Summary
Imbalanced plot lines hurt Carnival Row Season 1, Episode 2, as the story fails to interlink the characters, feeling like entirely separate shows.
We recap the Prime Video Series Carnival Row Season 1 Episode 2, “Aisling,” which contains spoilers.
At an early stage, Carnival Row is intriguing, but the Amazon Prime Video Series is struggling to piece the characters together. There are such gulfs in their plotlines that I’m eager to understand how they will conjoin to allow the overall story to prosper. Episode 2, “Aisling” is not a disastrous chapter by any means, but I was left needing more.
Carnival Row Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
Straggling for more truths, Philo (Orlando Bloom) investigates the murder of a mysterious fae named Aisling. The audience understands the fate of the fae in question, as the last episode saw the monster rip her to shreds. For Philo though, he believes he is on to another case. The fae’s friend doesn’t understand why anyone would want to harm her, and the coroner’s report suggests that the killer took the liver.
Episode 2 then reverts its attention to the wealthy socialite Imogen (Tamzin Merchant), who cares more about money and reputation than sense it seems. At the start of “Aisling”, she tries to have Agreus (David Gyasi) removed from the neighbourhood, but fails. Imogen tries to ignore Agreus, but there’s an enticing aspect to him that she cannot remove. In one particular scene, she is forced to share an umbrella with Agreus, which sparks a fiery, unfriendly conversation.Vignette’s (Cara Delevingne) place in The Burgue becomes worse in Episode 2. Ezra Spurnrose tries raping her, but she manages to fight him off and flee. Now she is no longer part of the Spurnrose residence; Tourmaline introduces Vignette to a new group of faeries, who are flagrantly rebellious in The Burgue. Vignette claims it is “time for a fresh start”, but a part of me wonders if she is spiralling rather than finding answers for herself. The group of faeries ask her to steal a flag and return it.
Carnival Row Season 1 Episode 2 Ending Explained
Overhearing the pending arrest of Vignette after Ezra set her up, Philo pays off Ezra and in return, they drop the charges against Vignette. Carnival Row Season 1 Episode 2 ends with Vignette managing to steal the flag and flee — before she flies off, she bumps into Philo who questions her behaviour. Vignette asks Philo whether or not the community know the truth about him, before re-grabbing the flag and shooting off to the distance. The tension between them was apparent.
Additional Plot Points
- Portia asks Philo if anyone has ever loved him. His past shackles him.
- Philo meets a friend behind bars and said, “it could have easily been me behind bars instead of you”. What is troubling about Philo’s past?
- Philo learns from a critch that darkness killed the fae Aisling.
- Jonah has disappeared, and Absalom Breakspear wants to wait for a ransom and then hang who is responsible. A critch claims Ritter Longerbane has their son, but it was a phoney prediction, as Piety Breakspear, Absalom’s wife, is lying about the scenario. She has Jonah.
- Ezra explains to Imogen about the lack of money they have.
- Imogen eventually cools down and writes to Agreus with a friendly welcome — they arrange tea together.
What did you think of Carnival Row Season Episode 2? Comment below.
