Previously: Management said goodbye, Brother Justin said fuck off, and Ben said that he'd protect Scudder.
We open right where we left off: Management revives and starts strangling Ben. This time, though, we go vision-questing to the spooky tree. Management says, "Behoooold the Usher." Ben -- who always looks excitingly clean in these visions -- walks up to the tree as Management says, "A dark heart dwells where branches meet." A younger, intact Management stands by the tree in his Russian regalia. It's probably worth noting that the sky is blue and calm, and that everything's a little overexposed to make it extra-bright, so it's the flip side of the red skies and gloominess of Brother Justin's visits to the tree. "Anointed dagger, plunge thee deep," Management says, concluding another couplet as he draws out the trench knife and stabs the tree trunk where it starts to split. Thunder cracks, and blue blood oozes out of the tree. Keeping one hand on the knife, Management puts his other hand on the top of Ben's head. Ben screams, and the camera moves up and out.
Casa de Creepy. Iris is sewing, Brother Justin is reading, and Balthus is praying for the sweet release of death. I'm just guessing about that last one. Justin suddenly starts twitching as if he's gonna release another milkquake. Iris watches pretty calmly as Justin convulses and then throws himself onto the floor, where he twitches about. I wonder if it's hard to do scenes like this without everyone's getting the giggles. Then Balthus leans forward and starts making incoherent noises. It's not clear if he's also affected by the mystical goings-on, or if he's just trying to say, "Bite your tongue off! Go on, do it!" Iris looks at Balthus with mild surprise. Eleanor enters the room, carrying a tea tray, and says, "Oh, charades! Um, Shake, Rattle and Roll? Twitch City? Possession?" Justin suddenly raises back up onto his knees, and his eyes are black. Eleanor drops the tea tray and does a full Macaulay Culkin. Justin just as abruptly collapses and lies still. Balthus twitches his lips a little and settles back in his wheelchair. Iris continues to stare.
Management's trailer. Ben tries to pull Management's hand away from his throat. Management gasps, "Accept your fate," and lets his hand fall. Ben looks down and sees the blue blood on the floor being absorbed into the trench knife. He touches the blade gently, and there's a tiny "ping." Then he turns to look behind him, and sees that the door is open and Scudder is gone.
Scudder strolls through the Carnivàle looking...well, about the way you would if a one-armed Russian strangle you, I suppose. "Dazed" sums it up. He passes by Ruthie, who stares after him in astonishment. It didn't occur to me on the first viewing that she'd think Scudder was another ghost, which really makes her reaction a lot funnier.
Scudder wanders through the front gates and out among the parked cars. Then he sort of bangs into the fender of one car and collapses. There's a lot of collapsing going on this week. Varlyn strolls over and says, "Looks like you could use a hand." Scudder says, "No, I've got 'em both; you're thinking of the other guy." Varlyn turns Scudder over and props him up against another car, and then jabs a hypodermic needle into his neck. As Scudder passes out, Varlyn introduces himself and explains, "I've got a friend who's just dyin' to meet you."
Ben runs through the Carnivàle, calling for Scudder. Samson appears and asks, "Scudder?" Ben says that something "terrible bad" has happened. He confirms that Samson hasn't seen Scudder, and rushes off.
Jonesy and Libby stumble out of a bar, singing loudly. They twirl about in the street, singing and smooching. Get a room! Or at least another field! Jonesy says, "I got an idea," and drags Libby off.
Rita Sue is putting on another show. She has perfect skin. Stumpy gets on stage and starts doing the pitch for the "Bulgarian muscle dance." Rita Sue takes this opportunity to ask Stumpy where Libby's gone. She hisses in his ear, "That's four double-trots in a row. I'm dyin'!" Stumpy leads the crowd into the tent.
Brother Justin is lying in bed, recovering from his twitch-fest. Iris removes his shoes and starts to undo his shirt. Justin suddenly realizes what she's doing and brushes her away. He asks her what happened, and Iris asks, "You don't remember?" Justin says that he must have fainted. Iris says he had one of his spells, and insists that it was nothing. Justin seems surprised to hear that he has "spells," and doesn't look reassured as Iris tells him to rest.
Iris steps out of bedroom and finds Eleanor in the hallway. Eleanor asks, "Did you see?" Iris asks what she was supposed to see, and Eleanor says, "The devil in him." Iris reminds Eleanor that Justin is a man of God, and calmly heads downstairs.
