I realize most people are probably watching the Emmys... but DAMN this show has some atmosphere. There were some very creepy moments tonight, especially the bit with the vision of the Chin's owner and the kid, and the scene with the fortune teller's mother. It will be interesting to see how Brother Justin and Ben are connected, other than them both having the same dreams. Looks like a LOT happens next week, based on the previews.

Brian

Hey, I watched it.

...and I thought tonight's episode was fantastic. You're right about the atmosphere, and man, is it creepy. Very powerful episode tonight. This show looks to be more promising than I initially thought.

Will see it in the next few days

Loved the build up in the episode.

The preacher man has some wicked/twisted power to shine the light of guilt into the deepest darkest recesses of men.

Sophie's mom not only freaked out Ben, but freaked me out as well!

The embryo in the jar opening its eyes freaked me out as well.

This show is like peeling an onion by the layers. Can't wait for the next layer.

I'm enjoying the show too. My only complaint is that it seems to have so much potential and I want to see so much happen, that the episodes, while very good, seem to fall short. I'm sure it's only because the show is just getting started and it takes awhile to get rolling.

Or maybe it's because I know I have to wait another week to see what happens. I wish it was 2 hours.....

This is an Amazing show. I love it, each episodes preview makes it look better than the last episode. I think I will be watching this show till the end.

Opening scene was just brilliant. Ditto on the "See Your Sin" scene. That was intense.

Peeping at his sister in the shower...not good.

Gee, I would have watched it if my local HBO affiliate would fix the "first-20-minutes-of-every-Sunday-night-show-is-in-Spanish" problem that they've been having since nearly the beginning of this year.

I'll have to catch the full-screen version tonight on HBO2. At least that channel doesn't have the translation problems that my regular HBO channel seems to have . . .

*grumble*

What an awesome show!

I really didn't like the preacher character last week, but he really grew on me with this episode. His power can really be viewed as good or evil. Sure, he got a new place to worship, but he did so by a form of blackmail and he drove that man to suicide. I'm assuming he was whipping himself at the end as punishment for the peek at his sister.

I'm just guessing that Ben's father is the man who carried around the picture of his mom, who also may be the "Management" character. Was that a bear in his dream with the turban on; the same turban that is tied to Management's trailer?

Next week's episode looks even better. I can't wait!

I gotta tell you, Seasons on DVD have spoiled me. As soon as this week’s episode ended my girlfriend and I looked at each other and said "Just one more." Its a private joke between us because we plan on watching only one episode on a season set (especially Shield or 24) and end up watching 5 or 6 in a row.
I can't wait a week!

I didn't like this episode as much as the first, mainly because not much happened. It did bring up a lot of new questions though. I never saw any of the promos that pitched the show as being a battle between good and evil, but it's looking to me like Ben and the preacher could join together to fight evil.

I definitely liked the preacher's storyline this time around. He went Old Testament on that pervert!

It seems the preacher is a Flagellant, an extremist form of religious devotion that practices self-torture as a way of enforcing discipline and cleansing sins. Judging by the scars on his back, this wasn't the first time he'd felt the need to purge his conscience.

The only thing I didn't 'get' about this episode was the kid's seeming infatuation with the Adrienne Barbeau character. I know she's a cult movie icon and all, but she's pretty far over the kill these days and it's hard to believe this kid could be infatuated with her when other attractive girls are throwing themselves at him.

Maybe she reminds him of his mother and he's got an Oedipal thing going on....? I don't know.

Maybe Ben's got a momma complex when it comes to the Barbeau character...

Yep I watched it too (last night), I am liking it so far, it definitely has atmosphere. I am looking forward to next week!

You know, I hate to admit this. But the show doesn't outright suck, as I'd initially feared. Yet, it's not exactly "genius" either.

The problem I'm having is the fact that the characters don't seem to have much in the way of depth to their personalities. Sophie has flown off in a huff at least twice in each episode and the Hawkins boy gets less and less "mysterious" as time passes and starts looking more and more "special" - if you get what I'm saying . . .

I keep wanting to see Lynch-isms in the fabric of the episode. I wanted a slow tracking close-up shot of the red velvet curtains and a humming, industrial white-noise on the soundtrack. I want the "Black Lodge" dwarf to start speeding up or slowing down time and talking in strange tongues. I want the director to linger over strange, seemingly unimportant details, just for the hell of it. I want richer, much more cryptic dialogue - and please can this constant, tired references to the "management." Ugh. And for the love of god, I need a decent soundtrack. My biggest gripe with the series thus far is the fact that the music is extraordinarily weak. Just forgettable and wallpapery.

Oh, what this series might have been in Lynch's hands, with a Badalamenti score.

*sigh*

You can say that about every show.

It's not a Lynch series. You're holding it to ridiculous expectations that have nothing to do with the actual show.

Yes, but this series in particular directly invited the Lynch references.

Go back and look at that opening of the pilot episode with the close-up fire-and-brimstone speach by the Black Lodge dwarf.

This series is stretching and trying to hit Lynch heights, but missing on most counts.

If Lynch was in charge of this, it'd be 12 (or 13) weeks of pointless atmospheric jerking off.

I hate David Lynch Movies/TV Shows, but love Carnivale. It's a matter of taste, if you want Lynch watch Twin Peaks again & quit comparing Carnivale to David Lynch.

Actually, the problem is casting the dwarf because he's become the face of Lynch in so many of his projects.

Yeah, I felt that way about Golden Girls.

Great show! I watched the first and second episodes last night with my girlfriend... she wanted to go to bed when I started the second one up... she yelled at me "why did you do that, you know I am tired!" It's not like she couldn't fire up the ReplayTV and watch it today!

Very nice dark series... I like the preacher (Actually he is Brother Justin Crowe played by Clancy Brown), I have enjoyed many of Brown's characters... Gus in Pet Sematary II and of course Capt Byron Hadley in Shawshank Redemption.

Completely incomprehensible, for no apparent reason.

No offense to David Lynch, but his 'vision' must be tempered. Which is what Mark Frost did in Twin Peaks, which is the only thing he's ever done that I could stomach.

As for Carnivale, I think it brilliant so far. It's unfolding slowly, giving us bits of the story and clues.

Correct