The second season of HBO's Depression-era gothic--John Steinbeck by way of Tod Browning--picks up where the first left off. Professor Lodz (Patrick Bauchau) is dead. Ben (Nick Stahl), the show's protagonist, appears to be the culprit. Samson (Michael J. Anderson) helps him dispose of the body. Later he tells the other carnival workers that Lodz "took a powder." Lila (Debra Christofferson) doesn't buy it. Meanwhile, Sophie (Clea DuVall), who lost her mother to fire the previous year, feels unmoored without her guidance. A few states away, Brother Justin (Clancy Brown) harbors ever greater delusions of grandeur--and inappropriate thoughts about his sister, Iris (Amy Madigan). In "Alamagordo, NM," he decides to establish a temple, which he dubs Jonestown, er, Jericho. At the same time, life amongst the carnies, who are heading towards Justin's California, is becoming increasingly tense. Ruthie (Adrienne Barbeau), for instance, is starting to see dead people--like Lodz--and Stumpy (Toby Huss) is no longer able to keep his gambling in check. As with the first season, the action continues to alternate between the carnival and the congregation. What binds the two is a man named Scudder (John Savage), who has connections to Ben and Justin. Although writer/creator Dan Knauf had planned to tie things up between seasons three and six, HBO did not renew Carniv??le a second time. Nonetheless, a surprising number of questions are answered, like the identity of "Management" (voiced by an un-credited Linda Hunt) and whether Ben and Justin will have a final showdown. The answer to the latter question is: Yes, they will--and there???ll be casualties. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

This show WAS without a doubt the best on TV, yet it was so under-rated.
Both series are well woth investing in, if you are a fan of great TV or just the Mysterious, Sci-fi Genre.

This series is highly original and very addictive. If you find the first series a bit slow hang on in there because the second is full of intense action/drama.The only let down is that the second series ends on a cliff hanger and HBO has announced that it will not be making a third although the storyline was intended to be told over six.

After finding that rare series that completely sucks you in I was very disappointed with the rushed ending given to this series.
You see its big problem is one, for two whole season the story drives toward one conclusion, the force of light,your hero, and evil, his nemesis, will meet at the end for an apocalypctic showdown. Being in this business it is quite obvious what the excecutives have done here.
This series was never meant to run for more than two seasons, it was supposed to end there and then. Instead they had second thoughts. First their grease palms very excited by the series success they decided, sod with what the series has lead its audience for two series let's just change it all on its last episode, so instead of the series ending with the demise of the force of darkness we are told the priest has suddenly got a daughter, who happend to be the romantic bit of the film during the whole series, she conveniently inherit his increadible power and leaves on. Then they decided "what the heck" and just hacked the series there, without therefore giving it a proper ending. A criminal sin. I just wish they gave its original planned ending on the DVD extras but that would be too much too ask, I think the disregard for the viewers here is startling and even though I loved it's individual episodes I have mixed feelings about recommending it.

If you have seen series one then series two is a must. The plot is a lot darker, the characters are more in-depth and we learn just who is who. Be prepared for extraordinary pivots in script as it stretches the boundaries to explore both light and dark, often pulling no punches. NOT for children!
Undoubtedly one of the most interesting series to come out of the USA. Highly recommended.
Quality of film is atmospherically darkly reminiscent of the dustbowl thirties, good quality ( I viewed it through my PC on an XGA projector with a pin-sharp picture)
10 out of 10

Outstanding cast, exceptional script and superb filming are the perfect recipe that I just hunger for...and I got it, again, with season two.

This "Dust Bowl" almost road movie (literally) drives us through one of the most unknown epoch of US history, along with a group of "Carnies", so famous and appreciated back then; They were, besides the rare theatres and cinemas, the only entertainment for inner population. These "Carnies" are indeed a special, odd and mysterious group.

All of us, one time or another, have heard about the 1930's crash, and the terrible effects it had on US population, but mainly centred in one or few characters living in a big city. This show takes you deep inside the US, across some inland south/central states, as Texas, and gives us an outstanding image of what "Dust Bowl" really meant. All together, with an intelligent some how new vision and not so obvious story line about the eternal fight between Good and Evil. Intelligent viewers are needed to catch the religious, social/professional and also magic liaisons of all characters involved.

Some viewers could be tempted to compare this show with David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" (there's even two actors from TP), however we eventually find this show to be not as a surreal exercise that flows around the creators twisted mind (even though I loved it, when first shown), but as a studied pre-conceived and for long imagined story line.

This second season gives us a moments ending, but Good and Evil's fight is supposed to be eternal, also the "Omega" created a new window of continuance, so there is space for a sequel. As for me, I would love to further watch it.

Granted satisfaction.