Matt Roush of "TV Guide" called "Carnivàle" "the perfect show for those who thought "Twin Peaks" was too accessible". "The Australian" said "Carnivàle" "seems to have been conceived in essentially literary terms" which "can sometimes work on the page but is deadly on the large screen, let alone a small one. It's almost like a biblical injunction against pretension on television." A reviewer admitted his temptation to dismiss the first season of "Carnivàle" as "too artsy and esoteric" because his lack of involvement prevented him from understanding "what the heck was going on, can be a problem for a dramatic television series." TV Zone however considered "Carnivàle" "a series like no other and [... the fact that it is so open to interpretation surprisingly proves to be one of its greatest strengths." "Carnivàle" was lauded for bringing "the hopelessness of the Great Depression to life" and for being among the first TV shows to show "unmitigated pain and disappointment", but reviewers were not confident that viewers would find the "slowly unfolding sadness" appealing over long or would have the patience or endurance to find out the meaning of the show.