“If season one was level ‘five’ then season two of Carnival Row reaches level 10,” beamed You and Black Mirror star Andrew Gower, who plays Ezra Spurnrose, the head of the Spurnrose house and a secondary antagonist. The hit Prime Video series, headlined by Orlando Bloom, drops on Feb. 17, and bows after its upcoming second season. But Gower assured MovieWeb, fans will not be disappointed with how things unfold.
“There's a lot of characters throughout the show who are fighting for their identity, and for who they believe they are; their identities are questioned,” Gower said about the road ahead. “In season two, we explore different worlds and different creatures. So, I would say this show has kind of gone from fantastical, to slightly hectic, more than season one. It’s on steroids a little bit.”
Called an “epic steampunk fantasy series” and a “fantasy-noir set in a neo-Victorian city,” Carnival Row was a bold undertaking for Prime Video. No doubt the production costs were high from the onset, which makes the series a remarkable feat, delivering a lush fantasy world without any source material to cull from.
Per the series logline, season two picks up with former inspector Rycroft Philostrate/Philo (Orlando Bloom) investigating a series of gruesome and mysterious murders stoking social tension. His romantic interest, Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne), and the Black Raven plot payback for the unjust oppression inflicted by The Burgue’s human leaders, Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) and Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford).
Meanwhile, Tourmaline (Karla Crome) inherits supernatural powers that threaten her fate and the future of The Row. Not to be left out: After escaping The Burgue and her vengeful brother Ezra (Gower), Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) and her partner Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi) encounter a radical new society which upends their plans.
With humans and fae folk divided and freedom on the line, each hero faces impossible dilemmas and soul-defining tests in the dramatic series conclusion. The cast and showrunner Erik Oleson share more with MovieWeb.
Cara Delevingne on the Final Carnival Ride
Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad), who’s been turning heads with her spot-on series, Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne, admits that she has loved being a part of the Carnival Row, especially with the upcoming season, where everything felt familial with plenty of “camaraderie” among the cast.
“You know, by the second season, the girls and I were living in the same apartment building, so it was like university living,” Delevingne quipped. “What also struck me was exploring my character more and getting deeper into it. Vignette is such a complex character, and there are so many elements to add within the second season. There's so much more that comes up against her and the other creatures. So, for season two, there’s adversity. And you see how much she grows when she's under pressure because this season she has to become a leader, which she didn't really ever think that she could do.”
When asked what she believes the show is attempting to say about humanity in today’s real world, Delevingne noted: “I think what we’re seeing in the show is obviously an extreme version [or current events]. It’s showing oppression. Then there’s so much commentary about segregation. And the big discussion on refugees and immigration, but it's obviously done in a fantasy way. “Hopefully, “the final season is going to show people what it's like to be in someone else's shoes.”
Showrunner Erik Oleson Chimes In
Erik Oleson (Daredevil), who came on board as the series’ new showrunner and executive producer for season two, told MovieWeb that he and the creative team organized the final episodes around asking if we are defined by our DNA, “or are we defined by the actions that we take, the choices we make, and the way that we treat other people.”
He noted that the series began with that question in mind and that he and the writers attempted to figure out an event structure of the entire stories for the final round.
“Because, you can say, oh, you're a Faerie, and that's just who you are,” he added. “You were born a Faerie, or you were born a horned fawn, or you were born into a certain race of the world of Carnival Row, and that is going to now define everything you do and your tribe. But there are characters who say, ‘Well hold on a second, maybe I should get a vote. Now that I have agency, and I'm walking the planet, I should be able to actually decide who I am and not be told who I am.’”
Those kinds of identity politics factor into the upcoming season. But Oleson et al took it a step further, opting to also explore the idea of social injustice, and how identity politics play into social injustice. “And Is it better to fight back with love? Is it better to fight back with hate?” he said. “Is it better to try to change the system from the inside? Is it better to try to take up arms or take to the streets or, you know, go up against the cops with violence?
“So, as you can see, we decided to go deeper into the themes this season. I love that I got a chance to play in a lush sandbox with the most amazing sets, the most amazing creatures, and probably the most insanely talented crew ever.”
Jamie Harris, Jay Ali & Tamzin Merchant’s Take
Jamie Harris (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) plays Desk Sergeant Dombey, a gruff police officer in the series. He said the season ahead features more of a personal battle for Arty Froushan’s character, Breakspear. “There’s a sort of ultimate destruction of mankind as they know it. It really has an apocalyptic feeling to it. This really is a train ride destruction. And you never know at the end of each episode which character is going to survive that episode or not.”
“I think what's most at stake here is people's lives,” said Ali, who plays a Faerie allied with the Black Raven criminal gang. Interestingly, Ali and showrunner Oleson worked together on the final season of Marvel’s Netflix hit Daredevil.
“There’s a way of life for both sets of folks in the show,” he added. “For the humans, it's about fighting for their way of life and what they believe in to protect their loved ones, regardless of whatever it might be. “Overall, I think there's so many elements in season two that audiences can connect to because there are so many social issues this show deals with—racism, immigration, classism, sexism, and oppression, and the disparity between rich and poor. All of which are going on in the world right now.”
Tamzin Merchant (A Midsummer Night's Dream), whose Imogen Spurnrose in the show has led a privileged and sheltered life, can’t help but point out how much more intense season two is.
“The pressures and tensions introduced have exploded from season one and it’s put people under enormous pressure,” she said. “We ask, ‘Who are you when you're when you are fighting for your freedom, fighting for your life, or just sort of fighting for what you want? Who do you become?’ I think that pressure tells a lot of truth about people.”
On Lessons Learned
Caroline Ford (Once Upon A Time) plays Sophie Longerbane, a mixed-raced antagonist in Carnival Row. As the series bows, she says, “I think it’s really a privilege to show the parallel of regimes around the world right now, which at the moment are pretty dark, and show people standing up against them. So, this season, viewers leave understanding the power of their own voice a bit more.”
As for wrapping up the storylines and letting Carnival Road hit the road, as it were, House of the Dragon breakout star Arty Froushan immediately credited the “extraordinary group of people” he’s worked with as randy Jonah Breakspear. “Across all multiple storylines, these are people I've learned from and made very close friends with. And that's not always the case with work, and especially with big-budget series like these.
“You’ve got to get very lucky,” he added. “And we were. We were able to inhabit a world that as a child you dream of inhabiting. We were able to step onto those sets and lose ourselves in the stories. Then months later, we can look at it on screen and marvel at the fact that you belonged to that exotic universe. That’s amazing. I'm very, very fortunate to have had that opportunity.”
Catch the final ride of Carnival Row on Prime Video on Feb. 17.