Carnivàle is a frustrating and fascinating show. Frustrating in that, like The X-Files, the viewer doesnt know how the show will end, nor do they know what the point of it all is just yet, but they are compelled to keep watching. Each week we get a bigger piece of the puzzle, but alas, the puzzle just keeps getting bigger and more complex.

Playing out like a miniseries or serial, Carnivàle tells the story of a battle between good and evil that takes place here on Earth. Each generation a child of light (from Heaven) and a child of dark (from Hell) are born. They then seek out one another until they meet and are forced to duke it out to determine the fate of the universe. It is said that this has happened before and it will happen again. This battle, the focus of the show, is just one of those events. Taking place in 1934, during the dust bowl, we follow carnival worker Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl, Terminator 3) and California preacher, Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown, Shawshank Redemption) as they attempt to figure out what God, or Satan, are doing to their lives. We are to assume that one is good and one is evil, but honestly, we havent been told who is who just yet. Crowe receives messages from God to do things for his community, but is it really God? Hawkins discovers that he has the ability to heal people miraculously, but everything around him dies when he performs this unusual feat. Both characters are painted with both light and dark colors, blurring the lines between good and evil. Hawkins is rude and mean while Crowe secretly whips himself before bed. Both seem to be confused about what it is that they are supposed to do, making the show all the more interesting and again, all the more frustrating for the viewer.

The show is defiantly spiritually rooted, but its unclear what the director and writers are trying to convey just yet. The only clear element of the show is that the dust bowl was created by God as a wrath upon his children. The dust bowl affects every element of the show, even the strangest moment is impacted by its presence. The carnival itself is also intriguing. Run by The Management, a group of people who we never see, the carnival is a place for freaks and other strange folks with odd gifts and powers to unite. Some are clairvoyant, like Sofie (Clea Duvall, The Faculty); while others, like Hawkins, have abilities that no one knows about or understands. It seems that the carnival is some sort of gathering, maybe a gathering for evil or a gathering for good.            

The technical aspects of the show are just as dazzling as the story. The direction is outstanding. Each episode feels like movie. The budget on the show must be quite large given the shows grand sense of scale and visual imagery shown throughout. The landscapes look real and an actual carnival is erected each episode in a different town. The acting is also top notch, featuring several relatively known character actors including Adrienne Barbeau (Swamp Thing) and Michael J. Anderson (Mulholland Drive), who appear to be having a ball with the shows unique and weird tone. Carnivàle is defiantly a show to follow, its X-Files style alone should be enough for it to gain a few notable awards and a slew of fans hungry for more mysterious happenings.