21 September, 2003

"The boy's a remarkable find. He should prove to be most valuable."First Brother Justin and then Ben enter a nighttime diner and sit at the counter, silent and staring straight ahead. Then the two men from Ben's previous dreams enter and share a table, one decked out in evening clothes and the other dressed in his WWI uniform. Ben and Justin watch the men start into their steak dinners, and as they clink their glasses in a toast, all the windows of the diner shatter and Ben and Justin both wake with a start from their shared nightmare. In the morning, Jonesy gives Ben the job of cleaning out the baggage trailer, prompting snickers and stifled laughter from the rousties. Ben finds the trailer sitting dilapidated and forlorn under a gnarled tree and starts going through the dusty contents. Finding an old suitcase, Ben opens it to reveal a carefully wrapped tuxedo and top hat, the same as the man was wearing in his dream. Ben also notices a faded photograph, which he is shocked to see depicts his mother as a young woman on one side and on the back the mysterious letters HS & Flow. Ben pockets the photo and leaves the mystery-filled trailer, only to be accosted by Samson angry at Ben for not working with the other Rousties. When Ben tells of his job at the baggage trailer, Samson reveals that the trailer doesn't exist- it's an old carny gag. When Ben shows Samson the photo to prove he was in the trailer, Samson realizes that there's more to the boy than he had thought. Other unusual things are happening at the Carnivale as well. Apollonia, Sophie's comatose mother, refuses to "speak" to her until she brings Ben back in to finish his tarot reading, something he is unwilling to do. Lodz tells Samson of seeing Scudder in Ben's dreams and presses Samson to talk to Management to have the Carnivale head south.The well-scrubbed, respectable members of Brother Justin's congregation are put-off by the migrant Okies that have started attending services at the church. Brother Justin, prompted by his visions, meets with Carroll Templeton, the well-to-do owner of Chin's, and asks that he hand over the property so Justin can start a church for the migrants. Templeton laughs in his face, saying that Chin's is not for sale. In a self-righteous rage, Justin grabs him and forces a shocked and frightened Templeton into a vision in which Justin shows him the true nature of his sins.At night, Ben's vivid nightmare comes to him yet again; the WWI trench, the two men from the diner, a hungry and violent bear...Ben wakes abruptly to the sight of Apollonia walking towards him. She takes his hand and tells him, "You're the one," after which she collapses in his arms, comatose once again. Apollonia's cries of alarm wake the whole outfit and they rush to the scene, grabbing the old woman away from Ben. After a tussle in which Ben is roughed up by Gabriel, Samson breaks it up and tells the assembled group that Ben did not do anything and there has been a change of plans; the Carnivale will head south in the morning. Lodz smiles mysteriously to himself as he retreats to his trailer.While Ruthie helps Ben with his cuts and bruises, he shows her the picture of his mother. She recognizes her as Flora, Hack Scudder's sweetie, then she gives him an old photo of Scudder who worked the geek show in the Carnival, who Ben recognizes as the man from his dreams.Brother Justin has made Carroll Templeton see the light. As Justin enters Chin's to visualize it as his new church, Templeton drives out to a deserted road and shoots himself in the head. After telling Iris the news that Chin's is now a House of God, Justin retreats to his bedroom where he flagellates himself with holy fervor.

• Search for Season 1, Episode 2 (1 results)