Amazon is preparing to put away the proverbial big top of Carnival Row, canceling the fantasy series as its long-delayed second season prepares to premiere.
The cancelation of Carnival Row, as reported via THR, is, contextually, a surprising act from Amazon, which once touted the series as a central showcase streaming attraction for its Prime Video platform. The show debuted all eight episodes of its inaugural season back on Aug. 30, 2019, showcasing star power with Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Cara Delevingne (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Suicide Squad) for a romantic fantasy epic in which the world of fairies and humans have a tumultuous coexistence. The move will retroactively render the show's upcoming second season into a series finale. Thus, a project once heralded as Amazon's centerpiece will meet a rather abrupt conclusion.
Why Was Carnival Row Canceled?
While no specific reason was revealed for the cancelation, the series reportedly underwent a dramatic overhaul during its pandemic-era delay, with Erik Oleson (Daredevil, The Man in the High Castle) taking over as showrunner. He replaced the duo of Marc Guggenheim and Travis Beacham, both of whom originally conceived the series as a feature before adapting it for television. It is also worth noting that Amazon spent a budget believed to be around $1 billion to make its J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. While it has been a success, the endeavor proved difficult and costly.
The series, which bears a thinly veiled allegory for the harsh treatment of immigrants, uses a quasi-Victorian backdrop to tell the love story between the human police inspector Rycroft "Philo" Philostrate (Bloom) and his former fae (fairy) lover Vignette Stonemoss (Delevingne). When the estranged couple reunite in Philo's patch, the fictional, smog-strewn early-post-industrial city of the Burgue, circumstances and politics put their already strained relationship through trying, potentially deadly circumstances.
As far as reception went, Carnival Row experienced a familiar dichotomy in which fans like the show much more than critics. The fantasy series currently holds a 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics, which contrasts with the 87% average audience score. However, with the speed at which new and exciting content arrives, the show also faces the danger of being forgotten after a hiatus that will ultimately last nearly four years.
Carnival Row Season 2's Episode Rollout
Interestingly enough, amid the cancelation news, Amazon has announced a new release strategy for Carnival Row Season 2, eschewing its former binge rollout to release a weekly duo of episodes in early 2023. Consequently, Episodes 1 and 2 will arrive on February 17, followed by Episodes 3 and 4 on February 24, Episodes 5 and 6 on March 3, Episodes 7 and 8 on March 10 and concluding with Episodes 9 and 10 on March 17.
Carnival Row will premiere its second (and apparently final) season on Prime Video on Feb. 17, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter