Carnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. In tracing the lives of two disparate groups of people, its overarching story depicts the battle between good and evil and the struggle between free will and destiny; the storyline mixes Christian theology with gnosticism and Masonic lore, particularly that of the Knights Templar.

The series follows the ventures of a Missing Persons Unit of the FBI in New York City.

Chase Parish seeks refuge with his young cousin, Dalton, after escaping from prison and launching a one-man cop-killing spree. Chase ultimately persuades Dalton to commit a daring crime, and then betrays him when faced with an army of vengeful L.A.P.D. officers.