I thought it was a beautifully told if simple story... I’ve been reading critics reviews and am wondering why some people even bother if they’re going to compare everything to GoT, and then complain because the show isn’t a perfect season. I think it’s as good a first season as anyone can expect from any show that’s not Battlestar Galactica. The costume design was impeccable, the set design so wonderfully rich, which is impressive considering there is so much grey. Whoever was responsible for the lighting did an amazing job of giving it a complete personality in this narrative. The performances were a little uneven here and there, but what first season has a perfect possession of every character? None, that’s how many. All in all it’s a glorious entry, and I love the way The Fae are presented, and as gritty the allegories are with Nazism and the nascent authoritarianism and white nationalism on the loose in the U.S., I appreciate the tone and structure of the politics and how it’s played out from the top down. I enjoyed this tremendously and am looking forward to more yarn for this story... #CarnivalRow #FaeForever #FaeUnity #FaeOfTheWorldUnite

I watched the first three episodes, and quite frankly this show is a complete mess. It can't decide whether it wants to be a period drama, a detective show, urban fantasy, a war story... The dichotomies between these genres are too big, and the writer makes a crap job of marrying them together. They're not mixed well enough for the flow of the story to be smooth. It's like watching a show with multiple personalities disorder. The dialogue isn't all that great, the timeframe of events is unclear, and there's no spark between the lead couple in the slightest. They have some type of chemistry, but it is definitely not of the romantic kind. Also the pacing is all wrong. There are way too many scenes so unnecessarily long. It made for a very boring watching experience. As for the cast, they're not the best of actors, but they're not the worst either. However, I need Cara to just pick a freking accent and stick to it. I've seen her in interviews and I know that's not what she sounds like, so why have an Irish accent for some scenes and not for others? The accent wasn't necessary in the slightest. So why even add it if you're not gonna be great at it? So pointless. If you wanna watch an Amazon Prime show about a wartime love story with fantasy elements, just go watch The Man in the High Castle. The first season is infinitely better, I promise.

Much better than expected. Large in scope and ‘world size’, beautiful cinematography, and decent acting. And the romantic elements are actually reigned in at appropriate times, which keeps up the fast pace (well, so far; I am on Episode 3, though tempted to keep binging.) Yes, there are some very obvious allegorical plot devices and links to “current affairs” straight out of the gate, but they’re balanced with the fantasy elements and help flesh out the alternate world. .. P.S. Amazon’s teaser for this wasn’t very good or striking, but the show has turned out to be intriguing. Edit - after finishing the first season, it lacked the anticipated depth I first thought I gleaned. To me, it was more visually appealing than anything else.

Season 1 was good. But the director/writer in season 1. Only did 1 episode in season 2. That explains the 2nd season sucking. The story is all over the place. To many characters to care what the heck is going on. They went cheaper/less CGI on season 2 as well. That was a strong point in season 1. I am not even gonna bother finishing this season.

Amazon Studios has a fantasy problem. On three separate occasions, they have churned out visually stunning television shows, filled with fantastic sets, costumes, and VFX. Carnival Row, The Rings of Power, and The Wheel of Time are all shows that had limitless potential, and it's clear that Amazon has been desperate for them all to be big hits (just look at how big the budgets are for these shows). The problem is, in spite of being technical and visual behemoths, each of these three shows is soulless; they are bland, and they are boring. These shows lack charm, they lack joy, and they lack any sort of hook that makes me eager to keep on watching. It's difficult for me to call any of these shows 'bad', because honestly, I don't think they really are 'bad'. When I watch an episode of any of these shows I've mentioned, I don't see anything 'bad' on screen. There are almost no technical issues, no awful visuals, and no bad acting. The dialogue is fine, and the plot is just fine too. Yet, despite nothing being bad, I can't help but find it an utter chore to watch an entire episode of any of these shows. They genuinely sap me of my energy, making me feel like I'd rather be doing anything else, or maybe even having a snooze. Amazon is churning out some of the most boring, generic fantasy television I've ever seen, but people seem to be eating it up based on visuals, cast, and technical achievement. That stuff is all cool if what you're interested in is taking some screenshots and getting a nice desktop wallpaper; but if you're interested in engaging television, it's simply not enough. Amazon NEEDS to do better. I no longer have any faith in them to produce fantasy content.