THE SHOW
For those unfamiliar with the Carnivàle story, here is a synopsis of plot: “…and to each generation is born a creature of light, and a creature of darkness,” thus begins Carnivàle. In Oklahoma, 1934, Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) loses his mother and his home. While burying his mom, a westward bound Carnival troupe rolls through town. He decides to join them in hopes of food, money and a career in showbiz. Little does “good” Hawkins know that waiting for him in California is the “evil” Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown). Much of the first season revolved around Hawkins and Crowe slowly discovering they have incredible powers; in this second season, the two powers slowly drift closer together for an inevitable showdown. In addition, both Hawkins and Brother Justin race to find the mysterious and elusive Henry Scudder. As with the first season, the action continues to alternate between the traveling carnival and the congregation in California.

As I sat here typing my review, nearly a year after the second season wrapped, and 18 months after the first season came to DVD, I remarked to my wife how much I miss the show already and how upset and angry I am that it will never return and be wrapped up. Fans already are aware and know that although writer/creator Dan Knauf had planned to tie things up somewhere between either three seasons, or six, HBO did not renew Carnivàle a second time, making the last episode in this set the last time we’ll ever see the troupe “shake some dust.” The premature cancellation stunned fans and left them bewildered and empty.

SOUND + VISION
As with season one, season two is presented in Widescreen 16:9 format. Available audio is English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and English, Spanish and French Dolby Digital 2.0 Sound. English, Spanish and French subtitles are also available.

PACKAGING/ LAYOUT
Due to the extremely high quality of the show’s presentation on DVD, less space is available per disc. For this reason, although only 12 episodes long, Carnivàle: The Complete Second Season is presented on six DVDs with the same style of packaging as the first season’s set, including nicely done episode menu screens, the ‘unfolding book’ packaging and thematic artwork. But still, six discs for a 12-hour season is a space hogger on the shelf.

There are two episodes per disc; the bonus features are found on Disc Six. Each episode runs about an hour long, and is split into six chapters. All episodes come complete with their own submenu that contains a brief synopsis of the episode, the always helpful “Previously On” and the post-episode “Next On.”

Carnivàle: The Complete Second Season runs 720 minutes.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Season one’s batch of extras was very poor; season two is a step up, but still not “A+” material. Included are three audio commentaries, a half-hour documentary, four short featurettes on “Creating the Scene” and the Museum of Television and Radio’s 2004 panel discussion with the cast and crew. Knowing this is the last we’ll ever see of Carnivàle, I was hoping for a bit more. Everything here (minus the commentaries) can be viewed in little over an hour. But still, it’s all good and very worthwhile… though it certainly left me wanting more. Especially since, in the commentaries, there is mention of all the episodes running long and material needing to be cut. Why no deleted scenes? Here is a closer look at what is included:

• Audio Commentaries – Episodes 6 (“The Road to Damascus”), 9 (“Lincoln Highway, UT”) and 12 (“New Canaan, CA”) all contain audio commentary. Series creator Daniel Knauf and executive producer Howard Klein participate in all commentaries, as does episode director (Tucker Gates, Rodrigo Garcia and Scott Winant, respectively) and cast members Clea Duvall (Sofie), Nick Stahl (Ben) and Clancy Brown (Brother Justin), one per commentary in this order. Each one is fairly interesting to listen to and certainly better than the last batch that were sans cast members. Not too much detailed info is given; it’s more so a good reflection on the episode and series in general and hearing the appreciation the participants had for the show. I will point out that Nick is, apparently, very funny and I found the commentary he participated in to be the best (it’s also one of my favorite episodes).
• Discussion with Cast and Creators Courtesy of The Museum of Television & Radio – In typical Museum of Television & Radio style, this is a candid 30-minute sit-down chat with the cast and creators of the show. Participants include Daniel Knauf, Howard Klein, and actors Adrienne Barbeau, Clancy Brown, Clea Duvall, Amy Madigan, Nick Stahl and Tim DeKay, and, for some reason, the president of HBO Entertainment (who later cancelled the series), Carolyn Strauss, sits in. This is a good look at the feelings of the creators and actors towards the show. The panel took place in March 2004, long before season two came out and long before the show got the axe. The only really, really, REALLY annoying part about this extra is that rather than showing the footage in full frame, they box everything in tarot card graphics that are constantly moving and shifting around the screen. There is no need for this and it becomes annoying, quickly. Still, it’s a good watch and, once again, pisses you off that the show got cancelled.
• Magic & Myth: The Making of Carnivàle – Knauf, Klein, writers, cast and more participate in this 27-minute documentary on the show. Highlighted by clips from the two seasons, this is the documentary fans have been waiting for. Though it regurgitates a lot of obvious facts and information, it does cover the whole show, from conception, to ideas and theories to the final product. It’s a great watch.
• Creating the Scene – Split into four different parts, this extra takes a look at the minor details that went into creating specific scenes. Knauf and others give the details, by showing the scene first and then using photographs, storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage and other tools to explain the creation of the scene. The different scenes are: three from Episode 13 (“Los Moscos” – Season 2 ep. 1) “Trinity” (runs 3:45), “Face Peel” (4:15) and “Justin’s Vision” and one from Episode 18 (“The Road to Damascus” – Season 2 ep. 6) “Carnivàle II” (4:40). This is actually pretty cool and neat to watch. I am wondering how they picked these scenes, though, and why only these four. Why not 10 or 15 or even 20 scenes? Also, you have to play each one-by-one, as there is no “Play All” option.

WHY, HBO… WHY?!
The story of Carnivàle moves faster in season two, building upon characters and storyline, and adding suspense. The show is remarkably well done and highly captivating. I strongly encourage anyone who likes dark and ‘odd’ drama to invest in the series; it won’t take up too much of your time. The special features are a bit more enticing in this set than the previous set, but knowing there will be no more Carnivàle, many fans will be left with a hunger for more that will never be quite satisfied. In addition, following in HBO tradition, the retail price of the set is $100, but amazon.com has it up now for $63.87. As always, I would recommend trying to catch an episode on TV before purchasing, as the investment is probably better for the larger fans. I believe this show to be a true masterpiece in many ways and it is a damn shame HBO did not let it continue. Why, HBO… Why?!

DVD Collection Show Score: A
DVD Collection Sound + Vision Score: A
DVD Collection Packaging Score: B
DVD Collection Special Features: B
DVD Collection Overall Score: A-