Tamal Kundu
Portrayed by Caroline Ford, Sophie Longerbane is an important character in the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Carnival Row.’ She is the daughter of Ritter Longerbane, the former Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of the Republic of the Burgue. Her mother, Neffy, whom she never met, was the daughter of a deposed queen. Sophie is an incredibly driven, intelligent, and ambitious woman. People often tend to underestimate her, which she uses to her advantage.
Even though Piety Breakspear (Indira Varma) is the main antagonist in the first season of ‘Carnival Row,’ it is revealed that Sophie is the one pulling all the strings from the shadows to cause the downfall of Piety and her husband Absalom (Jared Harris). If events depicted in ‘Carnival Row’ season 2 episode 5 have made you wonder whether Sophie is dead and Ford has left the show, we got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Sophie Longerbane Dies in Carnival Row
Yes, Sophie Longerbane is dead in ‘Carnival Row.’ When season 2 begins, she and Jonah (Arty Froushan) are firmly in control of The Burgue, having established themselves in the positions previously occupied by their respective fathers. Following the deaths of Absalom and Piety, the sentiment of the people of The Burgue has completely turned against the faefolk as they are led to believe that the followers of a faun religion are behind those deaths. The eponymous neighborhood has been turned into an internment camp, and a disease that only affects the faeries is rapidly becoming a plague there.
Ironically, even though Sophie and Jonah are behind much of this misery, neither wants to actively make the faes suffer. Jonah knows that the fauns didn’t kill his parents but implements these laws because Sophie tells him that he will otherwise lose control of his party. Sophie wants to become the Chancellor, but to do so, she first needs to depose the one currently occupying the position.
Sophie tries to build up an antagonistic sentiment against Jonah and his government among the humans as well as the faes. She also acquires major shares of the companies that will be involved in producing weapons for the Pact and intends to use the money that will generate to flip the parliament.
When Jonah first finds out about this, he refuses to believe it and demands proof. And when that proof is brought to him, he reluctantly decides to act against the woman who is secretly his half-sister. He first calls her into his chamber and tells her that he agrees they should marry. When Sophie seems hesitant and tells him that they need to wait until the next election is over, he gets the final confirmation.
Soldiers dressed as doctors approach Sophie in the parliament building and tell her that the plague has become Zoonotic and found its first faun victim. As Sophie visited where the patients were being treated, they claim she was exposed to the plague. She agrees to go with them but soon realizes that these people are not doctors. She is taken to the Bleakness Keep and imprisoned in the cell opposite Vignette. Jonah visits Sophie and asks her to sign away her wealth in exchange for her life, but she vehemently refuses. Later that night, she is executed by guillotine.
Caroline Ford Exits Due to Character’s Death
As her character is dead, it’s safe to assume that Ford has left ‘Carnival Row.’ The second season is also the show’s final season, and the writers had the difficult task of tying up all the plot threads they opened in the first season. Sophie is a fascinating character and deserves an in-depth exploration. Perhaps that would have been possible if the show were four seasons long as it was originally intended. As it has only two seasons, we must be satisfied with what we have gotten.
Reflecting on her character, Ford told AssignmentX, “I think Sophie isn’t an anarchist. I think that she spent her whole life listening to her father and his friends fail miserably at governing [laughs], and treat her appallingly, and treat women appallingly. And she has the belief that she could do it better. And she goes about it in a really messed-up way, because of her upbringing, and because of what she’s been taught.”
The ‘Free Rein’ actress continued, “She’s seen darkness and she’s seen aggression for her whole life, so that’s what she knows, that’s how she knows how to act. It’s also how she knows men listen. But I genuinely think her goal is to be the one in charge, because she thinks she could do it better. So, she does want to rule. She doesn’t want to get rid of the whole system, she wants to be the system, and genuinely believes she can do it quite well, and manage people quite well.”
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