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Carnival Row
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I watched the first 2 or 3 and then pretty much forgot about it until I just saw this thread. Not the best sign, honestly.Politician on Netflix, otoh, has kept me entertained throughout. It’s like Heathers + Election.
I watched the first ep. I thought it was promising - a good steampunk+magic world, with tropes familiar from fiction but not often seem on screen, and I liked the way it was dealing with class and imperialism. Great production values, well made.I didn't like that it was a made up world - for me, it would make more sense to be an "alternative" Europe ( like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell ), rather than made up places that were analogies, but I could get past this,
The real stumbling block for me is that it was so damned po-faced. It made what could have been magical and intriguing something of a drag. I may return to it, but I have so many other things to watch - the Good Place final season, Archer, Goliath, etc.
It was alright. Visually it was a beautiful show. I love the type of setting they were going for with a kind of fantasy looking Victorian setting. Overall the was somewhat interesting, but the twists could be seen from a mile away. The biggest thing for me is Cara Delevigne is a terrible actress, but Orlando Bloom was very good.
When the show first arrived in August, I read a couple of disparaging reviews and I didn't feel a burning need to watch. However, when the show popped up in my recommendations I watched and found the first episode entertaining. I finished the first season over the next three days.
I think the story being told is somewhat predictable if you read a lot of urban fantasy, but they sell it with good production value and interesting supporting characters.
An audio book in the same universe, Carnival Row: Tangle in the Dark by Stephanie K. Smith, was released this week. It features the backstory of two principal characters. I'm intrigued enough to check it out.