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Carnival Row
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Carnival Row warned us that there would be some freaky sex scenes between humans and faeries. What we were not prepared for was a hot and heavy love affair between a faun — or puck, if you’re mean like that — and a human woman. The scene comes late in the season, after episodes of actual tension have time to melt into sexual tension. It’s romantically lit, erotic, and even kind of hot. (You know, fuzzy butt and sheep legs or not.)
**SPOILERS FOR CARNIVAL ROW‘S LAST TWO EPISODES**
Carnival Row introduces us to a variety of faun folk, but one character gets more screen time than the rest: the mysterious Mr. Agreus (David Gyasi). Despite all odds, he has managed to amass an incredible fortune, enough to purchase a lavish mansion in the well-to-do human area of The Burgue. Naturally, his appearance sparks gossip, and soon he becomes a sort of obsession of neighbor Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant).
When Imogen realizes that her brother Ezra (Andrew Gower) has ruined the family, she looks to Agreus to make a deal. In exchange for a loan that will help Ezra reinvest in the family business, Imogen will facilitate Agreus’s entry into society. She will invite him over for tea to meet other socialites, and even accompany him to extravagant events. The arrangement is awkward at first, as Imogen and Agreus don’t seem to care for one another. Plus, Imogen is uncomfortable with the negative attention their “friendship” is receiving. However, the more time they spend together, the more they get along, and that leads to…well, they bang.
They do more than bang. They fall deeply in love, and crazily in lust. (Hello, we see you sneaking into his house after dark for more puck-fucking, Imogen.) Their romance is strangely tender and erotic. Which means…we have some questions.
How...Is This So Romantic?
Maybe the most surprising thing about Agreus and Imogen’s romance — besides the borderline bestiality of it (which we’ll get to) — is how tenderly old-fashioned it is. They really do have the kind of relationship you’d find in Jane Austen, or even a fairy tale. Agreus is the gruff, wealthy gentleman and Imogen is the high-spirited lady down on her luck. They are almost the Darcy and Elizabeth of Carnival Row…except Darcy and Elizabeth didn’t just bang in front of a lightbulb.
The key, I think, comes from the show’s plotting. The romance gets a full seven episodes to simmer on a low boil. Agreus and Imogen’s early interactions are clearly tense, and each subsequent one offers opportunities for them to inch closer together. As Agreus and Imogen start to soften, things speed up, and the eventual consummation of the relationship is tender, polite, and presented as two people literally revealing themselves to each other.
Carnival Row has a lot of faults, but the one thing it nails in its first season is a devotion to swoon-y romance.
How Does This Work? Is This Bestiality?
Okay, so Agreus and Imogen’s romance is full of passionate emotion and real lust and love. That leads us to the next big question…is this…bestiality?
One of the major themes of Carnival Row is “actually, faeries are people, too.” The plight of magical beings in The Burgue is used as an over-the-top metaphor for the wrongs of prejudice. And we get it! The faeries and fauns we meet are people, too. However, when a human woman and a male faun get it on, how does it work?
Before this hot and heavy love scene, the only inter-species sex scenes we see are between humans and faeries. The only major anatomical difference there seems to be faerie wings. (Faeries also live longer and have interesting ears, but that’s not going to get in the way of getting it on.) When Agreus undresses in front of Imogen, we realize that his horns aren’t the only thing that’s “different” about him. The bottom half of his body is furry and his legs end in hooves. So how different are his, uh, private parts? And when Imogen sleeps with him, is it more similar to a man or an animal? WHY DO I FEEL SO GROSS EVEN ASKING THIS? CARNIVAL ROW, MAKE ME UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKS!
We have to assume that Agreus’s privates work similar to other heterosexual human men’s, but woof, the fact that we have questions. It’s uncomfy.
Why Did They Cover David Gyasi's Handsome Face Like That?
Carnival Row puts a lot of emphasis on its fantastical style, leaning hard into Victorian lines and realistic looking prosthetics. Nevertheless, Mr. Agreus’s styling makes no sense when you see how HANDSOME actor David Gyasi is in real life.
Look at him! That’s him and Tamzin Merchant in real life! They are beautiful! There’s none of this weird mustache stuff covering his pretty face or the wild muttonchops obscuring his cheeks. What is going on? Why would you cover that man’s face like that?!? It’s gorgeous!
Fingers crossed that if we get more Agreus in Carnival Row Season 2 that we get to see more of actor David Gyasi’s face.
