How I Miss You, Carnivale

"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."

-Samson in "Milfay"



Carnivale was produced by HBO and it debuted in September of 2003. It lasted only two seasons before being canceled, closing out only two of the intended six seasons of the show.

Set in the wasteland background of Depression-Era United States, horror drama Carnivale features Biblical fight between Good and Evil hidden in the midst of the traveling freak show.

I have watched the series in its entirety three times now, and every time I've felt let down by the fact that the show never continued. In the end, though, its per-episode cost was prohibitively expensive for HBO to continue the show, and when the cost could not be lowered, the series got canceled.



The show was not for the casual viewer. The story built on each previous episode, and for a while early on in the series, you had to trust that something was going to make sense down the road. The first season especially was quite confusing and it's through repeat viewings, after having seen the second season, that I finally understand (I think) most of what was going on.

The show drops you right into the beginning of the mystery alongside a man named Ben whose mother has just died. A traveling carnival happens to pass by and Ben joins with them, having nothing else to do. His family farm has been repossessed by the bank, and he is on the run from the law.

Unusual events begin in earnest and Ben's confusion mirrors our own. He tries to fight against what is happening - the impending fight between good and evil - but the weight of it just rolls him over and he finds himself swept away in the entire event.



The series was designed to be told in three parts, each "book" taking place over two seasons. In essence, we were able to see the entire first book. So the show, thankfully, ends with a satisfying conclusion, but there are still mysteries that are growing. The writer has since released a few details of what was going to happen next, but all it has done is leave me thirsty for more.

I want to see what happens next and hold out hope that one day the story will be told, but I fear it has gone the way of another great supernatural mystery show: Twin Peaks. Be happy with what you got, because there won't be any more.