Carnival Row – Kindred

By starrymag | March 16, 2023

By: Dawn Inchaurregui-Miller

 

 

The celebration for the anniversary of the New Dawn revolution is in full swing, with humans and fae dancing and drinking, with Imogen (Tamzin Merchant) and Agreus (David Gyasi) seemingly enjoying the festivities. When Kastor (George Georgiou) joins them they share a toast and Imogen begins to dance with him as Agreus takes a seat next to her bruised and miserable brother, Ezra (Andrew Gower). Agreus asks Ezra to join him outside and they make their way through the crowd. Imogen feigns a dizzy spell as an excuse to make her way outside to join them both and they begin putting their escape plan into action.

Outside they meet with Ivor (Daniel Zappi) who is frustrated that they now need passage for Ezra as well as themselves. As they bicker the details amongst themselves, a siren blares and they look up to see The Pact drawing near in sky boats from all sides.

Bombs begin falling as the New Dawn militia take guns from stockpiles located all around the island for just such an emergency.

Philo (Orlando Bloom) is being taken from the prison in a carriage with Sergeant Dombey (Jamie Harris) and Constable Berwick (Waj Ali) discuss the details of the sparas murders, alongside the missing fae convicts running loose in the Burgue. “Takes a critch to catch a critch” is thrown out by Philo, but when Berwick states that he is the best investigator that they ever had, Dombey does not disagree.

They stop the carriage to the sounds of protesting in the street. Men carrying wicker dolls attached to sticks that have been set aflame, screaming for the Row to be burnt to the ground. The police attempt to calm the crowd without much success. Dombey returns to the carriage pointing out this is why he needs to help solve the case before the Row and its occupants are also set on fire. Dombey is thankful for Philo having stopped the Black Raven from murdering him in front of his family and extends trust, in return for trust.

Darius is looking at rotten vegetables on sale at a stand when he sees Philo storming past and jogs to catch up to him. Philo explains that he was let out of Bleakness prison as he was tasked to find the killer, whom he now knows was a sparas. Darius assumes that it’s due to the destruction they caused in Tirnanoc when they burnt down their only remaining habitat. Philo is cold and distant, explaining he now sees things more clearly. When he asks if she is ok, Darius tells Philo to come inside and see Vignette who is taking refuge with them in the Haruspex house, safe as she can possibly be on the Row. Philo decides it’s best to stay away from Vignette but asks Darius to tell her she was right and he picked the wrong side.

He goes back to his house on the Row and tosses aside the books that he gave to Vignette in Tirnanoc. He talkes only the money he had hidden.

Vignette (Cara Delevingne) and Tourmaline (Karla Crome) go to Boz Ghaidos’ (Stewart Scudamore) factory and ask him for passage out of the Row, while a crowd behind him bets on a bare knuckle fight. He blames her for a huge loss of money since the trouble the Black Raven have caused. He takes them to his office but Vignette senses his intentions to hand her over for the reward, realising she is no longer protected by the Black Ravens. They fight and she puts a knife to him and forces him to walk them out safely. As they run outside, they see the fae laughing with excitement and sense a buzz in the air. They ask someone what’s happening and are told that Tirnanoc is free as The Pact have pulled out.

Philo goes to the bar and throws down a handful of money, where he drinks shot after shot of whatever is put in front of him. Later he stumbles out of the bar where he notices a group of fae watching him and he begins to walk down an alleyway. Knowing it means a fight, he lets the three of them follow behind him where they make an attempt to take his money. He repeatedly challenges them to come at him again, but the fight comes to an abrupt end when Darius intervenes in Marrock form.

He takes Philo back into his house and pushes his head under water to sober him up. Philo feels he’s wasted his life, that it’s only the fae that ever gets punished while the humans walk free. Darius then tells him Vignette is outside, hoping she can talk some sense into him. When Philo walks into his front room he finds her sat down looking at the book they had bonded over years before. They stay opposite sides of the room, with Philo saying she should stay clear of him. She tells him that Tirnanoc is free and she will be taking Tourmaline there to keep them both safe. When she leaves she asks him to take care of himself, but he looks away, promising nothing.

Philo meets with Dombey and Berwick at the gates of Carnival Row where he suggests that Milworthy may have seen the human face of the sparas after the attack at the prison. Philo wants to talk to him as he knows Milworthy trusts him and will be more inclined to open up.

Milworthy (Simon McBurney) with the rest of the parliamentary members, The Pact ambassadors and other people of importance, sit in a church of the Martyr, as a ceremony is underway for the Chancellor’s death. Winetrout (Brian Caspe) and Fletcher (Fraser James) talk quietly about The Pact pulling out of Tirnanoc, saying that they must have suffered immense losses to have made such a move. Milworthy looks back to Mikulas Vir (Andrew Buchan) who seems to be just as deep in thought, their eyes meet but no words are spoken. Milworthy, spots Philo in the balcony above and makes his way outside to speak with him. He is happy that Philo is alive and assumes he is there to ask him about the sparas, but instead he asks if he could arrange safe passage to Tirnanoc. Milworthy assumes he means Vignette, but he corrects him to say that he means all the fae now Tirnanoc is free.

