Carnival Row season 2 ending: Does Darius die fighting the Sparas?

Carnival Row has finally reached its dramatic end, but did Darius die fighting the Sparas in the season 2 finale?

Carnival Row fans are now wishing the Fae farewell after the final two episodes of the entire series premiered for OTT streaming via Amazon Prime Video on March 17.

The second season was ultimately far more brutal than many viewers would have been expecting, with the introduction of the nightmarish Sparas easily surpassing the Dark Asher as the most terrifying monster in the series to date.

In the season finale, fans watched in horror as the Sparas went toe-to-toe with Darius, but did the Marrok survive the attack?

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Does Darius die in the Carnival Row season 2 finale?

Unfortunately, Darius sadly does die in the Carnival Row season 2 finale after making a true hero’s sacrifice to save Tourmaline.

Darius had been preparing to stay with Tourmaline when the Sparas came for her; loading the enormous machine gun in the witch’s shop with a rejuvenated look in his eyes at the prospect of using the massive gun – although strangely, it was never even used in the finale.

However, Tourmaline wanted Darius to leave her alone as she says that she couldn’t fight two monsters at the same time if he was to turn into a Marrok, a harsh truth for the former Burgue soldier.

Thankfully, after the creature arrives to kill Tourmaline, Darius returns to the action in the nick of time to throw the Sparas through the witches’ shop window, just before the terrifying creature made a meal of fan-favorite Pix.

Sadly, his unconscious Marrok body is then thrown back out into the street by the Sparas, just moments before Vignette and then Philo arrive to kill the creature. After the battle is over, Darius transforms back into his human form, where we see the devastating injuries that he sustained across his back and torso.

Darius passes away with his oldest friend holding his hand: “You did it” Darius says, “We did it” replies Philo. As life leaves poor Darius, his eyes begin to tear up as Philo notes, “For we are soldiers of the Burgue.”

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What happened to Philo after Darius’ death?

Following Darius’ death and the killing of the Sparas, Philo is walking through the destruction on the Row when suddenly Constable Thatch emerges from the shadows to shoot him in the back.

Philo falls down into the mud of Carnival Row, directly next to the body of the Sparas that he had just killed as Sergeant Dombey completes his redemption arc by killing his mob-leading Constable.

As the camera slows pans away, fans would be forgiven for thinking that this was the end of Philo – a heroic death for our main character, but a poetic one also considering that it was a racist police officer who ultimately shot him.

However, we then see a timeskip after “Many moons” with an injured Philo walking into the parliamentary chambers; we are left to assume that the bullet hit his spinal cord, which is why is forced to walk with a cane.

He has been chosen by the delegates to be the new Chancellor, but he refuses the position because he doesn’t want to be their excuse not to change.

Sticking to his principles once again, Philo returns to the Row where the next chapter in his life is yet to be written; “I guess we’ll have to find out” he says, as the credits roll for one last time.

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By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]