Ben gets sent on a wild goose chase but it turns out that the goose isn't so wild. Justin learns a fun, new trick he can do. And we are all left with a sense of foreboding.

Produced by Kristen Riley and Daive ReedEdited by Daive Reed

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Content Warnings - pedophilia suggested, suicide

The Recap

Love me or leave me plays on the sound system in the diner. 

The lyrics are disagreeable from start to finish and absolutely distract me from what’s happening, which is…

Justin walks into a diner and sits on a stool at the counter. Ben walks in and sits next to Justin. The two men don't acknowledge each other's presence. 

After a few minutes, Scudder, dressed in a black tuxedo and top hat, walks in and sits at the booth behind Ben and Justin. Ben and Justin watch him intently in the mirror above the counter. 

Eventually, Belyakov, previously seen in both Ben and Justin's dreams chasing Scudder during World War 1, enters the diner and sits across from Scudder at the booth. 

The waitress moves over to Belyakov and Scudder and comments ominously, "Every prophet in his house." Scudder and Balyakov raise their wine glasses in a toast. As the glasses clink, the large window that Scudder and the soldier are seated next to explodes inward, showering the four men in shards of glass. The dream ends.

Ben and Justin wake suddenly from the shared dream.

Ben goes to wash and gets harassed by the Dryfuss ladies - Libby and Rita Sue. It’s pretty fun. Because, as I said while watching, it’s not dangerous. 

Sofie and Appolonia argue. 

Jonesy is assigning men to work for the morning and sends Ben to clean out the baggage trailer, a carnival joke since the baggage trailer doesn't exist. 

Ben, however, finds a run-down trailer filled with baggage which he proceeds to dig through on the pretense of cleaning it. I love luggage with all those stickers - the real thing, not the Home Goods version. I’d go through it too, you know, for organizing purposes. 

He finds a suitcase containing not only Scudder's top hat (which Ben pops), but also Scudder's trademark black tuxedo (which is spattered with blood). 

In an old cigar box, he finds an old photo of his mom standing in front of a truck with the label "Big Sky Farms." He exclaims and the wind closes the door, so he pulls out a zippo. A definite fire hazard.

Heading back through the carnival Samson asks where he’s been hiding. Samson shares the joke, but Ben was in the trailer. He shows Samson the photo to prove it since taking him to the non-existent trailer proved fruitless. 

Samson lies about not recognizing the picture, and so does Ben. Samson wants to hold onto it, but Ben pockets it. On the back of the picture is written "H.S. and Flo." He pockets it. 

Samson goes to the management trailer and finds the picture in the photo album. He asks management, who’s behind a curtain, “what the hell are you up to?” 

Cut to Justin, who’s getting ready for work and making me realize just how little I understand about men’s clothing. Why doesn’t that second shirt have a back? When he wears the overcoat, you can’t see it anyway. Why? 

Also, staring at your sister’s nipples is probably frowned upon by parts of the bible. 

At church, we have my favorite singer, Eleanor’s son. Eleanor has been “set right”. I love that he says he enjoyed parts of the service when Justin asks. He’s so honest!

The rich folks are unhappy with the migrants and make it known to Justin.

Lunch at the carnival.

The cooch family - “No one wants to see a lumberjack dance the cooch.” I do. 

Jonesy is pissed about Babe Ruth. But not really. 

Ben and Sofie sit together for lunch. 

Lodz and Lyla discuss Sofie and Ben. Lyla makes comments about teaching new puppy tricks. 

At the diner from the dreams, Justin and Norman, and Iris. 

Back at the carnival, Appolonia won’t read the cards for Sophie, so rather than lie or make something up, she turns everyone away. As she’s leaving the trailer she runs into Ben, Ben gets pulled over by Ruthie to fetch Gabriel’s wrist cuffs. In her trailer, he smells her perfume. He’s smitten. 

