After Angels In America, I have been waiting patiently for a brilliant TV
series from the US. Carnivale has been just such a series. Outstanding
stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had seen series 1.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:52:26 GMT, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

After Angels In America, I have been waiting patiently for a brilliant TV
series from the US. Carnivale has been just such a series. Outstanding
stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had seen series 1.

I didn't get it, series one or this one. I didn't get Angels In
America either. Not that I really watched it; I was bored. What the
hell are all these weird shows about anyway? Do the makers even know?

paul packer said:

Carnivale has been just such a series. Outstanding
stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had seen series 1.

I didn't get it, series one or this one. I didn't get Angels In
America either. Not that I really watched it; I was bored. What the
hell are all these weird shows about anyway? Do the makers even know?

Odd to hear you say that, paulie. Carnivale was a mishmash of stories --
broken dreams, American history and folklore images, and myths taken
directly from Christian dogma. You do get into the Christian stuff,
don't you?

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 08:56:42 -0500, George M. Middius cmndr
[underscore] george [at] comcast [dot] net wrote:



paul packer said:

Carnivale has been just such a series. Outstanding
stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had seen series 1.

I didn't get it, series one or this one. I didn't get Angels In
America either. Not that I really watched it; I was bored. What the
hell are all these weird shows about anyway? Do the makers even know?

Odd to hear you say that, paulie. Carnivale was a mishmash of stories --
broken dreams, American history and folklore images, and myths taken
directly from Christian dogma. You do get into the Christian stuff,
don't you?

I agree it was a mishmash, George; that was all I could get out of it.
I gathered it was some kind of Good v. Evil affair but just couldn't
get involved somehow, either because it was so dark and dragged out or
because Nick Stahl's character seemed so nebulous and remote (did
someone lose his script, or is he supposed to be mute?). Frankly, I'm
just not into the grotesqueries of so many of these shows, where
characters and story elements seem to be included purely to add to the
level of bizarreness. However, if you can synopsise the story in a few
lines please do, as I'd like to think it made some sense.

paul packer said:

However, if you can synopsise the story in a few
lines please do, as I'd like to think it made some sense.

Not-God and Not-Devil have a proxy fight. It ends inconclusively.

On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 07:25:44 -0500, George M. Middius cmndr
[underscore] george [at] comcast [dot] net wrote:



paul packer said:

However, if you can synopsise the story in a few
lines please do, as I'd like to think it made some sense.

Not-God and Not-Devil have a proxy fight. It ends inconclusively.

As I thought! :-)

I agree it was a mishmash, George; that was all I could get out of it.
I gathered it was some kind of Good v. Evil affair but just couldn't
get involved somehow, either because it was so dark and dragged out or
because Nick Stahl's character seemed so nebulous and remote (did
someone lose his script, or is he supposed to be mute?). Frankly, I'm
just not into the grotesqueries of so many of these shows, where
characters and story elements seem to be included purely to add to the
level of bizarreness. However, if you can synopsise the story in a few
lines please do, as I'd like to think it made some sense.

You can't summarize Carnivale in a few sentences. However, it can be
summarized by people who are enthusiastic about the show. This won't
be short, so bear with me. The show is summarized in Samson's opening
monologue at the beginning of the very first episode:

"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."

The translation goes like this: Ever since the world began (as it
began according to Christian mythology), every generation of humans has
had one creature of light and one creature of darkness born into it,
who are called Avatars. They are human, they can be killed, but they
also possess supernatural powers. They are vital earthly instruments
in the struggle between good and evil. This battle has been waged
among the Avatara for millennia, according to God's intended design.

Carnivale is the odyssey of Ben Hawkins (creature of light) and Brother
Justin Crowe (creature of darkness), who represent the latest
generation of Avatars in 1934. When the show begins neither one of
them have the first clue that they are Avatars, although they both know
that they've exhibited supernatural abilities in the past which they've
repressed. As the series progresses, they begin to gradually
understand who they really are and what that really means. What does
it mean? Brother Justin has to begin the process of bringing a
horrible event into reality, and Ben has to stop him. We learned that
Brother Justin is a special creature of darkness called the Usher Of
Destruction whose arrival signifies the end of the world if he isn't
stopped, and at the very end of the 2nd season finale we come to
understand that Sofie is an Avatar as well. Not just any avatar, but
The Omega...the very last Avatar that will ever be born. The births of
Justin and Sofie were foretold thousands of years ago.

The final sentence of the opening monologue refers to the Trinity
nuclear test detonation in 1945, which was the very first nuclear
explosion. This catostrophic act by humanity heralded the end of the
Age Of Wonder and the beginning of the Age Of Reason. What this means
is that anything magical and wonderous in the world has vanished, and
from that point on the Avataric bloodlines have died forever as well.

