Carnivale Finale – Season 2, Episode 12 – “New Canaan” – The Final Battle

So ends “Carnivale,” and what a fascinating journey it has been. So, how does the final hold up and bringing all the pieces together? A lot of major threads get pulled together and major arcs brought to an end…while others are left open. It is that even though the show was canceled, you can tell Knauf, the creator wanted to do more. I do hope he can someday so in comics so that it can get the complete wrap up he had in mind.

The finale was written by Daniel Knauf with the original story by Tracy Torme. The episode was directed by Scott Winant.

The episode begins with the carnival being hosted at New Canaan, “For the Children.” As Samson visits with his entourage to invite Justin to ride the Ferris-Wheel. This is all part of the plan that he and Jonesy work out with Ben so that Ben can use his healing powers to suck the life from Justin and keep him trapped on the Wheel. Sofie catches Justin without his shirt on and realizes who he and his taken to the room that her mother was held in as Justin arrives at the carnival and the story unfolds from there.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Carnival in New Canaan – This is brilliant. We got to see some of this when Justin and Iris look out the window and Iris knows she has Justin trapped in obligation and when her and Samson are negotiating in the episode before. This carries over as the Ferris-Wheel traps Justin as Ben seeps his life to heal the injured members of New Canaan. It is fantastic and the magic of the carnival and religion are really well done here…the red sky just adds the effect of it all and the darkness that comes later.

Jonesy – Jonesy is changed and is truly a good guy looking out for others. We see him keep the Ferris-Wheel going after the healing start and is only stopped after Stroud punches him and Justin uses his power to stop the Wheel. Sadly he doesn’t survive the episode as darkness has inhabited Sofie and after he rescues her she shoots him in cold blood. His loss actually means something, season 1 I cared nothing for this character.

Samson – Samson is great as the manipulator and puts everything into play so that Ben won’t have to risk his life like past Avatars like Jesus did. From making certain Justin will come by holding back tickets after Iris’s fear of heights comes out, to his pep talk with Ben, “The hardest part is living.” I think Ben gets that because he goes along with the carnival’s plan and embraces their love of him for healing Jonesy. Samson is there through it all and ends with making Ben Management by putting him on Management’s bed. As they leave New Canaan you see him ready for the next adventure. He also gives Rita Sue the money from New Canaan to pay off the debts they owe because Samson looks out for family. I loved the scene and it showed that through it all he was looking out for Rita, Stumpy and Libby.

Pastor Justin Crowe – Crowe goes full bad in this and we see the darkness Avatar in him made manifest when he lashes out at being used to heal others. This leads to him killing members of his congregation, his adopted father Norman and injuring Ben before he is killed. He is a good threat and when he’s in the cornfield (the dream Ben had from season 1) you get the tension and fear as this is someone who has killed and in this state…lives for killing. Surprisingly even here he doesn’t kill Iris though, showing something remains of his humanity. His death is left ambiguous though as we see Sofie performing a healing on him as the carnival leaves and the plants die the same way the plants died when Ben first healed the little girl’s legs.

Rita Sue, Libby and Stumpy – We see sadness and resolution here as they tell her to believe Jonesy will come back even as they know he’s dead. It is a sad scene since you see that they have always cared about him. Their debts are paid off now but they lost a new member of their family. In a way New Canaan is Babylon.

Ben Hawkins – Finds that he is family in the carnival and they do what they can to support him to take Justin down. We see how this has changed him too as he puts beating Justin as the priority over finding Sofie. He’s thinking more like Management and wants to do what he can to win no matter what, how he is different though is he listens to Samson. He doesn’t have to risk his life to win because the carnival is hear to help. The moment between them is priceless and you get why they make him Management at the end and carry him off like a savior. His arc is complete and he’s become the leader and no longer the man alone.

The Cons: Sofie – Sofie being possessed by darkness is never explained…as is her role as the Omega. Why did she bring back or try to bring back Justin at the end after knowing he raped her mother? Why didn’t she rejoin the carnival? What did her mother’s ghost haunting her mean?

Professor Lodz – He tells us Sofie is the Omega and he tells Lila next time he’ll be seen in the flesh in a past episode but that never goes anywhere. What’s Lodz’s deal? What was his motivation? What was his connection to Scudder and Management?