Stumpy's smoking a cigarette outside the Cooch tent when an irate Bud Everhard appears, looking for his money. Stumpy apologizes for going off the circuit, and Bud sneers, "You people move around like a pack of drunk monkeys." Bud complains that Stumpy was supposed to let Bud know where they were headed. Bud grabs Stumpy and threatens him, and then Rita Sue appears to save the day. Like Mighty Mouse wearing a negligee. Hey, rhyming couplets are fun! Rita Sue tells Bud, "You want to slap him around, have at it. But if you want your dough, you best come on in here and talk to me." She strolls back into the tent. Stumpy nervously tells Bud, "She was just kidding about slapping me around." Bud shoves Stumpy out of the way and enters the tent.
Ben returns to Management's trailer, where Stumpy is staring at Management's body, now covered with a blue-blood-stained sheet. Ben says that Scudder got away. Samson sighs, "He finally did it." Ben explains that Scudder didn't kill Management; Ben did. Someone presses the "commence exposition" button on Ben's back, and off he goes. Ben reminds Samson that Management treated everyone like they were game pieces: "He had to die, and he had to make sure I was the one who killed him." Ben claims that Management never wanted to find Scudder -- he just wanted to keep tabs on him, and on Ben. He says that the whole thing with Lodz and Ruthie was a test to make sure Ben would do what was necessary. I wonder if Samson's thinking, "Kid, I don't care why you did it, but just stop leaving dead bodies in my bedroom. Is that so much to ask?" Ben says, "He knew I couldn't kill him, except to save my father." Er. I don't believe that. Ben didn't particularly like Management, from what we saw; I think that if Management had attacked Ruthie, or Sofie, or just about anyone the way he went after Scudder, Ben would have reacted the same way. Why was Management depending on Ben's loyalty to the deadbeat dad he just met? Maybe Management did view everything as a chess game, and he's just not very good at chess.
Cooch tent. Rita Sue rubs lotion on her legs as she explains to Bud, "You can beat a stone, you can bust its legs -- hell, you can even run it over with your automobile, but you can't get blood out of it." She's got a way with a metaphor. Bud sits in a chair facing her and asks what she suggests. Rita Sue strolls over and takes a puff off of Bud's cigarette as she coos that they can work something out. She starts rubbing his shoulders as she offers him 10% of the gate until they've repaid him. Bud asks about the "vig." Rita Sue purrs, "There's more than one kind of interest," as she kneels in front of him. Bud matter-of-factly explains, "The interest you're looking for down there got shot off in a barley field outside of Avignon." Owie. Rita Sue makes an excellent "D'oh!" face, as Bud tells her that he'll take $100 at the end of each week until they've repaid the debt, with interest. So he's gonna come out and find them every week? I hope his travel expenses are tax-deductible. As he puts his hat on, Bud adds, "Miss a payment, we'll see if I can't make a stone bleed." Exit Bud.
Back in Management's trailer, Samson sums up: "So you're saying he set the whole thing up?" Ben reaches behind the curtain and pulls out a book as he recites, "By the hand of the prince, the prophet dies; upon his death the prince shall rise." I like how he says this as if Samson should say, "Oh, yes, of course, I see it all now." Ben says that he's the prince, and Management is the prophet. He claims it's all in the book he's holding, which I assume is the Gospel of Matthias. Ben adds, "When I killed him, everything he was, everything he knew, everything he believed -- he gave it to me." So Ben can speak Russian now? Cool. Ben even goes on to explain how he has to defeat the Usher, who is Management's son, Alexi. Samson doesn't believe a word of this. I wish Ben would say, "You seriously think I'm capable of making this shit up?" Instead, he argues, "You knew the way he did things." Samson nods that he did, and snaps, "And you killed him, you damn hick son of a bitch!" Samson stomps out.
Ben goes over to what he thinks is still Sofie's trailer and knocks on the door. Lila opens the door in her robe and asks what he wants. Ben is taken aback as he asks where Sofie is, and Lila explains that Sofie left after their encounter with the Daily Brothers refugees. Lila's got her beard rolled up around a little curler, tee hee. Ben is shocked that Sofie's gone, because it's not like Sofie repeatedly told him she was leaving or anything. Ben mutters, "She wouldn't do that, not after..." After it rained? Lila chuckles, "Don't tell me you finally put the boots to that little biscuit?" She closes the door, still laughing. Ben sits down on the trailer steps and puts his head in his hands. Aw.
