'Carnival Row' offers a unique take on racism and the immigration crisis through the experiences of the fae
“Different is dangerous”. This is a running theme on Amazon’s upcoming show ‘Carnival Row’, and by "different', they do not mean different religion, skin color or culture, they mean different species: Human and fae.
‘Carnival Row’ has been successful in knitting together a story of love, betrayal, war, sacrifice, loss, hate, and acceptance through the eyes of the fae.
The thread that holds them all together is the pitiful story of immigrants, something we are all too familiar with in the real world.
In ‘Carnival Row,’ we see the hate, fear, and rejection through the experiences of the fae, or as they are insultingly called, the Critch.
Critch is the umbrella term that hateful humans use to club all the supernatural creatures in their world. They include the beautiful fairies, big and hairy trows, half man and half goat pucks, half man and half horse centaurs, mischievous little kobolds, oddly hairless werewolves, and the extremely powerful and mystical haruspexes.
The homelands of most these creatures are destroyed due to senseless wars, and they cross rough and dangerous seas, trusting their lives in the hands of sailors who smuggle them with the hopes of starting over. Sound familiar? They are unwelcome in their supposed new home and are told time and again how they are not deserving of love.
Throughout the series, we see instances of events that are reminiscent of the news we see every day.
From the overall immigration crisis to the day to day racism, ‘Carnival Row’ has managed to offer an objective and realistic take on the current events.
For example, we see instances of deportation, separation of parents from children, wrongful imprisonment, established professionals being forced to take on menial jobs for sustenance and so on.
A perfect example of this would be Karla Crome's Tourmaline Larou, who was a renowned love poet in her homeland but is forced to become a lady of the night in a house of ill repute.
On the other side of the spectrum is Agreus Astrayon, portrayed by David Gyasi, a mysterious and wealthy puck who moves into a human street in the Burgue, boldly defying social order. Needless to say, more than a few eyebrows are raised.
Meanwhile, the titular Carnival Row is reminiscent of a ghetto where immigrants flock to create their new homes. This is the place where corrupt cops come to take advantage of their position and fleece the fae of what little they have, the place where the rich and reputed only come to enjoy the company of a supernatural creature they would despise in the light of the day.
During the course of the series, we also see the part that politics plays in fueling this hatred between man and fae. It is to this magical world of injustice that ‘Carnival Row’ takes us.
Don’t forget to take the journey come Friday, August 30, via Amazon Prime.