The mythology wasn’t fully explained and Lodz and Sofie were never used to their full potential (or Lila or Ruthie for that matter) but this episode does a solid. Nearly everyone plays a role to help Ben take down Justin and it is beautifully executed. Barring the questions and plot holes (which are a problem I have with the series, not just this episode). This episode was great and one of my favorites. I’ll do a look back at the show later with how I think it worked and didn’t…but until then, this is a great finale and well worth watching.

Final Score: 9.7 / 10

 

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 11 – “Outside New Canaan” – Truth Revealed

“Outside New Canaan,” is where many things come to a head and where lines are drawn for many of the characters. It is a truth revealing episode and is all the stronger for it and shows how much many of the characters have changed. I’ll get into more of what I mean in the assessment.

The episode was directed by Dan Lerner with the story by John J. McLaughlin and screenplay by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin.

Ben and Jonesy are in New Canaan and have a bad feeling about this place, leading Jonesy to go back and get help for Ben in the final confrontation. Around this time Lila is accusing Samson of lying and management not existing. This turns into a torn carnival where the only resolutions can be from the truth. Ben attempts an assassination and runs into Sofie and warns her about Justin as characters’ intentions are revealed.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: Carnival Drama – The Carnival Drama is really good in this one, with Lila wanting to take the Carnival away from Samson for covering up Lodz’s murder and because Sacramento has a far greater chance for profit than Christian New Canaan. This leads to the reveal that Management is dead and that Ben healed Jonesy which leads to the Carnival following Samson since Samson wants them to go to New Canaan to back up Ben. The scene with Jonesy running is beautiful, as is the reveal of the empty trailer where Management resided. This is the strongest part of the episode by far.

Ben and Iris – Ben meets Iris after he tricks the guards to get into the house. This leads to a tense scene where she has him leave the hatchet that burns Justin later on. You get the feeling she knows what he planned to do and covers for him when Justin is trying to find out why the hatchet was there.

Ben and Sofie – Sofie is conflicted after Ben warns her that Justin is the enemy and his true name is Alexie when she hears them speaking in Russian and also when she finds Ben’s deathmask that Justin is keeping. You get the feeling she has feelings for Ben even if she can’t embrace them because of how often she’s been betrayed by those closest to her.

Sofie and Justin – Sofie refuses Justin when he strives pursuing her as a storm rages outside. Glimpses of the old Sofie are scene in these moments as well as the fact that she’s never been Justin’s tool.

The Cons: Jonesy Stops Ben from Acting – I know the finale is coming but there could have been a great scene of temporary confrontation that night in the storm and it would have given Sofie more to think about if Jonesy hadn’t kept Ben’s hand from action. This does payoff in the end though, it is only a con in this episode.

This was a solidly great episode and well worth seeing. We get to see the Carnival come together with truth revealed and a realization of just how much Ben means to them, Ben is family as seen by his healing of Jonesy. This carries on to some powerful moments in the finale, which in my opinion is one of the best episodes of the show.

Final Score: 9 / 10

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 9 – “Lincoln Highway” – The Good in People

“Lincoln Highway,” is one of my favorite episodes and the best episode thus far in season 2. It keeps to the style of 2 but gets into a lot of the morality and mythology we had interwoven so deeply in season 1. This is an episode I won’t forget anytime soon either as it defined what makes good television on a lot of levels.

The episode was directed by Rodrigo Garcia and written by William Schmidt.

The major things that unfold in this episode are the discovery that Stroud is with Scudder in Cheyenne, Jonesy and Libby being kidnapped while Jonesy gets tarred and feathered and left to die for the death of the man’s wife in last episode and Norman’s attempt to kill Justin.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Tone – This episode is great at having the theme of decision pervading it. From Ben deciding to save Scudder or save Jonesy, from Libby choosing to trust Ben or not, Sofie learning to forgive and Justin choosing to forgive or let the mob kill Norman when Norman attempts to kill him. These are huge moments that are given the respect and power they deserve.

Sofie – Sofie is Justin’s maid and through her eyes we see that not all of Justin’s humanity is gone. From holding Norman after Norman tried to kill him, to his letting her go and not seeking selfishness with her. It is through Justin we see her process of forgiving her mother, Jonesy and Ben.

Pastor Justin Crowe – So glad we got to see the complex man again this episode! From his forcing Norman to break a tooth when Norman mocked him for Sofie being able to leave him speechless, to his forgiving of Norman and teaching Sofie how to forgive too. If it’s real than there is more to this character again that meets the eye and I want to see more of that. We see even in all the selfishness and power, there is still some good there.

