Carnivale (Season 2)... (1 Viewer)

Ok, I have watched the entire first season and the first episode of the second season....and I still have no idea what the hell is up. That isn't always a bad thing, but...awww forget it.

me neither

watched the season 2 premiere and watched season 1 as it aired..I guess it's just been too long since season 1, so I don't remember all the details

oh well

this episode was good though, moved way faster than the ultra slow season 1

Oops! Was watching 24! When are they repeating this?

Ric

Just caught the episode on HBO On Demand. Definitely amped up the pace from last season. I was surprised at how much they revealed.

Where's Sophie?

aww hell forgot about this. Don't even have HBO right now.

Yeah, revealed a lot. Set a lot of groundwork. The minister is going about his work in building a cult of personality.. I loved the "new commandment: Thou Shalt Be Strong!" as a term for the devil

The whole show set a really good mood and I was impressed, as always, with the sets and costume detail.. the way they handled appolonia's death was -really- messed up

I like the way this show could go. Is management a good guy/bad guy? We don't really know. He just wants to get hold of scutter. And he does tell Ben to kill the minister. But he also says "bring scutter to me" and the Reverend (Usher) is forwarned he has to kill Scutter... so is management just stalling Ben?

Hmm. Lots of questions Very fast paced! One of the best looking shows in HDTV, IMHO.

I'm really not sure what to think of management. Management tells Ben Scutter was his opposition just as the Justin is Bens opposition.

Justin is told he must kill Scutter to realize his power. That could mean that Scutter was previously the good and Management was his evil opposite. However is could also imply that Scutter was evil, and to take his place brother Justin must kill him.

Was anyone else disappointed with how inconsistent this episode was with the previous season? Last season, a big effects sequence would be something like sparks shooting off of the Chin's sign with a rain of blood, or a field of grass dying off. Here we have a massive nuclear explosion, Brother Justin's vision with red skies shot in cross process, etc. Not to mention that Justin now seems to know a hell of a lot more than he did last season, such as sending out subliminal radio waves that can only be heard by his new "apostle."

I totally disagree. First of all, if it had been just like last season, that would have been disappointing. I really enjoyed the slight differences. I liked the foreboding nature of the spcefx. Justin knows more, IMHO, because he is finding more and more out from the demon inside of him.

I loved the scene in teh beginning with Ben and Management....so interesting to learn the identity of Management! Did anyone guess that he was the russian????

Actually, I thought if you watched last season, this is the logical progression of where last season was heading. Brother Justin was coming into his power and at the end of last season became aware that, in fact, he -was- the demon, not that he was possessed. Once Justin knew that, it followed that there would be serious reprocussions.

The "major" effects within this show were very much in keeping with last season. Yes, we saw an atom bomb.. but it's the progression of things; now that we know that Ben had been reliving scenes of WWI, and he had confronted that, the visions of the past would come to an end as both Avatars are forced to look at the future they will create..

The show was focused on them figuring out who they were; in this episode both of them acknowledged who they were (Ben, telling the Templar "I'm not human either.." and Brother Justin acknowledging himself as "The Usher") now their visions will be less about awakening them to this fact, which they became aware of in the last ep of season 1, and more about the confrontation ahead.. in the great depression, a vision of the terrible, unseen weapons of the future (Atom Bomb) etc. would be the logical pick

I think the highlight is "you can't let that kind of power fall into the hands of evil, or those who preach in wolves clothes" Thus why I liked the reference of "Thou Shalt Be Strong!"

Yeah, it was one of the theories going around. I had pretty much concluded it was the Russian going into this season. I also enjoyed Samson's opening monologue, explaining about the Devil coming over from the old world, persued by his nemesis (still unclear which is the Devil, Scudder or Management) and how the fate of the world came to rest on the shoulders of the next in line (either Justin or Ben). Hearkens back to his opening monologue at the beginning of Season One, where he refers to the "false sun explod[ing] over Trinity" (which we have now seen in the season opener). Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying that the story is continuing, but going back and listening to the commentaries from the first season makes me realise that some of the essential style and look of the first season has been lost.

I had heard that theory about management but just wasn't convinced. I was proven wrong! ha. Man I love how this show is not predictable.

What did you think about the end of last night's episode, with Brother Justin peeling off his face?

You know, for a sec, I thought Justin was growing horns from his temples (thus confirming which side he's on). Guess I've been playing too much Fable!
It seems Brother Justin still doesn't have all the pieces to the puzzle: whereas Ben now knows who all four of the major players are, Justin's shy by one piece (to mix metaphors liberally).
Did it bother anyone else that Justin didn't pump the Satan worshipper/ Whatever that guy was for more information? I would have thought he would be anxious to know exactly what was going on.

For those that were commenting on the special effects, I also have to throw in the sound track! There were several times that my sub was shaking my room (atom bomb for one). It wasn't just that, though. The whole show had great dynamic range. Most shows are so limited (the loud stuff isn't much louder than the quiet stuff) because they expect you to have cheap TV speakers. I don't remember last year's episodes having the impact and "big" motion picture sound, even in the voice work. I love the color saturation and lack thereof in some places. If only the networks made shows like this.

Chris

You're not alone, I thought the same thing.

Yeah, my wife thought he was growing horns as well. Damn, Sunday 8PM is the best TV in the marketplace.. Desperate Housewives, Criminal Intent, Carnivale.. my TiVOs are working overtime(!) Unfortunately, I can only TiVO 2 of them in HD, but Carnivale is definetly one of tem

Do not be to sure that management is the Russian. I am not saying he is not. However, he might just be manipulating Ben.

I love the "ride" of this show. I will continue to come up with theories, but I will NOT be sure of anything.

Also, do not forget about the tattooed man (Sophie's father?) and how he fits in.

But if Management is to believed in, then Scudder is evil. If it is so, then why did Scudder help Ben in season 1 finale?

But there's something that supports Management's words: in season one we were shown a dream sequence where Scudder, the Russian soldier, Justin and Ben are sitting in some cafe. And their seating order were aligned so that it implies that Russian soldier and Ben are the same thing (good?), and so are Scudder and Justin (bad?). But whether Management is the russian soldier, that's an another thing.

Yes, I, too thought Justin was growing horns.

I'm thinking that that was something inentional (misdirection?) on the part of the show since so many viewers seemed to think the same thing!

I miised the first 15 minutes:frowning:

Have to catch the repeat.