Recap: Carnival Row Season 1 Ep. 2 “Aisling” – Murder, Betrayal, and Mysteries Run Rampant on the Row
Series Launched Aug. 30, 2019. All Episodes Available on Amazon Prime Video
Reviewer Rating:
Carnival Row “AISLING”
A gruesome murder of a once famous Fae singer named Aisling Querelle (Erika Stárková) leads Philo (Orlando Bloom) deeper in to a sordid mystery.
In episode two of Carnival Row, “Aisling” (pronounced Ash-ling), Philo launches an investigation into the heinous crime that left Aisling gutted with her entrails out. Philo thought that the crimes against Fae were over but it looks like it’s just beginning. Who wants the Faeries dead?
Back in the series premiere, “Some Dark God Wakes,” Philo thought with Jack (Matthew Gravelle) dead, the attacks on Faeries were done. But Jack’s final cryptic message bodes ill for all on Carnival Row.
“You don’t know the evil they’ve been about, right under your nose. They’re not our God’s children. They come from a dark place and they haven’t come alone. They’ve brought something with them; something that will be the end of us…I know darkness; I’ve been to the twilight edge of the world and dredged up things from the sunless deep that would turn your blood cold. But nothing like the thing I saw in the dark beneath our very feet. You’re ill prepared for the hardship that lies ahead. There is more here than you can fathom. And while you go about your little life, so sure that this world still belongs to you, some dark God wakes.” – Jack
Before we continue with blood and guts, let’s take a stroll to Finistere Crossing where our prim and proper Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) is causing quite a fuss over her new neighbor. When the Spurnrose siblings heard the magnificent manor next door had been purchased, they were eager to meet whomever had taken residence in their posh neighborhood. Imogen may have been more keen than her brother Ezra (Andrew Gower), but as she pointed out to her new “lady’s maid” Vignette (Cara Delevingne), she’s “23 years old” and feeling like a spinster.
Needless to say, when Imogen meets Agreus Ashtrayon (David Gyasi), she’s not fawning (pun intended) over him like a silly school girl. She calls her family’s solicitor and tells him that it’s not just a person who lives next door. “Not someone, a Puck. All puffed up in silken finery. He carries a ridiculous walking stick and has a human man-servant.” Indeed. Agreus is, in fact, a Faun (half man/half goat). And the term “puck” is a horrible slur/slang term humans use for Fauns.
But when Agreus comes to Imogen’s aide, so to speak, providing an umbrella in the downpour, he lets her know exactly what he thinks. “I know what you’re about, girl. I can smell it on you. You know what it is, don’t you? Piss from a Trow bitch in heat…I know there isn’t a man that can resist, and I also know you needn’t have bothered.”
Well, looks like Imogen may need to get a new ‘fragrance’ because apparently “Tamphas Oil” isn’t working on Agreus. If you recall, in episode one, Vignette discovers the unique oil in Imogen’s bathroom. She pours some out to ensure Imogen will send her on an errand to Carnival Row to procure more.
There is more to Agreus that meets the eye but Imogen is also one to watch. She may be about the “latest fashions” and “gossip,” as Ezra mentions; however, when push comes to shove, I think Imogen is more than capable of the latter.
Check out our interview with David Gyasi, Tamzin Merchant and Andrew Gower
At the Breakspear’s home, after learning their adult son Jonah (Arty Froushan) has been abducted, Chancellor Absalom Breakspear (Jared Harris) questions the Faun groomsman named Quill (Scott Reid) that was with his son. A heated argument ensues. “Obviously you didn’t think, otherwise you wouldn’t have been hiding across the street protecting your Critch hide from the rain instead of protecting my son.” Needless to say, Quill will need to find other employment post haste.
Now back to bloody murder, all puns intended. Philo enlists the help of a Faun (Will Johnson) who used to be a doctor back in his home country to perform an autopsy on Aisling Querelle. The exam reveals much more than anticipated, including a missing liver. And Aisling was also 90 years old according to her “wing veining” so it seems Faeries don’t really age much. Vampire-shampire; I want to be a winged Faerie!
Other key plot points of note:
- Philo visits his friend and old war buddy Darius (Ariyon Bakare) in prison. Philo talks about Aisling being a singer and her “haunting” voice.
- Vignette is forced to leave the Spurnrose house after an attempted sexual assault by Ezra. She goes to her friend Tourmaline (Carla Krome) to try and get a job at The Tetterby Hotel. Knowing Vignette isn’t cut out to work in a brothel, Tourmaline introduces Vignette to a group of Fae known as the “Black Raven.”
- Vignette threatens Philo in the Constabulary after she steals their flag. “Just think of all the things I can tell them…they don’t know, do they? They don’t know the truth about you.” Hmm, the plot thickens.
- More creatures make an appearance. The cute theatrically inclined Kobolds, and a centaur takes Philo to the Row. Did you see any other creatures? Let me know.
- A Fae “Mima” (Mina Andala) comes to “anoint” Aisling’s body. She also tells Philo that Aisling lit a candle at her shrine everyday for someone, and that she was taken by “great evil…unnatural…neither man nor fae.”
- While watching Carnival Row, take note of the side conversations that some are having. For example, three constables are discussing a case where Constable Berwick (Waj Ali) shares a story about helping a man who’s carriage overturned. While helping him, the man’s boot comes off revealing a “hoof.” “He’s a fucking half-blood…you get a year for that.” A year in jail for being a half-blood? The indignities creatures are subjected to are atrocious.
Absalom’s wife Piety (Indira Varma) enlists the help of a “Haruspex” Fae witch (Alice Krige, who is nearly unrecognizable) to help find answers to their son Jonah’s whereabouts and who may have taken him. The Haruspex requires a “sacrifice…the dearer to the House of Breakspear, the better.” That poor bear. If the Haruspex doesn’t frighten you, Piety’s duplicitous nature should. If she didn’t like the bear, she could have found another home for him.
As heels click and clack slowly on the wet stone ground, inching nearer to a naked Jonah with a hood over his head, the surprise is who’s wearing the shoes.
Watch Carnival Row on Amazon Prime Video. All episodes launched Friday, August 30, 2019.
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Photos: ©2019 Amazon Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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