Iris and Norman – Iris praises Norman for trying to kill Justin and we see that she wants him dead too. She wants them to do it together when the time is right since the darkness if Justin for them is too much (Iris kills the other maid for her saying she’ll joke about seeing the devil in him). They are both powerless so want to do what they can  to get that back and no stopping Justin is the only way.

Libby and Jonesy – We see more of their relationship, from the good and the bad. From her smoking outside enjoying the sun and Jonesy asking her to put on more clothes to her staying with him through the desert heat after he’s been tarred and feathered. We see that though they have conflict they are committed to each other.

Jonesy and Ben – Ben heals Jonesy, including his leg and unlike everyone else who has been terrified Jonesy is grateful. He laughs and runs and is like a child again. It’s a beautiful scene and we see him finally fully respecting Ben. This was one of my favorite scenes in the episode.

Ben – Ben sees Scudder trapped by Stroud and knows where they are but on the way stops and chooses to save Jonesy. The payoff is worth it. We see them grow together and Ben better understand the good he can do in his role. This episode captured his humanity really well.

This was a solid episode that I could not find anything wrong with. I’d highly recommend it, if only for the character moments. We see what characters’ core intentions are and the reasons they do what they do, and that says a lot for what makes the show so great.

Final Score: 10 / 10. A favorite.

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 8 – “Outskirts of Damascus, NE” – Management’s Legacy

“Outskirts of Damascus, NE” had a lot of good ideas, but they were not fully executed. The good news is this is made up at least partially by some great character moments…largely with Samson and Ben. For this reason alone, it was still a good episode.

The episode was written by Daniel Knauf, the show’s creator and directed by Tim Hunter.

The premise picks up where the last episode ended with Management granting Ben his powers and from that we learned he’d set it all up in the first place to grant Ben the knowledge and power he would need to take on the Usher, Justin. Management it turns out was a bigger deal to Samson than we knew as their friendship is revealed and Ben must deal with Samson before they can move forward. Jonesy and Libby also get married and that is dealt with in the episode too.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: Samson – Samson is one of my favorite characters who is still living and in this episode shows more of why. We see him mourn the loss of his friend and how even if he didn’t trust Management there was still so much history there between them. This leads to it taking a while for him to see that Ben isn’t management and can’t lie. This leads to them forming a new partnership to save Scudder and stop the Usher.

Ben – From one of my least favorite characters last season to one of my favorite this season…Ben Hawkins is worth caring about finally. We see his making sense of his new powers and trying figure out his role and try and save Scudder. We also see him bring back the memory vault so Samson can say good-bye to Management. For this reason he starts out things solidly with Samson and we see them as partners, which Samson and Ben have never really had before. We see his embracing of his role as Avatar in a clear way that wins Samson over too when a mother begs for her life to be given for her dead child’s and Ben grants her wish to bring her child back.

Jonesy and Libby – Jonesy and Libby marry and we see the conflict with Libby’s parents because of Jonesy sleeping with her Mom, though surprisingly Stumpy is okay with it, it’s Rita who has most of the baggage. This comes to a head when Libby says she will dance until her father’s debts are paid off, but no more than dance. It’s a great character moment that showed her being active to Jonesy’s passiveness through the episode. We also have a death at the Ferris-Wheel which is powerful as the mob blames Jonesy because Stumpy shared a drink with him.

Sofie – Sofie is Justin’s maid! A sign of things to come I think.

The Cons: The Tone – I didn’t know what to make of this episodes tone. At times it’s supernatural at times it’s real but it’s hard to get to invested in invents because it doesn’t have a feel that flows through it. For this reason I have to dock it down some points.

This was a good but not great episode, which is a shame since the showrunner and creator was the one wrote it. It still does what it needs to do, so it isn’t bad. It just isn’t great. I would recommend it though if only for the moments with Ben and Samson. The silence of Samson morning management and Ben lost in his new role. These moments helped define it and made it “Carnivale.”

Final Score: 8 / 10

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 6 – “Road to Damascus” – When the Masks are Off

“The Road to Damascus” is a decision episode. Big events happen that change things and show us the truth of characters and character relationships. We see past relationships too in regards to Samson and the complex relationships between different carnivals.

The episode was written by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin and directed by Tucker Gates.