Milworthy says that parliament is torn as to what to do with the fae now the chancellor has died but thinks mass deportation is worrying. Philo states that it will look as though the government is taking action, while simultaneously making sure that the Row isn’t burnt down with them still inside.

Philo speaks to Vignette in the old Haruspex house, while Tourmaline stays at the back letting them talk. He tells them that the government has agreed to take all the fae back, after all, they want them gone and the fae want to leave. He tells her he won’t be going, but it will be a safer way for the two of them to leave without having to sneak off the row. The filth on the Row is what has been making the pix unwell so he suggests that the sick and dying are put on the first ship. Tourmaline moves forward and hugs Philo, thanking him for what he has done for them. Vignette follows up with a quiet thank you of her own, before Philo turns and leaves the house.

With just the two of them left, Tourmaline encourages Vignette to go after him, pointing out that he just saved all of their lives.

The streets are full of happy fae, dancing with sparklers and laughing for the first time in years, celebrating their return to Tirnannoc. Darius and Tourmaline sit and watch everyone with a joint smile. Tourmaline is excited to go home and teases Darius for saying he will miss her. He himself doesn’t want to go to Tirnanoc as it is full of bad memories for him but is also afraid if he turns while on the boats, he could accidentally kill many of the fae. He plans to stay in the Burgue as he still feels like it is his home. She holds his hand and they share a silent affectionate moment as she tells him he will be missed.

The next day Vignette helps Afissa (Tracey Wilkinson) load the sick into a carriage, speaking words of comfort to them, then the conversation changes to their histories. Afissa is not sure what she will do as she was born on the row into servitude and has never seen Tirnanoc or the homeland of her own kind called Puyon. She apologises for the way she spoke to Vignette when first they met, telling her she is ashamed, she was foolish and that they can all do better. She then hands Vignette clothes to look like a puck, covering her wings and face.

Tourmaline returns the book to Mima Blodwen (Jacqueline Boatswain), telling her it won’t be needed as she is leaving for Tirnanoc. She hopes the sight has lied, meaning the vision of her death will not come to pass. The Mima looks worried and does not seem so convinced.

The fae, now packed, make their way to the gates of Carnival row, heading for the docks to finally go back home. The guards meet them here and give several strict rules before letting them pass, including not flying. Any deviation from their rules will result in being shot.

As they begin to pass through the row, Vignette, seeing Philo, runs back to talk with him. He wanted to say goodbye but didn’t know how. She asks him to go with them, whether they are together or not, she wants him there and safe. She tells him she should have said it the day before, but the news came so unexpectedly and everything was happening so fast.

A long crowd of humans have formed an un-welcoming party, screaming abuse at the fae as they make their way to the boats. They chant and throw things over the fae as they pass by, pushing and shoving into them.

When they reach closer to the docks, they are ordered to unload their belongings from the carriages and keep moving along. Philo has also reached the docks having decided to go with the fae, when Berwick sees him. He catches up, walking alongside him, asking if he ever intended to help them with the sparas, to which he replies no. Philo tells him he is a good man, way too good for the uniform he wears, but Berwick stops him in his tracks. He tells him he is proud to wear the uniform as it’s the same one that not only his father wore, but that Philo did too. Philo states that the badge was taken from him,  but he’s glad of it, leaving Berwick behind him he continues to walk.

He stops after a while, turning to smile at Vignette, who shares a look with him, happy he is coming along. Looking up at the sky at Pix flying in the distance causes Vignette to follow Philo’s gaze turning to look behind her as a group of Black Ravens fly overhead carrying crudely made petrol bombs. They dash them down onto the ships causing eruptions of fire and the deaths of the crew members preparing the ships. Everyone begins to panic and scream, fae and human alike caught off guard by the attack. As soldiers and police shoot at the Black Ravens, they keep moving and stay up high to avoid being shot. Suddenly soldiers begin being torn apart as the sparas makes a perfectly timed appearance, moving one to another, killing all the humans quickly as it goes. Several of the pix begin trying to take flight out of fear, but are shot down having barely made it off the ground.

The crowd surges backward pushing Vignette and Tourmaline back with it. They move behind the carriage, taking a moment to breathe, before Tourmaline tells her this isn’t the place she dies. Vignette climbs above the carriage for a better look.

Berwick calls out for assistance as he tries to help a fellow officer who is still alive but his stomach is cut open. As he lifts the wounded man to be taken away, Berwick comes face to face with Kaine (Jay Ali), a member of the Black Raven. He slowly turns to look at Berwick who is holding his gun up, but his face has no concern or worry as the sparas is slowly making its way up behind him.

Philo sees a glimpse of Berwick walking backward into an alleyway as the sparas slowly advances toward him. Gun shots ring out, causing the sparas to lunge forward, putting them both out of philo’s view. By the time he reaches the alleyway, it is already too late. Philo bends to his knees, places a hand on Berwicks arm and they lock eyes in silence as he dies. The scene slows down as Vignette tries to call Philo to leave the scene and get to safety. He is visibly shaken as he stands and slowly makes his way after her.