Wow. Let's summarize.
Doofy-Dust-Bowl-Boy can heal the sick by laying on hands. That means he is The One. (Every story has to have The One. I missed the memo announcing that as a required element of all fiction, which may explain my book royalties. The One is the new MacGuffin.) We know this because Psychic-Psychotic-Momma-In-A-Coma wakes up to tell him so, then immediately goes all vegetable again.
Trollops come in various ages, sizes, and marital statuses. Size Extra-Large, aging and married, favors wet t-shirts and a Lame Carnie in her bed. Size Large, daughter of Extra-Large, is lynched and currently experiencing a life with ghosts in the bush. Size small, also daughter of Extra-Large, switched to the other team and opted for a roll with an odd but intriguing looking Tarot card reader, who happens to be the daughter and conduit of Psychic-Coma-Momma. Odd-But-Intriguing-Looking-Daughter switched to the other team only to get even with the above mentioned Lame Carnie who was dallying with Extra-Large, Size-Small's mama, which wouldn't have happened to begin with if Extra-Large's hubby hadn't offered her (Extra-Large) to Lame Carnie so he wouldn't have to make the effort his own self.
Psychic-Coma-Momma is slowly going crazy because she claims to have been raped by a guy with a tree tattooed on his back and because, though she is in a coma, she can make numerous faces that uniformly emote constipation. Also, Psychic-Coma-Momma wanted Odd-But-Intriguing-Looking-Daughter to hook up with Doofy-Dust-Bowl-Boy-Who-Is-The-One, but Doofy-Dust-Bowl-Boy wants the middle-aged snake charmer — who, solely for descriptive purposes, I will refer to as Adrienne Barbeau — when he is not having his own nightmare visions of Tree-Tattoo-Guy or possibly Demon-Minister, who snaps necks with a mere thought and kisses his twisted, spinster sister who, in turn, serves as a cautionary example of what happens to your face when you go through life with pursed lips.
Demon-Minister himself has identical and synchronized nightmare visions about Doofy-Dust-Bowl-Boy. Then of course there are the nightmare visions of a guy who is something of a Jon Voight lookalike. Jon-Voight-Lookalike has some indeterminate and dangerous history with Blind-Guy-With-A-Predilection-For-Female-Facial-Hair. Blind-Guy-Et-Cetera speaks to — could it be? — Satan who lives behind a curtain in a trailer — I'm sorry, a prefab home — and wants to make of Doofy-Dust-Bowl-Boy his padawan in spite of, or maybe because of, the fact the Doofy-Dust-Bowl-Boy may be Jon-Voight-Lookalike's son.
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Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I'm of a bunch of minds about Carnivale. While I like the grimness, unlike Six Feet Under, there are no laughs. And the magic schtick is, I expect, going to be used as a cheat to get the writers out of the corner they will paint themselves into.
Also, you'd think if'n you had to bury momma, a bulldozer would be powerful useful to achieve that end. But since Dirtboy can't even be bothered to get a new shirt, I guess practicality isn't among his virtues.
Carnivale is interesting, but with all the mystic mumbo-jumbo and making up the rules as they go along, I think it doesn't give its audience very much in return.
And would it be too much to ask to see Adrianne Barbeau's hooters?
2 - HW Saxton Jr.
David,
If you find this show intriguing,then
you should search out the 1947 movie
"Nightmare Alley".It stars Tyrone Power
as a phony Psychic/Prophet traveling
with a seedy carnival who ascends to
fame and fortune via deception and his
ultimate decline into alcoholism and
circus geekdom.Having only seen one Ep.
of "Dark Carnivale" it was clear to me
that a small part of inspiration for this show was drawn from "N.A.".Enjoy!
3 - Jim Carruthers
"Nightmare Alley", that's what I was looking for! I've never seen the movie, but it is based on the novel, which I'd read years ago, and is even darker and more disturbing than Carnivale.
The novel is a noir classic. I was thinking of it, but couldn't recall the title while watching Carnivale.
4 - HW Saxton Jr.
Jim you're right,Nightmare Alley is a
classic piece of Roman Noir.I was going
to mention the book but just could not
remember the author.Still can't.The film
version of "N.A" is one of the few cases
of a great book making the transition to
great movie.As a point of interest the
movie was produced by Mr.Georgie Jessel!
The only production of his that I know
of.You should be able to find the film
online rather easily.I found mine years
ago.It's probably on DVD by now.
5 - David Mazzotta
Jim - yes, that's the key, not using the fact that it's a supernatural based show to get you out of making good drama. I can't think of many fantasy/scifi shows that have done this other than for an episode or two at a time, nevermind a whole season or series. If they can pull it off it will be a remarkable acheivement.
More on Nightmare Alley: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/NightmareAlley-10001187/reviews.php
6 - Bill Sherman
Nightmare Alley has also been adapted as a good graphic novel by former undergrounder Spain. A Blogcritics review can be found here.
7 - Bill Sherman
The link didn't stick. That Nightmare Alley is at http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/02/09/175145.php.