We meet folks from the Daily Brothers Show who had their tents burned down by Stroud though they believe it was the owners for the insurance money, Pastor Justin Crowe holds a confessional for the guilty party of the church burning, Ben needs to make a choice to move forward, Sofie has to decide to leave and the Dreyfus family arc finally goes somewhere. These are the stories that unfold.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: Pastor Justin Crowe – Justin stands by his sister even after all that happened but only after she had come clean in her guilt and confessed. He helped her grow and it showed he hadn’t completely lost his humanity given he saw Dolan as tool from the beginning.

Dolan – Dolan takes the fall for Iris, and it’s implied Justin’s powers made him do it. He tries to hold her accountable but there is nothing he can do. He was a great character though and even though he was sleezy at times his good heart came through. I wonder if this will be the last we see of him.

Sofie – We see Sofie’s joy in her relationship with Ben and when she dances in the rain, which happens after her and Ben have sex. Sadly Samson’s prediction comes true, at least for now as Ben leaves to find Scudder and try and beat Stroud to him. The last we see of her is her leaving the carnival behind and watching it leave.

Ben – Ben is embracing his destiny and actually forming a life. We see his joy and connection with Sofie over their horrible childhood and parents and her and him happy as they share a moment together in which after it rains. We also see Samson acting as a mentor and it’s after he talks to Samson that he goes ahead to try and beat Stroud to Scudder.

Samson – Samson had a relationship with the woman in charge of the other carnival. They were married for 9 years as he tells Ben but they work something out where she gets a cut of profits and he keeps her husband on board. We see him caring for the other carnies and his glimpsing of the big picture.

Okay: Ruthie/Lodz and Lila – One of the last scene is of Ruthie possessed by Lodz asking Lila where the boy is, just as she’s moving on. I would have preferred a spirit of Lodz given how great the actor is and I worry this will destroy what little development Ruthie’s received.

Dreyfus Drama – Stumpy’s a liar and no one is surprised. He blames Jonesy for destroying his family when Stumpy did that and feels powerless as Jonesy has slept with his wife and is building a relationship with Libby his daughter. I hate Stumpy. Rita’s okay and Libby is awesome.

This episode had a lot happen and made things move forward in a big way. What remains to be seen is if the new elements will go anywhere. Does Ruthie exist as a character? What is Justin’s big plan? Will Ben reach Scudder before Stroud? What will become of Sofie? These are the biggest questions beyond the mythology that I hope we get answers to before the end.

Final Score: 9 / 10. Another solidly great episode.

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 5 – “Creed, OK” – Haunting Masks

“Creed, OK” is a very haunting episode that also manages to capture a lot of great character moments as well as the arrival of Stroud, Justin’s agent on the scene of the Carnival. It is an overall good episode that brings back dilemma for many of the characters.

The episode was directed by Jeremy Podeswa and written by Tracy Torme.

In the episode Ben traces Scudder’s death mask to the maker’s home in Scudder, OK. It is here a mysterious and haunting episode happens where a mask is made for him upon his face. Stroud threatens Jonesy and Samson and Ruthie comes forward about seeing dead people to Sofie who is in the same boat. At the same time Justin and Dolan receive Iris’s confession of burning down the church.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Mask Maker – This guy is really haunting. He comes off an overly nice but creepy gentleman who says he doesn’t do masks for anyone but children but over the course of talking to Ben begins targeting him and voicing interest. Ben later passes out and is given a sedative to paralyze him as the mask maker makes a mask on his face while wearing a creepy child-like mask. Ben wakes up and the mask maker denies everything but we later see him send a mask of Ben’s face to Pastor Justin after listening to his radio show.

Ben Hawkins – It is great seeing this character active! From his friendship with Samson and Sofie, to his search for Scudder and standing up for people in different situations…Ben has become a great guy! I actually like this character now when I couldn’t stand him in the first season because of how passive he was.

Pastor Justin Crowe – Gets a confession from iris and forces her to face her guilt for what she did. This was powerful showing us that some of the good still lies in this character, even if it only is in the time before he embraced his destiny. I’d like more of this rather than the blatantly evil man we’ve seen the last few episodes.

Sofie and Ruthie – Ruthie feels like a fleshed out character now! It sucks it took her dying to get that. We see it in the moments of shared powerlessness she feels of seeing the dead as she talks to Sofie about seeing Sofie’s mother. They are both haunted by their natures of being changed in certain ways. How this plays out for both remains to be seen, but given the tone of the show it is most likely to end in tragedy.