Morning at Casa de Creepy. Some kids play in the yard while a man rakes the yard and a woman sweeps the steps. In the good old days, fans would clean your house personally for you. Now they buy you Roombas, which is even cooler.
Inside, Brother Justin is reading the paper when the phone rings. Iris answers, and Varlyn asks to speak to Justin. While Iris tries to put him off, we see that Justin is reading a huge cover story in The Daily Chronicle with the headline: "Radio Minister Blasts Church Fathers." Justin puts down the paper and asks, "McNaughton again?" When Iris says that it's Varlyn, Justin strolls over to take the phone. Before he speaks, he stares at Iris until she takes the hint and leaves the room.
Varlyn reports that he's in Nebraska, and that he's got Scudder. Hey, Varlyn's got a new pinstriped suit! Good for him. He says that he and Scudder will arrive at Casa de Creepy in two or three days. Justin asks if Varlyn's okay, and Varlyn grumps, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle." He hangs up and steps out of what we now see is a small gas station. The attendant is pumping gas as Varlyn walks around the corner of the building.
In the station bathroom, Varlyn unwraps the stocking he used as a bandage on his hand. Somehow, he got a nasty big cut in his palm, which is a peculiar wound to get when you punch a mirror with your closed fist. Varlyn lowers his hand under the faucet and pants as he lets a thick trickle of water pour onto the wound. He picks up a canister of Bab-O cleanser and dumps a good portion of it onto his hand. Ow ow ow. He grimaces, grabs onto the sink with his free hand, and then screams.
Outside, the station attendant looks mildly concerned, but then the scream fades away as another car pulls up. It's a pale blue convertible carrying '35 Bonnie and Clyde. Not actually them, of course, since they were already dead, but close enough. Clyde hops out as the attendant asks if he can help them. Clyde says, "I think I help myself." He draws a revolver as, back in the car, Bonnie pulls out a rifle. Bonnie laughs as Clyde orders the attendant to hand over the cash box. The frightened attendant gives Clyde a metal box, and Clyde happily backs up toward the car. As he turns to get in the car, a bullet punctures his hat. And his head. He collapses to reveal Varlyn, not in the best mood, strolling back to his car from the bathroom. Varlyn calmly shoots Bonnie as he walks to his car. Hee hee hee. I love Varlyn. The attendant gasps, "Praise the lord," and Varlyn whips around and shoots him for good measure. Hee. Varlyn kicks the side of his car and then leans in the window to look at Scudder. Scudder is bound and gagged on the floor of the back seat. The station attendant was kind of unobservant, wasn't he? We can see that Varlyn has wrapped a new makeshift bandage around his hand as he tells Scudder, "Look like we got ourselves a ragtop."
Ben steps out of Management's trailer. Oh my gosh. I think I want him to get a new pair of pants to replace the overalls even more than I want him to get a bath. Ben stares at the Carnivàle as the wind blows noisily around him. There's a faint sound of buzzing, too. Ben slowly turns like a radar detector, and the buzzing gets louder as he turns one way, then quiets down as he keeps turning. He turns back toward the sound, and then opens his eyes and says, "West." Jonesy strolls into the background, staring at the spinning kid. Ben says, "West," again, and Jonesy somehow manages to convey an eyeroll even though he's too far away for me to make it out. Heh. Exit Jonesy. Ben returns to the trailer. There are two things that I think made this episode better than usual: Samson was used really well to connect all the subplots at the Carnivàle, and perhaps even more importantly, there was a sense of humor on display.
Libby wakes up in Jonesy's bed, fully dressed, and then notices a ring on her finger. Oh, if I had an nickel for every time that's happened to me. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," my eye. She sits upright, gasping, as Jonesy enters with two mugs of coffee. Jonesy sits on the bed to Libby, who still looks kind of concerned. Jonesy is all smiles , but displays a little astonishment himself when he shows her his matching ring and says, "Ain't that somethin'?" He says he should get to work. Libby says, "Me too," and then, off Jonesy's glance says, "I mean, you know." They share an awkward kiss, and Jonesy leaves. A second later the tent flap is opened again, and Libby looks up to see Rita Sue growling, "What the hell are you doing in there?" She grabs Libby by the wrist and drags her outside.