At Justin and Iris’s, the wealthy folks come by. Mainly they want to kick out the migrants. But Templeton isn’t ready for what’s about to happen. Justin gets ahead of him and requests Templeton give him The Chin’s. Templeton tries to laugh it off and offers $50 for a tent. Templeton tells Justin no, Justin gets pissed, especially when Templeton takes the Lord's name in vain. Justin touches him, the room goes black and the woman from Mr. Chin’s shows up and transports them to Chin’s. Inside we see sex, drugs, gambling, and exploitation of all kinds. Templeton asks “anything new on the menu? “ Which is gross even before you know what he’s requesting. He gets keys to room 4, Justin still holding on to the other Templeton forces him to watch. 

Iris walks in with the lemonade and we’re all back at the house. 

After the carnival, Jonesy shows us how he has a lifelong crush on someone he’s known since before she hit puberty which is a real problem. Sofie tries to let him down easily. 

Gecko and Dora mea 

Lodz airs his concerns about Ben to Samson, who maintains that Ben is just a harmless rube. 

Lodz counters by saying that he saw Scudder in Ben's dreams. Samson doesn’t care, because Scudder’s dead and has been for years. 

Lodz isn't convinced and asks Samson to bring the matter to Management since Mgmt hasn’t listened to Lodz since St Louis. 

He also suggests that Samson take the carnival south instead of the usual northward course. Samson disagrees and leaves the trailer.

Samson sees Jonesy dismiss everyone and watches as Ben stumbles around to find a place to sleep. The “rousties” seem to bed down wherever they can. 

Lodz goes to Appolonia, trying to convince her to let him in. She is obviously angry about it, and so is Sophie when she walks in and kicks him out. Sophie asks if she’s ok, Appolonia throws a porcelain cup at her and she storms out. 

We see Ben bedding down under a truck, then his WWI nightmares again in which a Russian soldier is stalking Scudder from No Man's Land. The bear shows up. Ben wakes abruptly. 

He sees a mobile Apollonia approaching, she reaches her hand out and he takes it. She gasps and whispers "You're the one,". At the same time, Sofie returns to the trailer and finds her mother missing. She yells Mama! And Appolonia collapses into Ben’s arms. 

The situation, when Sofie discovers it, is misconstrued and Ben is beaten until Samson manages to calm things down. He has everyone stop punching Ben and gets others to help Appolonia back inside. Sofie can’t hear her anymore. She’s scared. 

And finally, Samson announces that the carnival will be moving south instead of north. Lodz smirks.

Ruthie, who forcibly made Gabriel stop hitting Ben, also kind of forcefully patches Ben up - she’s in charge of these two boys and neither can argue that. Gabriel sits outside as Ruthie applies ointment and checks his ribs. She makes sure there are no hard feelings against Gabe. Ben says there aren’t. He shows her the picture, she knows who Flora was but didn’t know her personally. 

Ruthie explains that the woman is Scudder's old "sweetie," and that Scudder traveled with Carnivàle and performed as the Gentleman Geek, wearing his trademark black tuxedo. 

She confirms that Scudder might have been in World War 1 and informs Ben that Scudder was drunk. Ben reveals to Ruthie that the woman in the picture is his mother, Flora Hawkins.

Ruthie now has a whole lot of spotty history snap into place. She lets Ben take his picture and the one she had of Scudder. As Ben leaves Ruthie calls Gabriel back inside. See? We all know who’s in charge. 

In Mintern, Justin gets Chin’s. Templeton is like every other wealthy and influential person, a fucking coward. He ends his life, leaving behind a family during the great depression to fend for themselves. 

Justin returns home, high on power, and looks longingly at his sleeping sister before turning off the radio and awakening her. He tells her everything and she’s silent and then seems to be quietly thrilled. This makes Justin cry, she comforts him in a way that could be sibling-like but somehow is suggestive of more. 

Later, we see Justin return to his room to self-flagellate. That’s not a euphemism. Actually, it probably is. Iris hears him from the living room. 

In the final scene, the carnival is wrapping up. Ben sees the little hat and vest from the bear in his nightmares attached to the side of management’s trailer.