Posted in: Amazon Studios, Preview, streaming, Trailer, TV | Tagged: bleeding cool, cable, Cara Delevingne, Carnival Row, drama, fae, faeries, fairies, fantasy, Mystery, orlando bloom, pirates of the caribbean, streaming, suicide squad, television, thriller, tv

"Carnival Row" Might Just Be the Bloom-tastic Faerie-Fest We've Been Waiting For [TRAILER REVIEW]

Close to two years after Amazon Prime Video announced eight-episode fantasy series Carnival Row from Rene Echevarria, Travis Beacham, Paul McGuigan, and Legendary Television, viewers have been getting some rather intriguing looks at the Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean) – Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad) starrer, which is set to debut on August 30. In fact, the "buzz" is so strong that the streaming service has already given the series a season 2 greenlight. To celebrate, Amazon Prime Video has unveiled the official trailer – and now we're taking a look to see if it's worth making our watch-list, beginning with a look at our lead characters' backstories (previously released):

I will not lie – the first two teaser trailers released during SDCC had me excited, but not for the right reasons. As an Orlando Bloom fan *cough-Legolas-cough* I was incredibly ecstatic to finally see him again… and as a detective? Total weak spot. The other reason: fairies. I mean, give me a time period murder-mystery show with cyberpunk vibes to it – and then set it in a world with fae? I am so there.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my excitement was built on the things I already liked going into the above featurettes, so the "really like" bar wasn't too high. So watching them again, I can say they did their job in giving us some basic backstory – but the voice-over work left me feeling pretty "eh."

As someone who found herself on the fence, Amazon Prive Video should be happy to know that the official trailer sealed the deal for me.

I'm impressed by the overall look of the series, from sets and scenery to costumes and make-up. The concept behind the series has a lot of potential – smart move gling with a "murder mystery" to introduce viewers to the show's universe. As an immigrant I will always be attracted to stories that feature people coming into a new culture and society having to adapt to the growing mix of ethnicities. It hit those "feels" pretty hard – and reminded me of the underrated Gangs of New York. The deeper backstory touched upon between our leads adds narrative depth, allowing it to establish future arcs once the murders are solved.

Of course, Orlando Bloom will forever be a plus.

Side Note: props to whoever is doing press/media relations for the series over at Amazon Prime Video. I saw online the press kits that were sent out, and they were pretty great: set up like a little theatre with our main characters on center stage – with magnets that allows you to move them around.

Here are the previous teasers for the eagerly-anticipated series – where different is dangerous… and possibly deadly:

Set in a neo-Victorian city that can best be described as "steampunk-ish", Carnival Row suffers from its own unique immigration problems: as mythical creatures continue to flee war-torn homeland and seek refuge in the city, tensions continue to flare between citizens and the ever-growing immigrant population.

When a series of unsolved murders begin to eat away at the fragile peace, police inspector Rycroft Philostrate (Bloom) is charged with investigating the murder of a faerie showgirl on Carnival Row and bringing the killer (or killers) to justice. Faery Vignette Stonemoss (Delevingne) represents the perspective of the immigrant experience, fleeing her war-torn homeland to come to the Burgue. Stonemoss must not only contend with the growing hatred and prejudice directed at her and those like her, but also with old secrets that haunting her new life.

Joining Bloom and Delevingne on Carnival Row are:

● David Gyasi (Interstellar) as Agreus, a mysteriously wealthy faun who moves into an affluent human neighborhood in defiance of the social order.

● Karla Crome (Under the Dome) as Tourmaline, a quick-witted faerie poet driven from her war-torn homeland.

● Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) as Piety Breakspear, the regal and cunning matriarch of the powerful family that rules the city of The Burgue.

● Tamzin Merchant (Salem) as Imogen Spurnrose, a young woman who sees in Agreus an opportunity to turn her aristocratic family's fading fortunes around.

Carnival Row is from Legendary Television, with executive producers Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Eli Stone), Rene Echevarria (Star Trek, Teen Wolf, Castle, Medium), Jon Amiel, Bloom, and Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Clash of the Titans). Beacham's "A Killing on Carnival Row" appeared on the very first installment of the Hollywood Blacklist in 2005, with Amazon releasing the adaptation on August 30th.

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