Rita Sue tugs a protesting Libby across the midway as she berates her daughter for "shacking up with that gimp for everybody to see." Rita Sue plays the "You're breaking your father's heart!" card and the "Where did I go wrong?" card in quick succession, which is pretty hilarious. Libby finally wrenches herself away, and Rita Sue says, "Don't you put the high hat on with me! You ain't too old I can't take a switch to you!" Libby smirks, "Maybe I'm too married!" and flashes her ring at Rita Sue. Rita Sue freezes and gasps, "Him?" It'd be fun if Libby said, "No, some other guy, but I'm already working on my first extramarital affair!" Instead she just grins and says, "Yeah. Him." Rita Sue starts crying and walks away quickly. Libby calls after her, "Ain't ya gonna congratulate me?" Heh.
Samson's in Management's trailer, flipping though the Gospel of Matthias, when Ben enters and declares, "I got it figured out." Oh, good. Ben says they have to go west: "I felt him out there." Samson dryly says, "Is that a fact?" Ben, whose gifts from Management did not include the ability to detect irony, enthuses that if they hurry, they might be able to catch up. Samson asks who exactly they're catching, and Ben explains that if they follow "the bald fella," they'll find the Usher. Samson sniffs, "If you're so powerful, you bring him back." Ben frowns as he finally realizes that Samson's not quite on board with the mission yet. Samson asks what Ben did with Management, and shows Ben the sheet that used to cover the body. Ben huffs that there's no time for this, and finally sighs, "He...he, uh, ascended," and gestures upward. Heh. I like Nick Stahl. Samson asks what that's supposed to mean. Ben babbles, "He went up to, I don't know, to heaven." He's less than convincing. Which is why I like Nick Stahl. Samson, eyes wide, tells Ben, "I want you out of here, goddammit." Ben insists that he needs Samson's help, although this does raise the question of why, if it's so urgent, Ben doesn't just grab a truck and go on by himself. Samson unfolds the sheet and shrieks, "Look at what you killed, you ignorant hayseed!" On the sheet is a brown image of Management's face, à la the Shroud of Turin. Near tears, Samson yells, "Don't you see what he was?" Buck up, Samson: you can charge people two bits to look at that thing. Ben snaps, "I know exactly what he was, 'cause that's what I am!" Samson goggles, and finally says, "Well, there's one thing he was that you ain't. My friend." Which is odd, since I got the impression that Samson liked Management about as much as Ben did. I guess there were some scenes we didn't see where Management really did put on little puppet shows to entertain Ben and Samson. On the other hand, Samson's "You may be a super-powered deity, but I won't help you move" tone is kind of entertaining. After a long beat, Samson sneers that he'll help Ben if Ben brings Management back. And then he stomps out. The thing is, I had assumed that we, and Ben, were kept in the dark so that there would be a dramatic "all becomes clear" moment. And I suppose that there was one for Ben, but not for the audience. Ben saying that he figured things out is funny, because he didn't figure anything out. There was no learning process; he was given knowledge magically, and now he's Ford Prefect. I just don't understand why they went through contortions to avoid explaining things for so long just to set up some scenes full of exposition.
Casa de Creepy. And the triumphant return of Otho as Councilman Templeton! Wow! He and his flunky are sitting on the couch chatting with Brother Justin while Iris serves lemonade. Otho says, "I doubt my name will pass muster with the nomination committee." Justin insists that they need men like Otho in Washington. He explains, "Ty Divine is a socialist and a degenerate." Iris adds that Divine (great name, by the way) is also an atheist, but Otho says that the problem is, Divine's the incumbent. Iris points out that hundreds of thousands of people listen to Justin's radio sermons. Justin says that Sunday he'll be giving "a Sermon on the Mount for a new America," and that he'd like Otho to speak at it. Otho says that one speech won't win the election. Winning would take money, and volunteers going door-to-door. Iris points out that they have money, and Justin leads his guests outside to the to answer their other objection.
