Plot Details: This opinion reveals no details about the movie's plot.

First, let me say that I was overwhelmed with anger after hearing 'Carnivale' was cancelled. Just like every regular viewer of the Daniel Knauf pre WWII depression era period piece. In it's two seasons on HBO, it proved to be a refreshing change from all the monotonous situational dramas that smother the prime time air waves.

The show revolves around two characters, Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) a fugitive in his early 20's, from the dust bowl of Oklahoma who has possessed a special gift with no understanding of it's purpose & shows apprehension in using these miraculous powers after his mother demonized his gift after he demonstration gone wrong.

He was born out of wedlock to a mother who adopted stern religious convictions after being abandoned by, Ben's father who Ben has never met. The show starts with Ben burying his mother who died from Asbestosis that plagued many americans living in the dust bowl of Oklahoma during the 30's. During an altercation with a bull dozer operator hired by the local bank to tear down his childhood home a travelling road show comes across the argument and helps to delegate a peaceful end by assisting with the burial & giving an impromptu funeral ceremony.

While the bull dozer tears down his mothers home, he is offered a job after the mysterious propietor of the carnival known only as "Management" (Voiced by Linda Hunt)who is never seen & only heard by his second in command, Samson (Michael J Anderson) instructs Samson to do so.

Then there is Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown), a methodist preacher from California who was adopted in his childhood by Reverand Norman Balthus (Ralph Waite) along with his sister Iris (Amy Madigan) after their family was killed by bandits on their way to California.

He shares similar gifts with Ben Hawkins, who he hasn't met but has seen in dreams for his whole life & the lack of understanding of his gifts purpose is shared as well. At the start of the series, Justin Crowe seems to be a man who is firm in his convictions to religious morality, but during the progress of the show you realize that he has a past filled with corruption.

During the progression of the series, the purpose of both men becomes clear through what seems to be fortuitious meetings with others that turn out to be guided by some unseen and anonymous diety.

Minus the last 5 or 10 minutes of the show, you will not be dissapointed especially with so many amazing performances from so many brilliant actors that go unpraised do to the circumstances surrounding this shows cancellation.

The first applaudable performance that comes to mind is from Adrienne Barbeau who plays Ruthie, a former carnie act & the mother of a borderline mentally handicapped son, Gabriel (Brian Turk) who is the star of the strongest man alive act. Ruthie seems to take on the roll of a mother figure to Ben Hawkins and all those in the carnival, but the relationship between Ben & herself becomes contaminated & eventually leads to a decision that changes the fate of Ben & everyone who is apart of the travelling road show forever.

Then there is Toby Hess who plays Stumpy, the caller for his wife, Rita Sue (Cynthia Ettinger) and two daughters, Libby (Carla Gallo)& Dora Mae (Amanda Aday) who run a stag show in the carnivale. Toby Hess performance & the interaction between this alternative family unit, brings depth to the series with the good intentions of Stumpy, which always become corrupted by his lack of resistance to the wicked vices of men that lead him to weave lie after lie until the wait of these lies collapse on top of him & the truth is finally revealed.

Then there is Jonesy played by Tim DeKay. He is a former major league pitcher who's knee was permanently injured by gangsters for refusing to throw a game. He now manages the set up crew for the Carnival & starts the series as a man who sees thing in black and white terms & remains suspicious of Ben Hawkins when routine is abandoned the moment Ben arrived. Over the length of the show his narrow view of the world is destroyed when he lets his guard down for one moment of temptation that destroys every meaningful relationship he has built while with the carnival. This is especially true with the character named Sofie.

Sofie is played by Clea DuVall, who is the tarot card reader in the carnivale. While several of the characters of this show seem to possess unique of over whelmingly powerful abilities she freely admits that she can only read tarot card through a psychic connection she shares with her catatonic mother, Apollonia. a former fortune teller with a mysterious path who joined the carnivale to protect her daughter from unknown stalkers interested in killing them both after it was discovered that Sofie was conceived with a former customer with public influences and importance, became obsessed with Apollonia & raped her many years ago.

