It’s pretty rare that a television series is compelling enough to make me seek out each and every episode, but Carnivale has just the right combination of mystique and mythmaking to make an earnest small screen addict out of anyone. The story centers on Ben Hawkins, a young man with a secret who has been run off his family’s farm and into the arms of a traveling carnival. But this isn’t an ordinary big top; among the carnies and roustabouts is a cast of unusual characters that include a paralyzed fortune teller, a blind professor with psychometric abilities, and a mysterious presence inhabiting the management trailer, among others. Parallel to this story is that of Brother Justin and his sister Iris, who have a twisted past and a drive toward establishing an apocalyptic religious ministry. As the series progresses it becomes clear that their story is not so much running alongside the main thread; these two strands are bound to intersect with explosive results. As the Carnivale winds its way through the dust bowl of the Great Depression the various characters involved each get a moment in the spotlight. Each episode is shadowed with religious and magical overtones and nothing is ever delineated in black-and-white. The guesswork involved in piecing the plot together can be a little maddening, on par with past TV glories such as the X-Files and Twin Peaks. But really, who want to miss out on the best magic show in town, even if you can’t figure out how the trick is turned? Catch up with the DVDs of the first season and tune in to the second if you’re able.

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