The men stroll across the lawn as Justin gets all Socratic with Otho until they get to the point: there were a about five thousand registered voters in the district as of the last census. They gaze out at Shantyville as Justin observes, "There's more than three times that number living here now -- over 17,000 souls." He says that his ministry provides everything for the Shantyvillians, and asks, "Who do you suppose they will vote for, come November?" Otho smiles, "Anybody you tell 'em to."
Cooch tent. Libby is throwing her belongings into a suitcase, and Rita Sue is pulling them out again while Stumpy watches from the corner. Rita Sue insists that Libby's too young to get married, and Stumpy gently agrees. Libby says it's a bit late to change that. Rita Sue says they'll have the marriage annulled, and Libby scoffs, "We ain't Catholic, Mama," as she refills the suitcase. Rita Sue urges Stumpy to "do something," but Stumpy doesn't think there's anything he can do. He wanders out as Rita Sue tells him that he's useless. Rita Sue tries yet another tactic, and kindly tells Libby that Jonesy probably sweet-talked her into it. Libby says that Rita Sue's just jealous. When Rita Sue pretends not to understand, Libby elaborates, "Because he wants me and not you." Rita Sue asks if that's why Libby married Jonesy, and Libby says, "Maybe I love him!" Heh. Maybe! I think she meant the "maybe" as sarcastic, but you can read it both ways. Rita Sue doesn't think love is enough reason for them to get married, but Libby says it's enough for her, and exits.
Lugging two suitcases, Libby hustles away, offering Stumpy a quick "Bye, Daddy," on her way. Then she stops suddenly and turns to mention that she's also quitting the act: "Jonesy don't want me dancin' no more." Looks like we're gonna need another Catalina.
Libby walks directly in front of a trailer painted with a sign reading "Seductive Siren of Death." Heh. Subtle. She gives Jonesy a little smile as she comes up to the ferris wheel. Samson watches from a distance as Jonesy takes Libby's suitcases and leads her to his tent.
Samson ambles along to where Gabe is whittling a very nice little airplane as he sits on a hay bale. Hi Gabe! Samson asks why Gabe isn't doing a show. Gabe shrugs. Samson looks inside the tent for Ruthie while, a little ways away, a barker urges people to come see Rollo the Rubber Boy. Samson calls the barker, Jasper, over, and tells him, "I want you turning the tip on the rassling show." He says that the Rubber Boy can join the ten-in-one. Jasper observes that Rollo won't like that. Samson says, "Tell him it comes straight down from Management." Jasper nods and marches off.
Samson knocks on Ruthie's trailer and asks what's up. Ruthie opens her door a little bit and peers out at the Carnivàle with a frightened expression. She shakes her head and says, "I can't," and then withdraws back into the trailer. Samson follows her in, where she declares that she can't go outside. Samson, bewildered, asks if she's sick. Ruthie reminds Samson of her date with Skeeter, and explains that she's been seeing dead folks ever since she got snakebit. Samson does not ask, "A snake bit you? When was that?" I guess Ben might have filled him in while they were dumping Lodz's body. Okay. Samson peers at Ruthie and says, "We could work something out..." Hee. Ruthie says she's doesn't want to build an act: "I just want it to stop," she sobs. She says that she hadn't seen any ghosts for a while, but then she saw Scudder last night: "And this other one, he come and he shove him into a car. A car! They got cars!" Ha! Scudder assures Ruthie that Scudder isn't dead, and that he was at the Carnivàle last night. Ruthie sighs in relief as Samson asks her to tell him everything about the other man she saw.
Jonesy loads passengers into the ferris wheel. Stumpy strolls up and offers Jonesy a flask, along with his congratulations. Jonesy rather uncomfortably takes a swig from the flask, and an unhappy woman standing in line for the ferris wheel frowns and leads her children away. Jonesy tells another carny to take over the ferris wheel, and takes a few steps away to chat with Stumpy. Stumpy says he understands why Jonesy might disapprove of Libby's dancing. He cheerfully explains, "It takes a certain kind of man." That it does. Stumpy says that he and Rita Sue would like to invite Jonesy and Libby over for a family supper that night. At this point, I kind of thought Stumpy was planning to lead Jonesy off somewhere dark and kill him so that Libby would stay in the act. Wow, this paragraph has a remarkable "Y" count. Jonesy agrees to come to dinner. Stumpy's delighted, and heads off, but then comes back to advise Jonesy, "Don't go callin' Rita Sue 'Mother.'" A bemused Jonesy says, "I hadn't planned on it."
