Tamal Kundu
Based on a spec script developed by Travis Beacham for an unproduced film, ‘Carnival Row’ tells the story of a world where humanity exists alongside mythical creatures, but peace remains elusive. Human empires brought their wars to the lands of the faes, which led to a mass exodus. In season 2 episode 5, titled ‘Reckoning,’ Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) comes up with a desperate plan to rescue Vignette, while Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford) and Jonah Breakspear’s (Arty Froushan) partnership comes to a violent end. In episode 6, titled ‘Original Sins,’ Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi) concocts a plan of escape, and we get more glimpses of violence from Philo’s past. Here is what you need to know about the ending of ‘Carnival Row’ season 2 episode 6. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Carnival Row Season 2 Episodes 5 and 6 Recap
As episode 5 begins, Carnival Row still reels following the police raid the night before and Vignette’s (Cara Delevingne) capture. As Philo returns home, he is attacked by Kaine (Jay Ali), who blames Philo for everything that happened. Philo eventually overpowers the fae and reveals he wants to get Vignette out. Bleakness Keep is the prison where she is kept. Philo knows that it is nearly impossible to break Vignette out from there. So, he plans to rescue her while she is taken to court.
However, with her powers as the Haruspex, Tourmaline Larou (Karla Crome) sees that Vignette will be executed in the night and informs Philo and Kaine, and they have no choice but to figure out how to break into the Bleakness Keep. Earlier, after learning that Sophie might be scheming against him, Jonah told one of his aides to find proof of it first and then come to him. In this episode, the aide does just that. Jonah learns Sophie not only now owns major shares in several companies but also is using the money to flip the parliament so she can be the Chancellor.
Jonah subsequently calls Sophie into his chamber and pretends to accept the proposal of marriage she made earlier, knowing that if she declines or tries to postpone it until the next election is over, it will mean their information on her is accurate. She does the latter, and that’s all the proof Jonah needs. She is arrested under the pretext of being exposed to the faerie plague. As she is taken to the Bleakness Keep, Sophie realizes that all her carefully laid plans have come undone.
Jonah also finds out that Runyan Millworthy (Simon McBurney) was working closely with the Pact delegation to supply them with weapons and sends him to the Bleakness Keep. That night, Jonah visits the prison and tries to convince Sophie to hand over all her wealth and properties in exchange for her life. Sophie vehemently refuses and is executed by guillotine. Just as Vignette is about to be executed, the winged killer that has murdered two faes and a human arrives and begins slaughtering the guards and releasing the faes. The monster kills Jonah before flying away. Philo, who is there to rescue Vignette, is arrested while Vignette manages to escape.
The early part of episode 6 is set in Ragusa, where Agreus and Imogen realize that they can only survive through compliance. They are given the ‘Carnival Row’ version of the Communist Manifesto and advised to read it from cover to cover. While working in the factory, Agreus is approached by some members of the New Dawn military, who take him to meet Leonora. The New Dawn leader gives him a gun with one bullet and reveals that Ezra is in their custody. Leonora sees through Ezra’s lies and makes Agreus decide Ezra’s fate. The faun eventually decides to spare Ezra, knowing full well that he will not receive the same courtesy from the man.
In a flashback sequence, we see Philo and Darius fighting a group of Pact soldiers at the height of the war seven years earlier. Suddenly, something starts taking out the Pact soldiers. Soon Philo comes face to face with the creature, but it spares him.
Carnival Row Season 2 Episode 6 Ending: What is a Sparas?
In the lore of ‘Carnival Row,’ the Sparas is a type of fae significantly different from any other mythical species. It also can shapeshift into anyone, making them nearly impossible to catch. Seven years earlier, Philo encountered a Sparas, who spared his life because he was half fae. However, he was later forced to order his men to burn down the forest that was the home to the Sparas to halt the enemy’s advancements.
The Sparas is a legendary race of faes. Until Philo encountered one of them, the general consensus was that these entities had gone extinct. In the present, it is apparent that the Sparas is associated with some force that wants unrest in the streets of the Burgue. That is why it continues to target both the fae and the humans.
Why Does Philo Start to Hallucinate?
In episode 5, Philo watches helplessly as the Sparas flies away. Soon, the prison guards, at least the ones who are still alive, arrest Philo. In episode 6, as Dombey arrives at the Bleakness Keep with Berwick, they discover that the guards are torturing Philo. They put a stop to it, but not before the pain seemingly splits Philo’s personality into two parts.
As Philo tries to maintain a semblance of control over his sanity, Berwick asks for his help to capture or neutralize the Sparas. Although Philo initially refuses, his two split personalities later realize that he needs to collaborate with the police if he wants to get out of Bleakness Keep. Philo is a war veteran; he has seen and done things that continue to haunt him. Those horrific moments must have left scars on his mind, and what happens to him in this episode is a manifestation of that.
Who Will Be the Next Chancellor?
With both Jonah and Sophie dead, the position of Chancellor is vacant. This is truly a tumultuous period in the history of The Burgue. Although the representatives of both parties manage to convince Runyan to stay and help run the government with the help of the members of the Pact delegation, the Burgue needs a real leader to withstand the storm that is coming. There is a possibility that the Sparas is somehow connected to the New Dawn. And if that’s the case, we can safely assume that the revolutionary organization intends to expand beyond the borders of the Pact.
Read More: What is a Critch in Carnival Row, Explained
