Carnival Row season two episode one recap: Could Philo save the row?

After a long three-year wait, the new season of Carnival Row is finally out on Prime Video. For now, only two episodes of the season have been released, with three more to drop in the coming weeks.

Carnival Row sees a world where humans and mythical creatures, called faes, coexist. They are constantly at war and Philo, played by Orlando Bloom, is tasked with solving a string of gruesome murders during the conflict.

The official synopsis of Carnival Row's season two reads:

"Love. Murder. Conspiracy. Revolution. When mysterious killings inflame tensions between the Faefolk and their Human oppressors, each denizen of Carnival Row must choose who they are and how to act."

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Carnival Row season two episode one recap: Who threatened to wing Vignette?

The episode kicks off with Philo and Vignette in the middle of a morbidly lethal mission, and Philo gets involved in a battle against trolls. An important favor from the ringleader Faul, Boz Gaidos, is yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, Vignette and two black ravens, Kaine and Phaedra manage to step out of the Row to rob medicine from a supply train.

At this point, it is family obvious that young chancellor Jonah Breakspera's lockdown on the Row is causing a load of problems among the faes. The entire area is filled with barbed wires which do not allow the Pix to fly away, causing them to fall ill, with an incurable disease. Oona, one of the afflicted, is a black raven, who is also Kaine's beloved.

While the stolen medicine Vignette got them helps with the pain, there isn't enough for the group to last a week. Vignett's efforts gets her honored by other black ravens in a ritual that involved branding her.

However, it was incomplete without the Ravens' aggressive leader, Dahlia's knowledge or approval. When Dahlia finds out, she is furious and even threatens to chop off Vignette's wings.

Jonah Breakspera's reign rattles Burgue's economy. Businesses lose cheap labor and the wealthy lose their house servants. This meant that the young leader's leadership skills were in jeopardy. Breakspera not being smart is getting manipulated by Sophie Longerbane.

Phili is adamant about ending the lockdown and removing Jonah Breakspera from power. He decides to out himself as the chancellor Absalon Breakspear's half-blooded son.

He hopes this destroys Jonah's career while putting his own life at risk. When Millworthy visits Philo inside the Row, he hesitantly agrees to help him by sneaking him inside a banquet honoring the arrival of the new Pact ambassador to The Burgue.

Tourmaline, who worked on Carnival Row is also neutralized. She is living off her savings trying to make sense of her new life. She is tormented by visions of the old witch Aoife Tsigani, who forces purple smoke down her throat. Tourmaline even has a vision of a man being attacked and wakes up to the sick sight of a disemboweled cat.

She realizes she was the one responsible for the disembowelment. Her vision even turns out to be true when Philo is summoned to the crime scene. Philo right now has only one friend left - Constable Berwick.

The dead man is revealed to be a soldier stationed at the very train station Vignette robbed. Sadly, Sergeant Dombry sends Philo back to the Row. The episode ends here.

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Apart from Bloom, the show also stars Cara Delevingne, David Gyasi, Tamzin Merchant, Andrew Gower, Karla Crome, Indira Varma, Jared Harris, and Simon McBurney.

Episode three of the second season of Orlando Bloom-starrer Carnival Row will be released on Friday, February 24, 2023, on Amazon Prime Video.