Over in the chow tent, Lila places a tea tray in front of Ruthie. Ruthie says that Lila didn't have to go through all this trouble, and adds that she feels better. Lila purringly asks if Ruthie "had any more...fits?" Ruthie doesn't think so. Lila presses the issue, wondering if maybe Ruthie has them when she's alone, so she doesn't remember them afterward. Ruthie snarls, "Well, that ain't exactly comforting, is it?" Heh. Lila agrees, and worries that Ruthie could wander out and get hit by a bus. Ruthie goes on looking at Lila with a hilariously insulted expression. Lila obliviously puts her hand on Ruthie's shoulder and offers to stay with her "day and night." Ruthie says she's got to get back to work, and quickly leaves. For all her time with Lodz, Lila didn't learn much about subtlety, did she?
We pan from the "Seductive Siren of Death" sign over to Management's trailer. Inside, open books lie all over the desk and chair. Ben leans back and closes his eyes as "Cheek to Cheek" plays.
POV shot of Varlyn driving down the road. Well, POV of a cameraman leaning in as close to Varlyn's head as he can get, anyway. "Cheek to Cheek," plays on the radio, and Varlyn sings along until he passes a highway sign and pauses to comment, "Lincoln Highway." Varlyn looks down at his bandaged hand and flexes his fingers. He gasps a little in pain, and then looks up as a horn honks. He's wandered over to the wrong side of the road, and quickly swerves back before he crashes into an oncoming car.
Ben jerks and opens his eyes, then rubs his head painfully. Then he says, "Jeepers," and I laugh.
Night has fallen at Casa de Creepy. In a taxi parked by the house, a driver is reading The Los Angeles Herald, where the top story is "Jews not wanted." That'd be about the immigration quotas and so forth.
Inside, Wilfred Talbot Smith is visiting Brother Justin. It is actually "Wilfred," not "Wilford," and would you believe nobody corrected me? Y'all are falling down on the job. Anyway, Wilfred asks, "And then what happened?" Justin says, "There was just the pain." Wilfred asks to see whatever they're talking about. Justin says that he's burned and scarred, and unbuttons his shirt. The tree tattoo is now a tree-shaped patch of shiny red scar tissue. Justin asks what it means. Wilfred, horrified, says, "Your enemy has received his boon." However, he's more worried about "this business [Justin] mentioned with the knife." He opens the Gospel of Matthias to an drawing of a knight with a shield over his head, sticking his sword into the spooky tree. Wilfred quotes the rhyme about the dagger and the plunging. Dude, Freudian much? Wilfred explains that the dagger is "infused with avataric blood." He says, "If he has it in his possession, along with his boon, he not only strength, but the means to destroy you." Justin rebuttons his shirt as he reports that Scudder is on the way to Casa de Creepy. Wilfred asks Justin to call him when Scudder arrives: "He and I have some unfinished business." Is he sulking about how he didn't get enough snake-bits? Justin says, "Perhaps." Wilfred wheedles, but Justin sticks to his maybe.
Out on the porch, Iris sits on the swing, with a clear view into the room through a window.
As the walk through the midway, Jonesy apologetically explains to Libby that he couldn't say no to Stumpy's invitation. Libby insists that her folks are up to something. Jonesy tut-tuts and insists it'll be fine.
