# Carnival Row (2019)

> A detective framed as the prime suspect in a series of fairy murders must find the real killer in a dark city where humans and magical creatures are divided by prejudice.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/76330

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 56 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, fantasy, science fiction
- Created by: Travis Beacham, René Echevarria
- Network: Prime Video
- Cast: Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne, Simon McBurney, Tamzin Merchant, David Gyasi, Andrew Gower, Karla Crome, Arty Froushan
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489974/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: melancholic, brooding, tense, rain-soaked

## What critics say

Critics broadly praise Carnival Row's atmospheric fantasy-noir world, production design and social commentary on prejudice, while finding its plotting uneven and overstuffed.

## Synopsis

Carnival Row (2019-2023) is an American fantasy noir series created by Travis Beacham and René Echevarria for Prime Video. Set in a gaslit, steam-powered city where humans share uneasy streets with fairies, satyrs and other mythical creatures, the story follows Rycroft 'Philo' Philostrate (Orlando Bloom), a police detective who is drawn into a series of gruesome murders targeting the fairy population. When he becomes the prime suspect himself, he must find the real killer to clear his name, navigating a city where prejudice, political unrest and social injustice shape every alley and tenement. Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne), a fairy with a hidden past, is a central figure in the unfolding conflict, and Runyan Millworthy (Simon McBurney) and Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi) add further layers of intrigue. Across two seasons and eighteen episodes, the show moves as a continuing mystery with a serialized structure, blending murder investigation with a broader indictment of bigotry. Its atmosphere is rain-soaked and melancholic, with moody neo noir imagery and a sense of civic dread. Fans of Blade Runner, Grimm and Shadowhunters will find resonance in its blend of crime, fantasy and social commentary.

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- [Vienna Blood (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79495)
- [Powers (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/38848)
- [Grimm (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36158)
- [Lord of the Mysteries (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/149840)
- [Beauty and the Beast (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/40529)
- [Neverwhere (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/12519)
- [The Irregulars (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/82572)

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