch -- but I suggest that you at the least read the synopses on the website to get you up to speed. Better still would be to watch it, all the way through.



I have one bone to pick, however, with the ABC announcer who does the voice-over for the promos.

The title of the series, and the name of the carnival both, are clearly spelled: 'Carnivàle'. That's a grave over that second 'a'. This is pronounced 'car-ni-VAHL'. Notnotnotnotnot 'car-ni-VA-lay'. No! Wrong! Bad voice-over-man, no biscuit! If they wanted to have you sound pretentious with French pronounciation¹, they would have spelled it 'Carnivalé'. They did, you will notice, not. Three syllables, dammit, not four. 'car-ni-VAHL', repeat after me: 'car-ni-VAHL'. Fingernails down a bloody blackboard every damn time.

I've taken my pills now. I feel better.


[1] Yes, yes, I know, Pot, Kettle, Black. But at least I make an effort to be correct in my pretension.

Comments

[baralier.livejournal.com]

You should write the ABC a letter. And write the Green Guide too.

*nods*

Letter to the Green Guide

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

Sent.

[scribblette.livejournal.com]

Bah, I thought a carnival was just a carnival, but they say carnivalé so I thought it was a fancy carnival and just say carnivalé like they do. Let's go sue them for teaching me wrong English. ^^

The whole series confuses me. I dunno how much I missed and where I'm at, but it doesn't seem like anything before the current episodes really matters, as they remind you he's an evil poop each episode and that the other dude is.. looking for his daddy. o_O which I dun see how that fits into the whole good/evil thingie or what, but whatever... strangeness.

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Well, I watched the whole first season on DvD this summer, and can say that I really loved it, for all the reasons you stated. Now I'm wondering if there's a season 2, 'case the storyline certainly implies that there should be one.

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

There most certainly is -- that's what we're watching here now. I'm wondering if there will be a third season ... the spoilers on the website certainly allow for it, nay, they demand it.

[baralier.livejournal.com]

I believe the third season is officially a no go. I seem to remember an interview with the show's creator just before the first season started here saying he planned to run it over 5 years and there'd be a lot of frustrated people if the show was axed before then.

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

the whole good/evil thingie

I think one of the themes is that Good and Evil are choices. Scudder was, by many measures, Not A Nice Man. But then, neither was the Russian. Ben has chosen to be nice to people ... to be ostensibly Good. He doesn't like hurting people, he generally wants people to be happy. Of course, he's good, but he's not a saint. He gets angry, he has a violent streak when necessary, he can hurt people by accident. But he feels sorry afterwards.

Brother Justin, however, has chosen to subvert his calling, and give in to the corruption of power.

The thing is, though, that both of them have the possibility of being as great as the other, but there are other forces working through each, and through the people around them, usually at cross-purposes. Lödz had his own agenda, even while he worked with Management. Management has his agenda, which may not be as obvious as you might have thought. Justin has his agenda, and Iris has the agenda of helping Justin, even if she has no idea what Justin is actually doing. The reporter started with a good story, but has moved on to the vision of a Christian Mission, and Truth. Sophie just wants to live, but has the lifelong manipulation of her mother to deal with, and is being caught up in Justin's vortex. Samson just wants to look out for the carnival and the people in it, as best he can. Jonesy is just trying to make a living -- and get some human connection. Stumpy is out for a buck (at other's expense), while his wife and (surviving) daughter are just trying to make the best of what little they've got (including what pride they haven't had to swallow). Everyone wants something, not all the desires are unreasonable, but very few of them look like they'll be fulfilled. The universe is unfair, and God is actively malevolant ... if it is God...