Prime Video's 2-Part Steampunk Fantasy Series From Pacific Rim Creator Is A Must-Watch

Few Prime Video fantasy offerings are as impressive as this steampunk series. With HBO and Netflix leading in the fantasy genre, some of the Amazon streamer’s titles are often overlooked, despite Prime Video boasting a great selection of fantasy series that deserve far more attention from genre fans.

Usually, TV shows like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, and The Legend of Vox Machina are cited as the best the streamer has to offer, but buried deep within Prime Video’s extensive library is a dark fantasy with a distinct tone. Created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham, the latter of whom co-created Pacific Rim, Carnival Row's melding of fantasy, crime, and steampunk sets it apart from what we’ve come to expect from Prime Video’s fantasy series.

With Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne leading the cast as detective Rycroft Philostrate and faerie Vignette Stonemoss, respectively, Carnival Row has a central mystery that makes its eight-episode first season an easy binge. While Carnival Row never became the massive fantasy hit that its ambitious premise seemed to promise, it is still a must-watch series.

Carnival Row Is One Of Prime Video's Most Underrated Shows

Calling Carnival Row underrated doesn't mean calling it perfect. The series has several shortcomings that can’t simply be overlooked. Several critics agree that its storylines try to do too much at once, and the show's pacing could have used some work. With an abysmal critics’ score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, the series certainly doesn’t inspire confidence, particularly when compared to other Prime Video heavyweights like The Legend of Vox Machina. Nevertheless, Carnival Row does have some strengths and themes that should have been enough to push it past its two seasons.

The show’s central mystery involves gruesome murders, while the larger story focuses on humans and mythical refugees struggling to coexist. This gives the fantasy elements a much bigger purpose, as it allows the series to explore class and racial division, inequality, and discrimination. The combination of different genres makes it a unique series to dive into, and its steampunk setting gives the show a distinct visual style.

However, the cast is the show’s crowning glory. Bloom shines as the tortured Rycroft, while Delevingne’s Vignette’s spark lit up a story that could at times be too dark.

Carnival Row's Genre Blend Makes It Stand Out Among Fantasy Series

Carnival Row refuses to stay within the boundaries of traditional fantasy. The series seamlessly blends several genres to create a cohesive story that fits perfectly in its dark setting, resulting in a show that occupies an unusual space between fantasy, crime drama, period piece, and gothic romance. Rather than using one genre to define the show, Carnival Row uses several of its multiple storylines to make its fantasy world feel more mature and unpredictable.

Carnival Row has many of the characteristics of a noir detective story. Rycroft Philostrate is a troubled inspector investigating a series of brutal murders, giving the show a crime-thriller framework. The difference is that the crime isn’t ordinary but involves magic and supernatural creatures. This detective story structure gives the Prime Video show an upper hand in the fantasy genre.

The show's setting is another major part of its identity. Carnival Row takes inspiration from Victorian-era Europe, complete with industrial cities, class divisions, gas-lit streets, and rigid social hierarchies. That combination makes the setting feel distinctive. Fae refugees and other fantastical beings are treated as outsiders in a society dominated by humans, turning the fantasy world into something resembling a dark alternate-history version of the Victorian period.

Through its diverse characters, Carnival Row possesses the kind of weight that is often missing from other genre series. The Prime Video show is obviously dark, but it does include romance through Rycroft and Vignette’s relationship. But like many of the show’s storylines, the series’ main romance isn’t without its struggles. Their relationship is complicated by social divisions, political circumstances, and the dangerous world surrounding them.