By Drew Dietsch
| Published

There are only a handful of shows that come into your life that truly feel special to you. Like someone has finally tapped into a bigger idea that you've always wanted to see executed in a long form. Carnival it was that show for me. Aired only two seasons on HBO in 2003, this historical horror fantasy epic managed to bring something to the television landscape that has never before been replicated at its best.
Every prophet in his house

To describe the central story of Carnival wouldn't do justice to its larger cast of characters, but the basic premise follows two men, Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) and Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown) and their awakening to a number of supernatural abilities and events. Set during the Great Depression, in the midst of the Dust Bowl, the series uses these two characters to explore an ancient battle between two magical forces and the feelings of impending apocalypse that color this decaying America.
Ben is part of a traveling carnival and this is where the ensemble nature of the show often comes into play. Carnival them allows for a rich and varied tapestry of characters and stories that often do not directly relate to the larger supernatural story at play. This is often seen as one of the main criticisms viewers make of the series, but it's the humanity and heart of the show's misfit troupe that gives it much of its power.
However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Brother Justin is one of the best roles Clancy Brown has ever played in his entire career. His story delves into the depths of depravity, sin, and evil as he realizes the purpose of the power he wields. He's an incredible character who should be considered one of television's truly great, unsung villains. Brother Justin is worth the price of admission to Carnival alone.
The continuing horror of Carnivàle

But I specifically called Carnival a horror series and that's where I want to focus. There are a number of dreams/visions in the series and some downright bizarre supernatural moments. I don't want to spoil them all for anyone discovering the series for the first time, but I will say that the image above is a moment that has stuck with me since I first watched the series. It's one of the most haunting conclusions to a story I've seen executed in a mainstream television series, and it still chills me to this day.
The big problem is that the series was canceled after its second season ended on a huge, game-changing cliffhanger that will never be resolved. Unfortunately, we have the impression Lost took a lot of steam out of Carnival as this series debuted in 2004 and did a better job capturing a wider audience for a mysterious and seemingly magical epic TV show.
At this point, there will never be a real conclusion to Carnival. Too much time has passed to film anything that might involve most of the original cast. It's always possible that a reboot series or something will happen, but there's very little chance that it will capture the specific power that the original series still evokes. Instead, the best thing to do is stream the show on Max and celebrate what we have achieved. It is certainly much better than Losta show that I watched in its entirety and which only made me regret it even more Carnival.
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