This is only the most basic outline of Carnivale. It isn't a simple
show...it intentionlly makes you think and keeps you asking questions.
A lot of the imagery is open to personal interpretation and there are a
LOT of details that can escape your first viewing. It helps to watch
the entire series from start to finish twice or even more. Once you
"get it", you'll realize that everything makes sense in the end.

"paul packer" wrote in message
...
: On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:52:26 GMT, "Trevor Wilson"
: wrote:
:
: After Angels In America, I have been waiting patiently
for a brilliant TV
: series from the US. Carnivale has been just such a
series. Outstanding
: stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had
seen series 1.
:
: I didn't get it, series one or this one. I didn't get
Angels In
: America either. Not that I really watched it; I was bored.
What the
: hell are all these weird shows about anyway? Do the makers
even know?

After watching AIA I'm still coming to grips with the fact
hat Angels have eight (8) Vaginas! So yes, weird is an apt
description.

BTW I am looking forward to Carnivale on DVD. It is a
brilliant drama with an enthralling story line.

Cheers TT

PS Yes 8!!! See what trivia you can pick up watching these
shows? ;-)

On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 13:23:52 +0800, "TT"
wrote:


BTW I am looking forward to Carnivale on DVD. It is a
brilliant drama with an enthralling story line.

Good. So I take it you will post a synopsis, TT?

Trevor Wilson wrote:
After Angels In America, I have been waiting patiently for a brilliant TV
series from the US.

Why are you waiting for something from the US?

ScottW

"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...
After Angels In America, I have been waiting patiently for a brilliant TV
series from the US. Carnivale has been just such a series. Outstanding
stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had seen series 1.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Saw a bit of Angels, but it did not do much for me.
Among regularly scheduled programs, my faves are, The Shield, Rescue Me,
House, 24, and Boston Legal.

I would love it if BBCA would run the complete Green Wing series, as the
ones I've seen from the first season, are the funniest shows I've seen in a
long time.

really to get the complete picture of what Carnivale was about you needed to
see both series one and series two, as they are both interlaced, with
storylines.
the final epesode screen tomorrow , Sunday 12 Feb.
There will not be a series 3. So many questions will be left unanswered.
bassett


wrote in message
link.net...

"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...
After Angels In America, I have been waiting patiently for a brilliant TV
series from the US. Carnivale has been just such a series. Outstanding
stuff, brilliantly acted and very moody. I wish I had seen series 1.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Saw a bit of Angels, but it did not do much for me.
Among regularly scheduled programs, my faves are, The Shield, Rescue Me,
House, 24, and Boston Legal.

I would love it if BBCA would run the complete Green Wing series, as the
ones I've seen from the first season, are the funniest shows I've seen in
a long time.

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 12:36:12 +1100, " Dogs Breath"
wrote:

really to get the complete picture of what Carnivale was about you needed to
see both series one and series two, as they are both interlaced, with
storylines.
the final epesode screen tomorrow , Sunday 12 Feb.
There will not be a series 3. So many questions will be left unanswered.
bassett


All of them, I should think.

paul packer wrote:
On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 12:36:12 +1100, " Dogs Breath"
wrote:

really to get the complete picture of what Carnivale was about you needed to
see both series one and series two, as they are both interlaced, with
storylines.
the final epesode screen tomorrow , Sunday 12 Feb.
There will not be a series 3. So many questions will be left unanswered.
bassett


All of them, I should think.

Yep, I was right. I've just this moment finished watching the last
episode and I still have no idea what it was all about. However, at
least this time the bad guy...oh no, I can't tell you, can I, in case
someone hasn't seen it? Damn. Well, I wouldn't get too excited anyhow.

paul packer wrote:
paul packer wrote:
On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 12:36:12 +1100, " Dogs Breath"
wrote:

really to get the complete picture of what Carnivale was about you needed to
see both series one and series two, as they are both interlaced, with
storylines.
the final epesode screen tomorrow , Sunday 12 Feb.
There will not be a series 3. So many questions will be left unanswered.
bassett


All of them, I should think.

Yep, I was right. I've just this moment finished watching the last
episode and I still have no idea what it was all about. However, at
least this time the bad guy...oh no, I can't tell you, can I, in case
someone hasn't seen it? Damn. Well, I wouldn't get too excited anyhow.

It's a shame that they aren't continuing it.
I think they left to door open for it in the future.
Missing an episode would leave one wondering what has going on,
it was a multi facetted story line.
I'm of the opinion it was more about the secret societies dogma,
and the role they played in protecting us from the forces
that would cause the Apocolyse.
JMHO