Carnivàle Season 1 – Episode List & Guide

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1.01 – Milfay: A

Every now and then a story is written with such a level of intelligence and craft that it surpasses expectations. HBO’s short-lived series Carnivàle, at least for the first episode, has done just that. It’s a show that is distinct in terms of setting (1930’s dustbowl and Great Depression). But it is the show’s mythology that is not only captivating but extremely well constructed. Even more impressive, however, is that the show’s mythological underpinnings are brilliantly summarized in an opening monologue of some 60 seconds.

1.02 – After The Ball Is Over: B+

If “Milfay” was all about the grand themes of Carnivàle, then “After the Ball Is Over” is all about the two main characters, Hawkins and Crowe. The main themes remain the underpinning of the story, but the emphasis this time around is on the personal narrative. This episode is, on the whole, very good at delving into the deeper layers of Crowe and Hawkins – their pasts, their present, and their potential futures. It also continues the deliberately ambiguous approach to both characters, portraying the two sides of good and evil that each currently embodies.

1.03 – Tipton: C+

“Tipton” isn’t as strong of an episode as its predecessors. But even so, it manages to provide some interesting character development for Brother Justin Crowe, and some backstory for Ben Hawkins. It also provides revelations about the “rules” of the magic that is present in the world of Carnivàle. The story structure is a bit more simplistic – but the symbolism remains a strong element for the episode.

1.04 – Black Blizzard: B

“Black Blizzard” is a better episode than its predecessor, featuring a stronger, though less unified storyline. One thing to note, however, is that the mythology of the series has taken more of a background role to the main narrative. Again, we get a few revelations, but there is a growing trend of providing a meager glimpse into the mythology – and surrounding those glimpses with narratives that are ambiguous within an episode. Certainly in a serialized story, it’s unwise to give everything away all at once. But the revelations do need to be packaged in episodes that are self-sufficient. Thus far, Carnivàle has been successful, but there are some warning signs – such as the overly ambiguous storylines within an episode.

1.05 – Babylon: B

“Babylon” is an episode filled with mystery and enigmatic plot developments. It’s an episode that is bit like a waking in dream in the sense that you can experience it, but are otherwise unable to fully understand or comprehend it – even though you know, like the subconscious context of a dream, there is often significance that is just beyond the surface. Indeed, much of what happens in “Babylon” is left open ended and unexplained. The next episode, “Pick A Number” does provide a few insights, and I will use those to help inform what transpired in “Babylon.”

1.06 – Pick A Number: B

“Pick A Number” is the second half of what is, ostensibly, a two-part episode that began with “Babylon.” Picking up where its predecessor left off, this episode not only provides a conclusion to two prominent storylines, it also does so in such a way as to provide a few insights into the true nature of the town of Babylon, about what transpired there, and what it means for those who still reside within the town. In that sense, it’s a more fulfilling episode. But it still leaves a great many questions open, and doesn’t explicitly provide answers for the viewers.

1.07 – The River: B-

“The River” continues Carnivàle’s approach of telling stories that, on the surface, are fairly straightforward, but have a much more complex subtext – at least when following the story of the carnival itself. But there is the addition of Brother Justin’s waking-dream story that is sufficiently bizarre that provides a palpable sense of mystery to the episode. All-in-all, the production continues to be at a fairly high quality, even with respect to minor characters like Stumpy and his family’s crisis.

1.08 – Lonnigan, Texas: C-

“Lonnigan, Texas” is an episode about … well, I honestly don’t know if there’s one thing that the episode is about. It follows the further exploits of Brother Justin and Ben Hawkins. We get to see more of what transpires at the carnival. But is there an overriding theme? Or conflict? I suppose if there was one it’d be people in places where they don’t rightly belong.

1.09 – Insomnia: B-

Like most episodes in Carnivàle, “Insomnia” is not especially satisfying. Indeed, by the time the episode ends, it’s hard to pinpoint reasons for enjoying it. And yet … and yet, it still, somehow, manages to be engaging and compelling. It’s quite clear that this series is not going to have a universal appeal – either you buy into it or you don’t. But even if you do buy into it, there hasn’t been a whole lot to go on from episode to episode. However, “Insomnia” does begin to provide some more meat to the story.

1.10 – Hot And Bothered: B

“Hot and Bothered” gives us a little more “meat” to the story. Things are finally starting to fall a bit more into place. And, too, the pace seems to be quickening slightly. It all adds up to an episode that, finally, actually feels satisfying. There’s plenty happening in this episode and, in many ways, it’s a culmination of a LOT of groundwork from the first nine episodes. As such, it’s quite fascinating to see things coalescing around a more focused narrative.

1.11 – Day of the Dead: B-

“The Day of the Dead” is Season one’s penultimate episode. As such, the episode is charged with bringing the overall story to the point where a riveting season finale can be shown. In that sense, there’s a lot of buildup in the episode. But it also manages to move the story forward on its own merits. And like most Carnivàle episodes, “The Day of the Dead” isn’t a self-contained narrative – rather it serves to both offer some new answers and also provide a few new questions. The result is about the same as you might expect – worth watching, but not exactly satisfying, either.

1.12 – The Day That Was The Day: B

“The Day That Was The Day” is a horribly titled, slightly clumsy, and yet fitting end to season one. As expected there are a great number of revelations and prominent character evolutions. And, as expected, a great many questions are both left unanswered and asked anew. The every-day issues with the character – the surface level story, in other words – feels a bit forced and contrived. But without a doubt, the episode is at its strongest whenever it veers closest to the show’s overall mythology.