Sofie and Ben – Sofie and Ben continue to grow as friends and potential lovers leading to the reading of cards and a vision Ben hands leading him to believe Scudder is in Damascus, NE. It’s a scene that leaves them speechless given the graphic vision of a man scarred to the point of lost humanity beyond the visions of the location of “Dog and Wolf howling to the Moon,” and Scudder in a tux.

Samson – Stands up to Stroud’s threats and warns Ben about ruining Sofie’s life because from what he gathers…Ben’s journey is a one way trip. This was powerful showing again how much everyone in the carnival means to him.

Okay: Stroud – The guy just goes around threatening, he is a living weapon and not a compelling one. I didn’t care about this character when he was introduced and I don’t know. He seems to exist only as a plot device for interaction between characters.

This was a great episode that I really enjoyed. The Mask Maker was foreboding and threatening and the reveal of what he does and how much pleasure he takes from it was horrifying. We learn that Scudder is alive from him too which advances the plot. I’m really liking how Sofie and Ben are growing as characters and that this episode at least tried to capture some of the past complexity of Pastor Justin.

Final Score: 9 / 10. Solidly great.

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 4 – “Old Cherry Blossom Road” – The Sins of the Family

Scudder has a messed up family and backstory, which in turn means Ben does too.  This story primarily focuses on the family that Scudder came from as the folks who kidnapped Ben turn out be related and the Crone is his grandmother. I’ll get into why they’re messed beyond their kidnapping of him in the assessment. We also continue to see the darkness in Justin.

“Old Cherry Blossom Road” was directed by Steve Shill and written by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin.

The episode begins with the main abused and assaulted by Justin and Justin telling Iris they need a new made. Around this time Dolan also comes to Justin with evidence that Iris started the fire but Justin refuse to believe it. Ben is with his racist Ku Klux Clan family and is given words by the Crone his grandmother and where he needs to go next, and Jonesy and Sofie continue to explore her new role.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Haunting Family and Past – Scudder and Ben have a horrifying family. From the Crone sewing the lips of one of her grandson’s shut, to her murdering Scudder’s other relatives at his birth, to her glorification of her KKK ancestors and her near attempt at murdering Ben before giving him a Trench Knife and telling he’ll need it where “The Wolf and Dog howl at the moon.”

Jonesy and Sofie – Jonesy wants Sofie to be accepted and peace on his team so he has her build a giant hole. This ends up proving herself to him and to his men that she is in this and doesn’t want to do anything else. She’s given up the cards.

Ben – Ben is trying everything he can to find the answer. He ends up finding Scudder’s death mask when he’s with his family but learns from Management Scudder is still alive. He feels pretty lost in this episode and his trusting of his insane and racist Grandma the Crone took a lot of guts on his part. At this point he is looking for answers which Sofie can’t give since she doesn’t want to do the Cards anymore.

Death Imagery – Ruthie keeps seeing Lodz and sees Apollonia as well. You get the idea that she more awareness of the veil which is why she keeps walking so close to death and seeing those who have died. I hope this gets explained more.

The Cons: Justin – Sexually assaults his maid and discards her, continues manipulating Iris so Dolan will capture her while at the same time using Dolan. Not to mention his use of a criminal as his apostle who murders in his name. Stroud finds out about Samson and Ben and is following Ben to find Scudder.

This was a good but not great episode. Scudder’s family isn’t complex…they’re just racist Klan folks who persecute anyone who isn’t them. The best moments of the episode were Ben’s discoveries.

Final Score: 7.8 / 10

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 3 – “Ingram, TX” – Fruits of Corruption

This was a really dark episode where some of the best moments were those with Ben and Sofie. This is surprising given how depressing most of their situations are, but we see how they are handling destiny and who they are at the core versus many of the monsters around them and in the world.

“Ingram, TX” was written by John J. McLaughlin and directed by John Patterson.

In this episode the carnival has been in Ingram, Texas for a week now as Ben continues searching for the next clue to finding Scudder. This leads him out of camp again where he finds himself captured in an abandoned area where The Crone is. Sofie is working as a laborer but the cards keep calling her back and Stumpy is working his wife to long stretches of the day and is oblivious to those around him. Norman, Justin’s adoptive father is also taken in in his trapped mental state by Justin and Iris. These are the stories that unfold.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Tone – The tone is dark and mysterious with a feeling of threatening pervading the whole episode. From the empty Crone’s home, to an old man offering his down syndrome daughter to sleep with, to Justin forcing his maid to give him a blow job in front his his adoptive father and the cards that Ben destroyed coming back to haunt Sofie. This is a powerful episode in tone and imagery.

