Tamal Kundu
Portrayed by Andrew Gower, Ezra Spurnrose is an important character in ‘the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Carnival Row.’ Ezra is Imogen’s (Tamzin Merchant) brother. After their father’s death, Ezra became responsible for the family’s finances. However, he has terrible business acumen and loses much of his family’s fortune. After the arrival of the wealthy faun named Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi) in their neighborhood, Imogen makes a deal with him involving the siblings and introducing him to their social circle.
When Ezra discovers his sister in bed with Agreus, he threatens the faun with a gun, prompting his sister and Agreus to subdue him and go on the run. In season 2, Ezra learns that Imogen and Agreus are in Ragusa, a port city in the Pact territory, and travels there. If the events depicted in season 2 episode 8 have made you wonder whether Ezra is dead in ‘Carnival Row,’ we got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ezra Spurnrose’s Tragic Fate
Yes, Ezra Spurnrose is dead in ‘Carnival Row.’ We get a pretty good understanding of who Ezra really is relatively early in the series when he tries to force himself on Vignette, but she overpowers him and leaves. Ezra is a coward and filled to the brim with too much false pride. When Imogen leaves with Agreus, Ezra desperately tries to find her and bring her back home, not because he is worried about her but because he is terrified that his family’s reputation will be ruined if the truth ever gets out. This is why he kills Agreus’ butler after learning that he has been going around and telling people Imogen has willingly left with Agreus.
Once he makes his way to Ragusa, he tells Leonora and the rest of the New Dawn about the Pact’s weapons deal with The Burgue. Leonora lets Agreus decide Ezra’s fate, and he spares the man, which leads to Ezra’s reunion with Imogen. Even at this point, Ezra seems to believe that he needs to rescue his sister, though she quickly puts him in his place by telling him in no uncertain terms that if it were her decision and not Agreus’, he would be dead.
In season 2 episode 8, as the Pact attacks Ragusa, Ezra, Imogen, and Agreus try to escape. Ezra takes a piece of cloth from a dead New Dawn member and wraps it around his arm to depict himself as a revolutionary. As they leave the city, Ezra tries to sow discord between his sister and her lover by revealing how selfish and petty Imogen can be. In response, Agreus admits that he made his fortune by catching other faes for slavers. This prompts a disbelieving Ezra to remark that Imogen and Agreus deserve each other.
When Ezra spots a group of Pact soldiers heading their way, he tries to speak to them, hoping they will give them safe passage to The Burgue. However, Agreus and Imogen prevent him, with Agreus holding him down and Imogen covering his mouth. Imogen seems to deduce that it will be better to kill Ezra than let him continue on with them. She squeezes shut his nose as well, and Ezra dies of suffocation. Later, after the New Dawn has found them, Agreus and Imogen are forced to dump Ezra’s body into the mass grave that New Dawn created for the nobility of Ragusa.
Andrew Gower Has Likely Left Carnival Row
With his character dead, it’s safe to assume that Gower has left the series. If ‘Carnival Row’ had gotten the four seasons as it was originally supposed to Ezra as a character could have been fleshed out a bit more. But with only two episodes left, the writers must tie up the loose plot threads and thin down the narrative.
Reflecting on the choices his character makes in season 2, Gower told Collider, “So there’s definitely a point in Season 2 where there’s a point of no return. It is so interesting because the Burgue society is, as you see, a lot of it is based on the Victorian society.”
The actor continued, “It’s all about reputation. And [there are] two big points at the beginning of Season 2 where things, pardon the pun, but stab him in the back and make him feel like his name is disgraced and there’s no way back for them. But there’s definitely a point, I think it’s Episode 3 for Ezra, where I think that’s where he reaches a point of himself that I don’t think he ever thought was capable of. But then, it’s interesting to then see how he deals with that going forward because I think he covers it again quite well or tries to in his own way.”
Read More: Is Sophie Dead? Did Caroline Ford Leave Carnival Row?