Cooch tent. Everyone eats silently. Stumpy tries to show some manners as he starts to ask for the salt, but the silence is so oppressive that he finally just grabs it himself. Heh again. Rita Sue asks if Libby and Jonesy are planning to settle down, "Maybe buy a little bungalow?" Jonesy has his napkin tucked into his shirt, because he wouldn't want to spill something on his clothes. Wiping the spill off might accidentally create a patch of clean. Anyway, he says that he and Libby haven't talked about it. Rita Sue asks about kids, and Libby says that they haven't discussed that, either. Rita Sue notes that they haven't talked much at all. Stumpy observes that it'd be nice if the newlyweds could start off with some extra money. Libby cuts off that line of conversation. Stumpy says, "I'm just saying..." and then looks at Rita Sue so that she'll help. Rita Sue glares. Stumpy's eyes ping-pong around for a while, and finally Rita Sue asks Jonesy what's so bad about being married to a dancer. Jonesy says that the dancing isn't the problem. Rita Sue says, "I'm sure it's just the fucking part that's got your knickers in a bunch." Well...yes. Stumpy tries to calm Rita Sue down, and she snaps, "This is a family problem, and a six-bit ring don't make him family." Jonesy removes his napkin and starts to get up. Rita Sue shouts, "You sit the hell down!" He does. Heh. She explains that Stumpy owes $833. Libby sips her drink while Jonesy, pained, says that's not his problem. Rita Sue asks, "What're you gonna say to your blushing little bride here when the gorilla [Stumpy] owes it to carves her daddy up like a ripe tom turkey?" Stumpy looks embarrassed and scratches his head with his fork. Jonesy asks why Stumpy's debt is Libby's problem. Rita Sue says, "Because we'refamily," and goes on that way for a while. Jonesy says, "I'm not gonna have my crew watching my wife dancin' nekkid for a nickel a throw, and that's it!" He said "nekkid"! Everybody drink! Jonesy starts to pull Libby along as he makes to leave. Libby growls, "You can't tell me what to do!" Rita Sue agrees. Libby snaps, "And you can't neither!" Libby stands up and says that they all make her sick. She says that she's not livestock for them all to argue over. Stumpy starts to say something, but Libby tells him to shut up, and then tells Jonesy that she's going to dance. Jonesy starts to say, "Libby --" but she cuts him off, too, saying, "Just until we pay off what he owes, and then I am retired, permanent." Rita Sue starts to lift her head to speak, but Libby adds that she's not doing any more blow-offs, or turning any tricks. She concludes, "Now, that's the way it's gonna be. And if any of you don't like it, y'all can take a flying fuck at the man in the moon!" Ladies and gentleman, let's give Libby a big hand as she storms off. Jonesy and Rita Sue stare after Libby, and then turn back to the table. After a minute, Stumpy says, "We got pie." Hee. I hope he's going to get a new fork, though.
Samson returns to Management's trailer, calling for Ben. Then he steps forward, gazing at something with surprise. Eventually, we reverse to see that the empty space behind the puppet theater has been replaced with a decorated nook, lined with shelves and photos and knickknacks and a phonograph. Management's medals hang in a little shadow-box on the wall.
Samson exits the trailer and locks the door. From the shadows, Bert says, "Hey, Stitch." Samson says he doesn't answer to that name now. Bert asks what he should call Samson, then. Samson says, "'Boss' is fine. 'Sir' is better." He gets a lovely Sergio Leone shot here, with the brim of his hat hiding his eyes in shadows. Bert approaches and says, "Well, Sir..." and then flicks open a switchblade. Bert advises Samson to keep away from Sabina. Samson yanks a sword blade out of his cane and points it at Bert's throat. Aw, yeah. This makes me especially happy because, back when Varlyn confronted Samson, I was hoping Samson was so calm because he always carries a gun or something, and not because he's dumb. Samson tells Bert, "I'd tell your wife to stay the hell away from me." He flicks Bert's hair with the blade and tells him, "Git." Bert gits. Samson resheathes his cane. And then a woman screams nearby.
There's been a horrible accident at the ferris wheel! Hooray! Er, well, you know what I mean. The crowd displays panic by running about at random, while the cars swing above them. It looks like two guys are getting ready to try to climb down from the stopped wheel. The camera moves up to reveal an empty space where another car should be. Oh, there it is, on the ground. Jonesy hurries up, giving orders and asking what happened. Nobody seems to know, really. Two bodies lie to the fallen car -- a woman and a child. Another woman sits on the ground near them, clutching the back of her head, and it looks like several other passersby were hit by bits of debris. Jonesy goes on giving orders as the unhappy woman who wouldn't let her kids on the ferris wheel points at him and shrieks that she saw him drinking on the job earlier. The carnies hurry to get the remaining passengers out of the ferris wheel, and Jonesy calls for a ladder to get the people who are up top. Samson moves through the crowd, reassuring the injured. Lila is tending someone's wounds as Samson tells Gabe to call the hospital. I'm not sure that's the best job to give Gabe, honestly. Sparks fly as another of the cars comes loose. A woman dangles out of it by one hand as the man in the car struggles to hold on. She manages to climb back into the car.
