Despite airing in 2003, I didn't watch Carnivale until last year. I thought the description of the show sounded interesting (I love anything set in this time period). This was such a great show. All of the characters are amazing, and the actors/actresses give great performances. The story is captivating, and is wonderfully told. The costumes and sets always looked realistic. It is a concept, with an even better execution. I really wish they had renewed it, and allowed the show to conclude, instead of ending with a cliffhanger. Despite this, I would definitely recommend this show. This is a show that was just done right.

Warning! This series is not for a typical TV watcher looking for easy, non-challenging entertainment. Carnivale is a bleak but utterly compelling show that portrays the very worst of the era, the places and the people; yet does it with an unexpected, sparse beauty.This is not a series that will make you laugh, but if you like to be challenged by unusual perspectives on right and wrong, the bizarre, the macabre and the downright weird, this series is an absolute must see! A depression-era carnival/freak-show is perfect for immediately establishing the setting as unusual and strange, and things get more and more 'out-there' as the series progresses.With its engrossing story-lines, superb acting by the large cast, unusual take on the conflict between good and evil, plus suitably dreary and almost colourless locations and cinematography, I rank it as the single best TV show I have seen in 50 years of enthusiastic television watching.

Well then... Season 1 managed to be moodier, have a more distinct atmosphere, was overall probably more unconventional than Season 2. I thought the first 5 episodes of Season 2 were somewhat lacking in the magic of Season 1, as well as making everything over-the-top and perhaps spelling stuff out to audiences a little too much. From "The Road to Damascus" and onwards though, the show hit a stride that not even Season 1 hit. Sure, the show wasn't as atmospheric as Season 1 any more, but it really plotted the story lines brilliantly. Whereas before the show had shown its slower-paced tendencies, it began to up the tension and pace in a way that didn't betray what the show was about. It was never full- out crazy, but everything really came together amazingly. I would usually mind all of the chasing shenanigans in the finale, but by that I didn't want Justin to die. I don't know, there's something so beautiful about endings that are left unresolved, even with shows that actually planed series finales. There's shows where you need to have everything resolved, but other times I feel like you don't need it. In a way, leaving stuff open-ended provides a better story up for imagination and speculation. The final shot really should've been Iris looking at the cornfields dying. Amazing. I also want to say that the Jonesey/Libby stuff ended up being perfect. Some amazing development there. GRADE A for Season TwoAnd I just read about what the characters' fates were supposed to be. So Sofie didn't want to kill Jonesy, and Season 3 would be about a power struggle between Iris and Sofie, with a kid in the household and the parents being unknown? Amazing.Season 1, I preferred the carnival stuff. Season 2 I preferred the Justin/Iris stuff. Both Brown and Madigan are the easy MVPs of the show, and their work in Season 2 was just outstanding. As for the show overall, it's flawed, incredibly so at times. Season 1 has a lot of spots where it drags, where it seems as if it's unsure of where to go, and the first few episodes of Season 2 are a bit too cartoonish and the more OTT tone gets some getting used to. Saying that however, I think this is an amazing show. The contrast between the styles of both seasons compliment each other incredibly well. Season 1 most closely resembles the sort of off-kilter vibe Twin Peaks gave off, while Season 2 moves away from that and really delivers on the story lines on all cylinders. While I cherish both, I think the second half of Season 2 is pretty masterful and I prefer the season overall. This really deserves a better reputation, and it deserves the kind of rabid cult following

Words can't describe how amazing this show was.The idea was so profound that you could re-watch it at least 3 times. Even from the very first episode I knew this was to be different than most of the TV-shows,and I was right."Carnivàle" is another view of our lives,and it shows the bad and good sides of everything we do but Daniel Knauf(the creator of the show) chose a Carnival to express what others couldn't.The script was perfectly written,the frames were amazing,the characters had a complex point of view and the acting was great.This is a show that can and will change your perspective about life!Don't stall and watch the show!