Carnival Row season 2 picks up shortly after season 1 ends, but it’s been so long since that season was released (in August 2019) that a five-minute-long refresher was indeed needed at the start of the season. In its second and final outing, the Prime Video series still has a lot going for it — the costume design, the fantastical premise, the setting, power and political dynamics, and interesting characters — but it is somehow still missing a spark of intrigue that would keep viewers hooked. With so much going on, character development gets lost, and the story, often heavy-handed in its metaphors, is agonizingly slow at times and fascinating at others. All told, however, Carnival Row season 2 consists of the same muted arcs, but it manages to at least bring its multiple subplots together to wrap things up.
With the Fae imprisoned on Carnival Row with nowhere to go, Rycroft Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) and Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) look for new ways to help. Philo struggles with his identity, returning often to help his human friends in the police investigate the latest string of murders on the Row, while Vignette joins a group of Freedom Fighters who are willing to do anything and everything to send a message to the Burgue’s humans regarding the heinous treatment of the Fae.
Meanwhile, Tourmaline (Karla Crome) is now seeing horrible, violent visions of death, and Agreus (David Gyasi) and Imogen (Tamzin Merchant) have run away together only to be taken in by a country formerly under the control of The Pact, which is no longer allied with the Burgue. In parliament, Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford) continues with her own plans behind the back of ally Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan), who is now chancellor.
To be sure, Carnival Row still has incredible and extensive worldbuilding. The Fae folk and the human world believably collide in this grim world. But it’s also hard to care much about what’s going on because the series values heavy plotting over character. The two should mesh seamlessly, but even the most interesting characters get shortchanged to cater to the plot, which is well-crafted but ultimately hollow precisely because of the lack of character focus.
Carnival Row season 2 maintains its fully-realized world, but where’s the intrigue and fun? The show is so self-serious and there’s a decisive lack of energy fueling it. The actors themselves are solid, but the writers hold back on crafting intricate, even intimate dynamics between them. Philo and Vignette’s romance is dead on arrival, and there’s little investment there beyond their past together, which the audience is told enough about but never shown. Similarly, but more egregiously, Vignette and Tourmaline’s romance is left by the wayside, as is their friendship. As a result, the ending is contrived, having failed to lay the groundwork and grow either relationship beyond the surface.
Season 2, like its predecessor, struggles to fully embrace the fantasy at the heart of its story, which bogs down its various arcs and stalls momentum, too entrenched in realism to truly soar. Even the mystery at the center of the show isn’t all that captivating, and there are moments where the season begins to run out of steam, as though it’s trying its hardest to get to the end and barely makes it. Of course, the second half of season 2 is when things begin to get somewhat compelling. The tension, between characters and governments alike, is high and there’s a lot to lose. But just as things really start to get going, time’s run out, and Carnival Row must wrap things up before signing off for good.
That’s not to say that Carnival Row season 2 doesn’t have good, even strong moments. Perhaps because it is the last season, the series goes all out in terms of having consequences for its characters. Sophie and Ezra (Andrew Gower) are just a couple, among others, who must face accountability for their actions. This brings quite a few surprises to season 2 and ups the stakes for all involved. Crome is still a standout as Tourmaline, and her friendship with Ariyon Bakare’s Darius is one of the most genuine of the season. Bloom does his best with Philo, imbuing gravitas and a sense of responsibility that isn’t without its own learning curve as he comes to accept his Fae identity. Delevingne does the best she can with the material she’s given, though Vignette isn’t offered much of an emotional range in season 2 save for anger.
Carnival Row season 2 does a good job of expanding the fantasy world and bringing in new characters to help further the Fae’s cause, exploring an intricate web of geopolitics. But character dynamics are sacrificed to widen the scope of the show. Beautiful set pieces, costumes, and a fascinating, if convoluted, political arc can’t fill the emptiness. The series had all the ingredients to make for a captivating watch, digging even deeper into its world in season 2, but the lack of charisma, little engagement with its fantastical elements, and underwhelming character dynamics keep Carnival Row from being enjoyable.
The first two episodes of Carnival Row season 2 are now available to stream on Prime Video. Season 2 consists of ten episodes that will be released weekly, with two episodes each week. The series is rated TV-MA.