Ben walks over to the fallen car. He looks down at the unmoving little boy, and then hears the woman muttering, "Please God, take me, not my son," over and over and over. And over. Ben leans in close to listen. Samson happens to look around and sees Ben kneeling by the car. Ben closes his eyes, and the mother breathes, "Yes." Ben puts one hand on her cheek, and the music swells. Her eyelashes flutter. The music goes on swelling. Quite a few posters mentioned that they found this scene moving. Which is cool. I didn't, really, but it seemed worth mentioning that the scene was quite affecting among people who, y'know, aren't callous. Ben looks over at the little boy, who inhales suddenly and leans up, asking, "Mama?" He looks at his mother and starts crying, "Nooooo!" and I think that might be why I was unmoved. Plus the whole callous thing. Ben screams for a little help, and I half-expect someone to toss him a ball. Samson goggles as a man hurries over and carries the sobbing child away.
Later, the crowds, and bodies, have mostly cleared out. Samson shouts at some carnies to hurry up. Jonesy stands, staring up at the broken ferris wheel. Samson tells him to "stop standing around with [his] face hanging out," hee, and says that they have to make tracks. Jonesy orders his men to "break this bitch down." Then Samson walks toward the edge of the Carnivàle and sees the baggage trailer parked a little distance away. "What the hell?" he wonders.
Samson enters the baggage trailer and gazes around at the trunks and shelves. The Fetus In A Jar waves a big hello to all of its fans. "Thanks for your support!" he cries. "Look for me on an upcoming episode of C.S.I. Miami, where I play David Caruso's withered soul!" Samson moves deeper into the trailer. "Love Me or Leave Me" plays on an unseen phonograph as he looks around at all the kipple. Samson looks at a framed photo of a young boy and girl (presumably Justin and Iris). Then he finds the Shroud of Management on a shelf, draped so that the image of Management's face is clear. Samson sits on a trunk and stares at it. Then he stands, feels the edge of the sheet gently, and walks out. The Fetus in a Jar is now the Jar Without A Fetus. Poor, lonely jar.
Outside the trailer, Samson finds Ben standing nearby. Ben says, "I'm sorry about your friend." A wind blows, and Samson turns to see that the trailer is gone. Ben says, "Best I could do." Samson says that he'll help Ben, but that they'll have to have a different arrangement than Ben had with Management. He declares, "No more secrets. No more lies." Ben looks around like Samson might be talking to someone else, and then spreads his hands and insists, "I don't lie." Samson spits in his hand, and Ben does likewise, and they shake. Samson explains that Ruthie saw Scudder get nabbed last night. Ben grumbles, "He's takin' him back to the preacher." Samson, yet again, does not ask what the hell Ben's talking about. Ben says that Varlyn's already a day ahead of them, "We ain't even started, we already lost." Samson says, "I got gasoline and rubber. A four-bit wager says we haven't." Ben translates, "Fifty cents." Samson says, "Iron money."
The Carnivàle is packed up. Jonesy hustles along, telling people to keep their headlights off until they're out of the state. He gets into the lead truck. Samson asks if everyone's ready. Jonesy replies, "If they ain't, they can stay behind and wait for the mob." Samson says that they're heading west: "Abraham Lincoln Highway. As far and as fast as you can put us there. I got silver riding on it." He sips from his flask. The Carnivàle moves out.
Casa de Creepy. Brother Justin, in his robe, holds the broken pieces of the mask of Ben. He puts the pieces together and holds it up to his face, but nothing happens. He walks out of the room and into the hall. Then he looks around carefully before we hear the sound of a drawer opening, even though he's got his hands full of Ben's face. Props to dannyboybell for pointing that out. Justin puts the mask away and closes the drawer (with his hands, this time). Justin strolls out onto the landing and looks downstairs. The latest maid is bent over on her knees, washing the floor. Justin's eyes follow the bouncing ass as she works. I wonder if he'd like an introduction to Libby. Justin finally sighs and continues upstairs. And then the maid gets up and turns around as a dramatic chord reminds us to look up in time to see that it's Sofie.
time: Ben tries sneaking, Sofie learns her place, Jonesy and Libby get into trouble, and Justin cracks up over "Blessed are the meek." Hee. Oh, and the show's on at 10 PM starting this Sunday, because of the cowboys.