Samson – Jonesy attempts to have Samson kick Sofie off to keep his men happy but Samson reminds him Jonesy is in charge of labor so that’s his thing, he’s not going to get involved. It was great seeing him stay out of peoples personal stuff.

Sofie – Sofie and Ben are becoming friends and they have some good moments together. From Ben destroying the Tarot Cards and keeping one that doesn’t burn that Sofie doesn’t know and when she wakes him up and they talk because she smells smoke. Her main dilemma is her facing of destiny as her Mother most likely is using the cards to bring her back into reading others’ fortunes.

Ben – Ben seeks the crone this episode after helping Sofie with healing. It is here an old man tries to prostitute his daughter but Ben holds him accountable and he promises never to do it again. He is later captured by a group at the Crones home who torture him until they see Scudder’s medal and when they learn that it’s his they say “She’s” been waiting for him.

The Cons: Justin – Justin went too dark after seeing glimmers of idealism be it fake or not it went too far having his maid give him a blow job and his sexually molesting her. I hated his character after this episode. He seems evil for the sake of evil, which just isn’t good when you have a character who started out so morally complex.

Stumpy – Stumpy is prostituting his wife non-stop and all about money. It implies gambling issues but this is getting out of hand. I never liked the character and he isn’t making himself likable in his blatant using of others.

This was a good but not great episode. I would have liked to meet the Crone and know if Sofie’s mom was communicating with her. The Crone’s home is haunting though, and the episode does keep the dark forbidding done consistently through the episode.

Final Score: 8.4 / 10

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 2 – “Alamogordo, NM” – Destiny Embraced and the Search for Scutter

“Alamogordo, NM” builds on the last episode while giving us more questions and also contrasts who the main game changers are becoming…from Management’s refusal to take up the role as hero, to Ben’s looking out for others even when his dreams warn him and Justin’s manipulating of everyone to reach his own ends as he fully embraces his role as Avatar of Darkness.

The episode was written by William Schmidt and directed by Jack Bender.

The episode picks up with Ben’s quest for Scudder leading him to Father Kerrigan who is lost in constant repeatings of a phrase and has pictures all over his room of the Tattooed Man. After he picks up Sofie on his way back as she is lost and can’t remember how she got where she was…this is accompanied by a vision of the Tattooed man who Management tells him is the Usher and bringer of darkness. When Ben offers to heal Management, Management denies him, instead choosing his slow death. Around this time Justin is visiting a woman who is working on his body and manipulating the scenes so that his Archangel breaks out of prison to find Scudder and Iris gets captured for killing the children. These are the primary stories that unfold.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Imagery and Tone – The imagery and tone is back to being haunting! From Father Kerrigan’s constant repeating of life, death and the crone and his room covered in drawings of Usher, to Nick running into a vision of Father Justin praying before the statue of Mary and the Baby Jesus and the statue turning to look at him. These and the reveal of Justin receiving Usher’s tattoo and using the Archangel to kill the prison guard are just some of the haunting images.

Ben Hawkins – I really liked Ben this episode. He really is the reluctant savior that Samson describes at the beginning of the season. He shows kindness to the broken man of Father Kerrigan and stays with Sofie until she’s good enough  to return, even after the warnings. In this way he is a great contrast now to all other supernatural beings who act primarily from a place of people as tools.

Pastor Justin Crowe – Is in control and is shaping things how he wants them to be. From making sure Iris will get caught eventually for her crimes, to setting his Archangel loose, to embracing his role with the tattoo. He is fully in his element, and in this episode it was a lot of fun.

Sofie – Sofie feels human in this and I really liked it. We see her pain and regret and her finding purpose with helping them all pack up even when Jonesy’s men don’t want a woman helping them pack.

Jonesy – Jonesy reveals himself to be a good guy. Whether his promising to keep things between Sofie, Libby and himself a secret was truly meant from goodwill remains to be seen in the long run but it looked like he was coming from a place of respect, as he allows Sofie on the team since the cards don’t work anymore.

