It’s been almost three and a half years, but the new season of Carnival Row is finally about to be released.
This Prime Video series launched in 2019 and garnered a significant cult following thanks to its star-studded cast and its gritty and dark high fantasy setting.
Season 2 is expected to raise the bar for what we can see in the series regarding action, political drama, and high-concept fantasy. This season will also serve as the conclusion to the show, so we’re expecting many plot threads and character arcs to be concluded within the next ten episodes that will air weekly.
If you need a bit of a refresher on what to expect, here’s everything we know about Carnival Row second and final season.
Carnival Row Final Season Trailer
The official trailer for season 2 came out on January 10th, 2023, and teases at an explosive season of violence and rebellion.
In the trailer, Philo (Orlando Bloom), having turned in his badge upon discovering his mixed background as a human and a fae, is asked to aid in the investigation of a series of murders fanning the flames of social tensions.
We see Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) continuing in her covert war against the Burgue’s human leaders, Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) and Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford). We see countless shots of the pixies in combat, hijacking trains, flying over boats and being shot out of the sky with mounted, Victorian-era machine guns.
The relationship between Philo and Vignette continues to strain as well, as she intends to take more proactive methods against the tyrannical government oppressing the fae people. Philo’s central conflict will be between his role as law enforcement while also serving the oppressors of his people. This further puts him at odds against Vignette and her rebel group the Black Ravens as they fight back against the system that Philo serves.
What’s highlighted in the trailer is the dreary mood of Carnival Row’s world, as we see the fae people’s intense and brutal oppression by the human faction of the Burgue. From unjust executioners, to further injustices in place to discriminate against them. We can expect this to reach a boiling point as The Row is called to be burned down.
There are so many great set pieces here, from The Row on fire, to boats being boarded from the air. Even the city streets look so gloomy and lived in. It’s clear that the show is aiming to take full advantage of its setting to give us some amazing eye candy with its action sequences and world-building.
What Can We Expect From The Final Season?
A huge plot point we can expect to see explored is Philo coming to terms with his identity as a half-blood. Co-showrunners Travis Beacham and Marc Guggenheim told EW that “the trick is not as simple as him embracing the fact that he’s fae. To the fae, he’s not really fae. He’s a half-blood. So he is basically a man without a country.”
Carnival Row is expected to lean on its supporting cast as well. As the previous season teased huge reveals with Tourmaline Larou (Karla Crome) inheriting supernatural powers that now put both her and the future of The Row at risk.
There is also, of course, the overall theme of how the show is expecting to resolve its central conflict between humanity and the Fae people, and who will die in the revolution to fix it or maintain its status quo.
Who is involved in the Cast Lineup?
Returning cast members include Cara Delevigne, Orlando Bloom, Tamzin Merchant, David Gyasi, Karla Crome, Simon McBurney, Andrew Gower, Caroline Ford, and Arty Froushan. Additionally, Jamie Harris has been promoted from a recurring role to being part of the main cast for season 2.
Carnival Row Final Season Release Date
Fans have been eagerly waiting for the new season of Carnival Row since 2019, with the wait now finally over as the second and final season has officially been confirmed to land on Prime Video on February 17th worldwide.
You can catch season 1 on Prime Video as well.