The relationship between Sofie & her mother is probably the most unique relationship in television history. While the audience isn't privy the psychic conversing from Apollonia or even any physical expression, Clea DuVall has the ability of etching her mother's words in the viewers imagination through her talented delivery of dialog & with the introduction of Ben Hawkins into their relationship that presents a great conflict, her ability of ushering the intentions of two characters on her own can only make you guess how far can Clea take her career with such overwhelmingly brilliant grasp of the thespian arts.

Out of all the great performances in this show, it's has three stand out. One you may remember from Twin Peaks as The Man From Another Place, Michael J. Anderson who plays Samson a former carnivale attraction with osteogenesis imperfecta, who now is second in charge under the previously mentioned cryptic owner ,'Management' He makes you believe the authority he holds over the other performers and employees of the road show, but he isn't without vulnerability & witnessing this during the shows progression you realize that the character and his acting ability isn't a gimic to fit the motif of the series.

The second stand out performance comes from Nick Stahl as Ben Hawkins. In an industry that has abandoned the minimalism of the past & replaced it with big budgets & high dollar special effects which have now infliltrated television, you see an actor who not only recites lines in a different accent but completely takes on the spirit of another human being from the facial expression used to the way he walks.

Now last but not least there is Professor Lodz who is played by Patrick Bauchau. He is a blind man who has psychic abilities & alterior motives besides an interest in the secret abilities of Ben which becomes revealed to him while tapping into the nightmares of Ben, while he sleeps. Lodz ability to cope with his handicap is a testiment and homage to all those who overcome being blind & this is done so, whether or not Lodz is a villian in a show where there seems to be no clear cut good guys or bad guys.

If you are a fan of the show, then buying the complete series box set is a great idea, since the DVD extras can help in closing out parts of the story & if you haven't seen the show, then pick it up. This show is spell binding with several ingenious performances that won't be remembered a few years from now due to the reasons behind the shows cancellation which I think is important to elabborate on very shortly, in this review.

All fans of this show feel scorned by HBO over the abrupt end of the series & what makes the news all the more reprehensible is they have showed little or no intention to make one more episode that could close out the story for the fans or even an episode guide or synopsys of any kind.

The 2nd season finale turned out to be the series finale to the shock of fans all over the world & complete torture to viewers of the show since several doors were left wide open & no clear sign of conclusion. Never the less, it is important for fans to know the reasons behind the bursque cancellation.

First off, quite abit of the story was stolen from comic book & graphic novel, especially the Garth Ennis series, Preacher. (It just so happens that HBO is now developing a one hour series based on 'Preacher')
Also, there is a pending lawsuit against Daniel Krauf & HBO, accusing Daniel of plagiarizing the pilot episode & though the story hasn't been confirmed several of the actors & actresses were considering leaving the show due to the accusations made against the creators.

The best example of the claims made against the show comes from the 4th episode of season 2 that's titled 'Old Cherry Blossom Road.' In this episode, Ben Hawkins meets his villainous grandmother & intrinsic cousins when he triggered a noose (Yes, noose not moose or goose.) trap which was set up by his cousins. Tied up, he is dragged by his to their grandmothers home.

The scene just discribed was all but completely plaguarized from the Garth Ennis comic series 'Preacher' Book 2 Episode 1 titled,'All In The Family.' & the fact that Daniel Knauf started as & continues to write scripts in the comic industry, gives the accusations all the more credibility. Not, too mention the fact that very few actors & studios are interested in working with him do to these accusations. Never the less, I feel there was still enough new material to definitively call the story his own.
I truly wish HBO would have given the series a two hour finale to answer all the questions raised in the 24th episode or Daniel Knauf should move on with the series through comics & graphic novels.

Never the less, I will remain a fan of the show for years to come & everytime I watch an episode on DVD I discover something new which makes the show all the more deep & involving. So hopefully, there will be a day when either HBO or Knauf can bring some closure to this series, but I doubt it.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age