Samson – Samson comforts Sofie and gives her Lodz trailer, much to Lila’s chagrin. He is shown to have never cared about Lodz that much and that goes for much of the camp. I think this shows were selfishness goes. People protect Ben because he looks out for others, Lodz only looked after himself.

This was a fantastic episode and was back to what I enjoyed so much in the first place. The main issue was Management is a little hard to here sometimes and the mythology still feels not completely solid yet. Besides that, I don’t mind Justin and Ben embracing their roles, though I miss old Justin who was the idealist tempted by power who was willing to die when he learned that he was an engine for destruction.

Final Score: 9.5 / 10

Carnivale – Season 2, Episode 1 – “Los Moscos” – A Loss of Conflict for Clarity

 

After the moral conflict of Ben and Justin that drove so much of the story, it is kind of sad seeing Justin embrace his new role so thoroughly without any hangups. The internal character conflict was part of what made him so interesting as Tom Clancy did it so well, and the mythology is still confusing. I could have done with at least 2 episodes to explain everything we get told. I’ll get into it more in the assessment.

“Los Moscos” was directed Jeremy Podaswa and written by the show creator, Daniel Knauf.

The premise begins similar to the beginning of last season as Samson gives us the background:

“On the heels of the skirmish Man foolishly called the war to end all wars, the Dark One sought to elude his destiny… live as a mortal. So he fled across the ocean, to an empire called America… but by his mere presence, a cancer corrupted the spirit of the land. People were rendered mute by fools who spoke many words, but said nothing… for whom oppression and cowardice were virtues… and freedom, an obscenity. Into this dark heartland, the Prophet stalked his enemy… until, diminished by his wounds, he turned to the next in the ancient line of light. And so it was that the fate of all mankind came to rest on the trembling shoulders of the most reluctant of saviors.”

The episode than gives us Management confessing to being the Russian soldier in Ben’s dreams and showing him a vision of a nuclear apocalypse. Around this time and implores him to seek Scudder to prevent this. Sofie and Jonesy survive the fire but Sofie’s mother does not, Management asks Samson to hide the fact that Lodz is dead, and if it is found out to take the fall. These are the primary stories that unfold.

Here is the assessment of the episode:

The Pros: The Dreams and Visions – Management showing Ben the dream of the End is beautiful, just as Justin’s is at the tree where he meets The Usher (The man with the tree tattooed upon his body). He sees a place to build New Canaan by this twisted tree and Ben finally has a reason to fight and figure out the identity of his enemy Justin. There is also a scene where Justin tears apart his face to reveal Ben underneath. These dream sequences still keep the mystery of the show alive.

Jonesy and Sofie – After what Sofie did Jonesy can’t trust her and that is well established, which is good. He saves her life, but knows it can’t go anywhere. It’s one of the best moments of drama in the episode.

Samson – Samson has to pretend to care about trying to find Lodz after Sofie goes missing and we see just how unattached he was to the guy in the end and maybe is a little happy he’s gone even though he’s against the killing of Carnies. He’s the most human element on the show still.

Okay: Pastor Justin Crowe – Guys embraced being the engine of destruction, which is sad. There isn’t the moral conflict anymore and he’s cruel and threatening to nearly everyone unless they serve his interests. I understand him turning Iris in though, that seems to be what little good in him still remains and that he might feel regret at becoming a monster. He is also approached by a man who was hearing his Gospel and gives him “The Gospel of Matthias” a book that belonged to Scudder. Justin learns he must kill Scudder to fully become inhuman and his full role.

Ben – Ben is still pretty passive but goes to the Templars again and learned Scudder dropped by at one point 12 years ago and that his Chaplain Kerrigan lost his mind and painted the tattooed man in the mural. We learn he’s been missing for quite a while though making the search that much more difficult.

The Cons: Clarity in place of subtlety – With the introduction spelled out by Samson in clear but still vague terms, as well as the dreams…we see the End, we learn about Scudder needing to be found or killed and the battle to come between Justin and Ben. This isn’t bad but it’s presentation isn’t good. It could have been done much more interestingly in visuals rather than having characters tell us all this, since it is still pretty confusing.

This was a decent start to the season and a recommend so far. It does make me worry a little on how the rest of the season will go though. The supernatural is best left in the foreground not completely seen…not so upfront. It turns the show from surrealistic magic to outright fantasy.

Final Score: 8 / 10. Still a good show.