Well, I only got one email identifying Nastassja Kinski this week, so that's a good sign. On the other hand, I also received three more marriage proposals (including one with a picture, and I do have a weakness for redheads), a letter from a reverend offering to perform the actual wedding ceremony, more detail than I needed on early twentieth-century mental health treatments, two book recommendations (one of which I followed), and some truly bizarre nickname suggestions for Pa Pimperson. I also got spam promising me a "cleaner colon," which I'd have to imagine is exactly why Spam was invented in the first place. So…um, thanks everyone!
We fade up on Ben, tossing and turning on his little mattress underneath the truck. An unfortunate close-up allows us to see that the dirt particles have set up little swimming pools, complete with diving boards, lifeguards, and muddy fat guys wearing Speedos, in some of his larger and greasier facial pores. I'm pretty sure I spotted a lichen doing the backstroke, but the camera pulls back before I can be absolutely positive. And then Ben reaches up and starts rubbing his face in an effort to stay awake, and I actually had to run upstairs and grab some Clearasil pads to wipe off my screen. Ew. Eventually, he clambers to his feet and lights up a cigarette. Once again, don't mind if I do. Flick…ahh.
Also awake at this hour is Sofie, who is filling a water jug from a nearby keg. Perhaps tellingly, she walks right past Ben without saying a single word. Upon returning to her trailer, however, she suddenly hears screaming and the sounds of a nasty struggle coming from inside. Uh oh. Sounds like Mommatose needs another Ex-Lax. Sofie rushes to help, but unfortunately she's also managed to somehow lock herself out of the trailer. Instead of calling AAA, she decides to utilize the significantly more expedient solution of smashing open a window with a nearby chair. Once inside, she's horrified to discover that her dear sainted mother is being raped by Creepy Ugly Naked Tattooed Guy, who is just as ugly, creepy, naked, and tattooed as we remember him. Hi, Creepy Ugly Naked Tattooed Guy! We've missed you so much that we still haven't been able to come up with a decent nickname for you! Now, I went through this scene frame-by-frame on pause (which ranks third on the list of The Most Disgusting Things I've Ever Had To Do For You People, behind Mind of the Married Man and that time I had to freeze-frame Robson's hemi-penis on Oz), and it does appear that Creepy Ugly Naked Tattooed Guy is replaced by Brother Justin for at least five or six frames. You can tell because Clancy Brown is wearing a white shirt in the shot, and it was also clearly filmed someplace that Diane Salinger wasn't. If you're a Limpie in search of a little variety, the image of Clancy Brown thrusting repeatedly into mid-air will no doubt cleanse the jiggling from your perverted mental palate. Also of note is the fact that Mommatose's eyes seem to go black towards the end of the scene, but that could just be an artifact of the trailer's lighting scheme. It's also odd that Sofie went to all that effort to smash her way into the trailer, but once there, she ends up just standing by and watching the whole scene unfold. Mommatose would have been better off with a whistle and a can of mace.
Or perhaps not, because we immediately cut back to Sofie, standing outside the now silent trailer. She runs inside a second time, passing through the now unlocked door, and finds Mommatose alone in her bed. Sofie tries to ask about the vision she just witnessed, but Mommatose (apparently) can't stop screaming, and even sheds a little tear as Sofie tries to console her. I was going to do a "convorsation" here, but the scene doesn't really lend itself to whimsical flights of scatological fancy, so instead I'll just offer props to both Clea Duvall, who did a great job of looking horrified here, and also Diane Salinger, who actually got to emote for the first time in Carnivàle history. Nice work, ladies.