Hold on! The scar we see on Philo on carnival row is real?!
Carnival Row has so many problems with taking homophobia and racism analogies and giving them to white, cis - mostly - straight actors.
But that makes Mr. Agreus role even more powerful. Seeing a black man, playing a fantasy creature, not being allowed to be in love with a human woman... who happens to be white. In victorian England. And you only need half a braincell to realize that this isn't about horns and wings.
And this makes his lines so powerful. Everytime Agreus talks about the privileges white human people take for granted, while he will never be able to because he is black a fae-born, I nearly fall from my chair. The actor is just *chef kiss*
Them casting a black actor for the role, saves the whole show imo. If they would have also casted a white man for the role... YIKES. I only wish they would have casted a queer actor for Philos role. Because his role is the homophobia metaphor. So thumbs up for having a pansexual actress playing a pansexual fae, but the whole show would ahve worked better if the actor of Philo also happened to be queer. Because then i wouldn't cringe so much when a straight actor, has a metaphorical coming out scene, followed by "i am proud of you."
People trying to push him back into the closet, was still on point tough
kajaono reblogged
The moment where Philo says: “I am critch.” you exhale and notice that you were holding your breath for 8 episodes
kajaono reblogged
Philo: The girl doesn’t steal *Five minutes later* Vignette: *Steals Flag* Philo: excuse me but what the fuck
kajaono reblogged
The face of a man who realize he fucked up.
Seriously, what was he thinking telling around his true identity?!
He’s, like, so clever, but then pretty girl treats him fairly decently… And suddenly all brain activity comes to a grinding halt and his mouth just runs off.
taurielthepirateking
Yeah Philo is pretty dumb when it comes to women
Just wants to be loooooooved
Major Carnival Row Spoiler, read at on own risk
1x06 is so intense anyway. But this scene is just heartbreaking and so so incredible sad. Because his whole life he dreams about having wings, being able to fly. Everytime he speaks of that matter he starts moving his back (amazing acting choice btw), showing that he can still feel his wings.
And also as an audience you think about "what could have been". This show pushes you, really subtle, to a point where you wonder how he would have looked if his wings where never taken from him. If his life would have been happier. You imagine his joy, being able to fly
And suddenly, after episodes of "what if..." you hear this. That his wings, even if they stayed, would never had the strength to carry him into air. That his dream of flying was pointless, because wings or not, he would have never been able to. It was just a childish dream. And it shatters you. And it shatters Philo, would dreamed about flying his whole life. It is like you can see Orlando Bloom aging ten years, right in front of.
Honestly this show is so good at leaving things unsaid, just using visualizations. I haven't seen season 2 yet, but gosh.. season 1 is so good!
Best thing about Carnival Row is them making sure that the audience knows that the dog survived
„Does the dog die?“ no, but everybody else
Spoiler: Carnival row is so good at „show don’t tell“. There isn’t a big „omg, she was my mother“-moment. She just sings and you KNOW. And you start crying because you finally understand what Philo has lost
That he was also standing over the body of a beloved person and gave nothing away. Most of the victims being either related to him or his mirrors is amazing anyway
kajaono reblogged
One thing I never understood about Carnival Row. Was the war between the fea and the Burgue, of between the burgue (together with the fea) and the Pact?
Burg and the Pact. The burg was doing soft colonisation where they kinda just moved in and slowly made the fae dependent on them, while the Pact was doing the version that involved obvious ethnic cleansing.
More accurately, the war was the Pact attacking the fae and the Burg helping them because a) the Pact is a long-standing enemy and b) they could use their aid to gain power over the fae. The burg was still a colonial power, even when they were "helping"
Thank you really much for explaining! That makes a lot of sense
How do you know btw? Was it explained somewhere and I missed it?
You have the brief explanation at the beginning, then you get clues throughout. A lot of it is thematic or implied rather than outright stated, and usually when they're not discussing the war at all.
Thank you. I always failed to put the pieces together
It just occured to me how funny it is that there is a red sunrise after Vignette kills for the first time
It is like the director said: We have Orlando Bloom in our cast. We MUST have a red sky after a killing
kajaono reblogged
One thing I never understood about Carnival Row. Was the war between the fea and the Burgue, of between the burgue (together with the fea) and the Pact?
Burg and the Pact. The burg was doing soft colonisation where they kinda just moved in and slowly made the fae dependent on them, while the Pact was doing the version that involved obvious ethnic cleansing.
More accurately, the war was the Pact attacking the fae and the Burg helping them because a) the Pact is a long-standing enemy and b) they could use their aid to gain power over the fae. The burg was still a colonial power, even when they were "helping"
Thank you really much for explaining! That makes a lot of sense
How do you know btw? Was it explained somewhere and I missed it?
Whats so amazing about Carnival Row are all the things left unsaid, that you only notice during a rewatch.
Vignette running into Aisling, Aisling seeing a photo of her adult son just before she dies - and you can see in her face that she regonizes him, her humming Philos song, Philo running away when the army asks for blood samples because it would reveal who he truely is?
I am still sad how Carnival row was supposed to be Primes next big thing, with a huge celebrity cast, and it was really really successful even though it never had a big fandom
And then Covid happened, delayed the whole production by 3 years, and season 2 was released four years after season 1, without a fandom who could carry it over such a long time
So Carnival row was closed after two seasons with anyone really noticing, which is shame. Prime invested so much money in it
The show is diverse, steampunk, funny, really really well written, one of the best openings I ever seen on TV, Orlando Bloom, Victorian crime Fanatsy, Feas?
It’s sad that because of Covid it never became what it could have been
And that’s not the only show Covid ruined ODAAT *cries*
Carnival Row is still hilarious if you think about it
Vignette: I am mourning my husband
Tourmaline: Philo is alive
Vignette: I AM GONNA KILL THAT MOTHERF*CKER!
Don’t you dare to spoil season 2 for me
One thing I never understood about Carnival Row. Was the war between the fea and the Burgue, of between the burgue (together with the fea) and the Pact?
Amazon: we have a new show.
Me: already watched good omens. I’m trying not watch anything more from you on principle.
Amazon: it’s a gaslamp fantasy starring Orlando Bloom with lots of faeries and satyrs in late Victorian costume. Kind of Penny Dreadful in tone.
Me: fuck. That sounds like my brand of stupid.
Amazon: and the faeries’ wings get all buzzy and fluttery so they hover when they have sex.
Me: Goddammit that is EXACTLY my brand of stupid.