Episode 1 of Carnival Row unfolds with an evocative prologue, painting a desolate picture of the Fae's once-majestic homeland, now scarred by the relentless wars of human nations. This calamitous backdrop propels the Fae into the clutches of an oppressive regime known as The Pact, a realm they yearn to flee from with every fiber of their being.
As the narrative shifts to the present, a harrowing scene unfolds where a beleaguered band of faeries frantically attempts to evade their human pursuers, bullets raining down mercilessly upon them. Amidst the chaos, Vignette narrowly escapes, plummeting off a cliff's edge only to grasp onto a lifeline—a ship. Yet, her fleeting moment of triumph is cruelly snatched away as the vessel succumbs to the depths, seemingly taking Vignette along with it into the abyss.
The tale then shifts focus to Inspector Rycroft, who strides into the charming yet rustic cityscape of The Burgue, burdened with the quest to uncover the perpetrators behind the string of enigmatic Fae deaths that have plagued the metropolis. His investigation leads him to a bruised and battered victim, her face a testament to her ordeal, who whispers of a uniformed assailant, the specifics of which remain elusive.
Meanwhile, the political landscape of The Burgue's Parliamentary Republic simmers with tension as two factions jostle for supremacy. Above the fray stands Absalom, a figure steeped in frustration at the intransigence displayed by his fellow politicians, the aftermath of a fiery debate still lingering in the air.
News of a shipwreck carrying migrant faeries ripples through The Burgue, igniting a spark of recognition in Inspector Rycroft's mind, as he realizes the potential connection to the recent Fae fatalities. Amidst the wreckage, a miraculous discovery is made—Vignette, miraculously alive, now confined within the walls of the police station.
Her captors, seeking to exploit her situation, dress Vignette in the guise of a maid and force her into the service of a wealthy family, comprising of siblings Ezra and Imogen. With her wings bound and spirit suppressed, Vignette is conscripted into a life of servitude, tasked with venturing into the vibrant streets of The Row to procure a vial of perfume for Imogen.
On her journey, Vignette's path intertwines with that of her blue-haired faerie friend, Tourmaline, who delivers a glimmer of hope—news that Philo, aka Inspector Rycroft, remains very much alive. This revelation serves as a beacon of light in Vignette's otherwise bleak existence, igniting a spark of determination within her to reclaim her freedom and unravel the mysteries that have ensnared her in this foreign land.
Recognizing the attire as a sailor's uniform, not military garb, Rycroft hastens towards the fisherman's tavern, his mind ablaze with the quest for answers. The victim's blows, inflicted upon the right side of the cranium, lead our intrepid Inspector to deduce that the perpetrator must be a southpaw. In the horizon's haze, he espies a foul-tongued, left-handed fisherman and, feigning inebriation, stumbles towards him with a theatrical sway. Collapsing onto his back with a mock apology, Rycroft slyly lifts his sleeve, revealing a Basilisk tattoo—the very emblem he was forewarned to be on the lookout for.
This revelation sparks a frantic footrace as the marked man scrambles for escape. Rycroft pursues him relentlessly, their chase spilling out of the tavern and onto a labyrinth of rooftops. There, the Inspector halts the fugitive's flight with a pistol leveled at his heart. As the Basilisk-branded man gazes at Rycroft with eyes wide with fear, he utters a cryptic warning of a dark deity's awakening before leaping to his doom.
Vignette, pushed to the brink, severs the Widow's braid that bound her to her forced labor, and flees the confines of her house. With a knife clutched in her fist, she swoops upon Rycroft in the dead of night, her voice laced with fury as she demands an explanation for his deceit. Amidst their hostile exchange, she curses him with a wish for his demise before disappearing into the shadows, where a far more ominous presence lurks, snatching a Fae and consuming her whole.
As a maiden voyage, Carnival Row navigates its opening episode with a steady hand, though the intricate world-building often steals the spotlight from the narrative's main thrust. This is not inherently detrimental, yet it hints at potential challenges ahead in maintaining a seamless balance. Nevertheless, the episode teems with redeeming qualities, and its cliffhanger finale teases a myriad of possibilities for the series' future trajectory. For now, Carnival Row embarks on a promising journey, even if its themes at times seem a bit overstated.
