Let me just start by saying that I love this show. It's by no means an, easy show to watch because there are some uncomfortable scenes that I really couldn't show you but....
Lets just move on. And I will try to keep this spoiler free. I will try. But I should get one thing out of the way, and that is that this show only lasted for two seasons. Out of the six that were supposed to air around, 2006. So, all I will say is that the ending is less than satisfactory. It works as a cliffhanger for the end of a season, but not the end of a series. I'm looking at you breaking bad.
So, the story starts in the early 1930's dust bowl. Ben Hawkins is an escaped convict trying to protect his failing farm. When that fails, he joins the circus but not everything is as it seems. We never see "management", a tarot card reader relies on her comatose, telepathic mother, and there's a certain pastor named Brother Justin who's out to get Ben.
Wow. That storyline never does get old. There's a lot of Christian symbolism that could be read into this, like how Ben is Good and therefore Heaven and Brother Justin is Evil and therefore Hell.
I just realized, there's something else I should explain. There's a bit of mythology in this show, that needs explaining. There are avatars, that look relatively human, but have the power to harm or to heal, depending on whether they are evil or good. But, there's a catch. Healing someone takes away a life/lives. There's alot of moral grey in the show in that respect. While Ben can make reset a broken arm or allow a child to walk again, he also kills, and honestly doesn't understand this at first.
He is well meaning, but for the better part of the first season, stumbles around like a lost little puppy trying to understand how everything works, especially since everyone in the circus is aware that he's made of something special.
Brother Justin on the other hand, is a religious figure and therefore seen as good, but can cause people to keel over dead with the snap of his fingers. Oh yeah, and his eyes turn black sometimes. There's also this subplot about whether there even is a management since we never really see him, but all is revealed in the end.
So what's tragic about the show? That it didn't continue because of budget cuts. Why does it always come down to money? Why Why Why?!! I feel like the whole mythology/tone of the show would have been way better if we knew more about it, since even the writers weren't entirely sure about how the show's direction would go for the first season. And by the time everything is set in order in the second season, the show's pretty much over. I could draw alot of parallels to Game of Thrones :D in regard to how non readers pretty much had no idea about what was going on for the better part of the first season, but that's another story for another post.
And of course, the costume design element of this blog. And the costumes are amazing. I mean, they're not like Downton Abbey where everything is pristine and beautiful and wonderful. No, folks, everything is dirty and dusty and ripped to shreds. I have a feeling that Nick Stahl only had two shirts for the entire show. And his character only changes clothes when absolutely necessary. Even the blind mystic Lodz, who is probably the most refined character in the show, has worn out shoes. I feel like the clothing has a story, a life of its own in this show. Which sounds weird, I know. But everything starts out new, wears out, gets thrown away, gets picked up by a new owner, and the cycle begins anew. But now I'm just getting weirdly philosophical now. Anyways...
As alot of you know, I am a major historical fiction addict, so the show certainly isn't for everyone. But, I want to hear what you think. Are you into HF? Maybe you think history's boring, and that's fine. We can talk about something else. Comments people, comments!
He is well meaning, but for the better part of the first season, stumbles around like a lost little puppy trying to understand how everything works, especially since everyone in the circus is aware that he's made of something special.
Brother Justin on the other hand, is a religious figure and therefore seen as good, but can cause people to keel over dead with the snap of his fingers. Oh yeah, and his eyes turn black sometimes. There's also this subplot about whether there even is a management since we never really see him, but all is revealed in the end.
So what's tragic about the show? That it didn't continue because of budget cuts. Why does it always come down to money? Why Why Why?!! I feel like the whole mythology/tone of the show would have been way better if we knew more about it, since even the writers weren't entirely sure about how the show's direction would go for the first season. And by the time everything is set in order in the second season, the show's pretty much over. I could draw alot of parallels to Game of Thrones :D in regard to how non readers pretty much had no idea about what was going on for the better part of the first season, but that's another story for another post.
And of course, the costume design element of this blog. And the costumes are amazing. I mean, they're not like Downton Abbey where everything is pristine and beautiful and wonderful. No, folks, everything is dirty and dusty and ripped to shreds. I have a feeling that Nick Stahl only had two shirts for the entire show. And his character only changes clothes when absolutely necessary. Even the blind mystic Lodz, who is probably the most refined character in the show, has worn out shoes. I feel like the clothing has a story, a life of its own in this show. Which sounds weird, I know. But everything starts out new, wears out, gets thrown away, gets picked up by a new owner, and the cycle begins anew. But now I'm just getting weirdly philosophical now. Anyways...
As alot of you know, I am a major historical fiction addict, so the show certainly isn't for everyone. But, I want to hear what you think. Are you into HF? Maybe you think history's boring, and that's fine. We can talk about something else. Comments people, comments!
Next week: The Borgias/The Tudors, and why they are so damn awesome.
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