HBO's "Carnivale" (SPOILERS!) (1 Viewer)

[Dave Falasco]

You may well be correct but "the earnest preacher is really the source of evil" is such a cliche at this point.

True, and that was my one real problem with the pilot--everything had a slightly "used" feel. No new ground was broken at all. As I mentioned in another forum, even the "mysterious stranger with the power to heal" has been done to death in fiction. Most notably in "The Green Mile".

Still, I saw enough to inspire me to tune in for the next episode. Hopefully now that the characters have been introduced, the show can start to branch out into more original areas.

 

[Mike Monti]

I have to say that I completely agree with Dwight's view of the aftermath. It certainly seemed to me that the
"dead zone" followed the girl as she ran towards the house

also I (and, as it seems, everybody else) am getting the hint that the preacher might be on the side of evil but I don't believe he's doing it willingly. His sister is the one we should be watching out for...

Although given Ben's consequences it wouldn't take much effort to put this story into the realm of a Jonathan Edwards "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Preacher = Subservience/Good Guy, Freaks = Hedonism/Death but I don't see that story as one that being made.

 

[Patrick Sun]

(9/21/03 Episode 2)
Loved the build up in the episode.

The preacher man has some wicked/twisted power to shine the light of guilt into the deepest darkest recesses of men.

Sophie's mom not only freaked out Ben, but freaked me out as well!

The embryo in the jar opening its eyes freaked me out as well.

This show is like peeling an onion by the layers. Can't wait for the next layer.

 

[Matt Stone]

Gotta agree with Pat on this one. Fantastic build-up. It's great watching a group of bad guys and a group of good guys both build up, but not knowing which is which.

 

[Chris]

I don't know if I caught it that the preacher was "evil" in fact, I kind of interpretted it the other way. That he wasn't evil, he's probably good, but tha the can always see the evil in others and show them what he sees.

 

[Ralph Summa]

So, I guess we're being led to believe that the guy in the top hat (Scudder?) in Ben's dreams is actually his Dad.

The dream sequences are great. Both my wfe and I knew something was going to happen in the diner, but we still jumped when the window smashed. I'm really interested to see who the guy is with the tree tattoo.

(Admin note - no need for spoiler-text for those comments)

 

[todd s]

I am still freaked at watching the mother just laying in the bed and staring into nothing.

 

[BrianB]

I suspect the Rev & his "sister" are purely "spiritual" relatives rather than actual brother & sister, if that makes sense.

 

[Jeremiah]

Great episode last night and I can't wait till next week. I think the Preacher will be a good guy, he might just come off a little bad. It seems the Carni's that know something is up think the kid is evil. When Sophie told the blind man to get the hell out, his response was "That's what I am trying to do". The little man talking about it will be hotter than Hades down South, maybe the Preacher is down South and that is what he means. I am excited to see how it unfolds.

 

[Ralph Summa]

They do have the same last name, but who knows if that means anything.

Also was Reverend Justin watching IRIS get out of the shower?

If so, it adds a little "creep value" to the show.

 

[Matt Stone]

Also was Reverend Justin watching IRIS get out of the shower?

Yah! And then he watched her sleeping when he got home from Mr. Chins/New Church. Definitely creepy.

 

[Ted Lee]

so it appears that the lady in the card (that ben found in the "non-existant" baggage carrier) was his mom? what was the significance of that? does that mean that he's somehow tied to the carni?

and what's up with ben and the preacher sharing the same dream? that must mean the two of them are somehow linked.

don't forget the funny hat the killer-bear was wearing. it was on the door of the one guy's trailer. odd...

so far so good. there's a lot of backstory going on...which slows the pace a little, but i think it will have a nice payoff. i sure hope so anyway.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Very good episode and very creepy - particularly liked the bear in the WWI flashback. I get the feeling that the Ben and the Preacher are going to follow in the footsteps of the two soldiers, Scudder and ?, and relive/repeat that clash.

 

[Matt Stone]

so it appears that the lady in the card (that ben found in the "non-existant" baggage carrier) was his mom? what was the significance of that? does that mean that he's somehow tied to the carni?

She probably wasn't in the Carnivale herself, but she is connected to it through Scudder. This brings the connection between Justin the preacher and Ben even closer, since Scudder appeared in their dream.

 

[Ralph Summa]

Yeah, and the bear's hat was hanging by the door of the Management's trailer at the very end. Looks like the hat had Russian writing on it. Russia=Bear??

I'm still saying that Scudder is going to turn out to be Ben's father.

 

[Bill Kane]

Too much speculation for me at this point.

But I'll say the cinematographer's freeflowing use of the tarot cards images morphing to real life images is the slickest visual effect I've noticed in a long time.

Blink and you miss it!

 

[Aaron Cooke]

Just watched ep. 2 last night. Not much to say except that i thought the first episode was a good start but seemed to move a little slow in spots, and this week's improved on the first in every way. After the first week i thought it'd be interesting to see where the show went. After this one i didn't want to have to wait to see ep. 3.

 

[Rob Speicher]

Any 24 fans notice that one of the men in Ben's visions/dreams is Ira Gaines from 24?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Isn't the other guy (possibly Ben's father) the guy from Dark Angel?

 

[Mike Monti]

yup, John Savage (the guy from Dark Angel) does SEEM to be Ben's father. It's stranger for me though, I have issues seeing little country Claude from Hair picking up a gun and tromping through WWI foxholes.