Carnivale: Season 1 Episode 3 - Tipton

The Rotating Cast Files: Carnivale

Pack up the babies! Grab the old ladies! Everyone knows, everyone goes, Brother Benjamin St John's Show!

Produced by Kristen Riley and Daive Reed
Edited by Daive Reed

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Trigger Warnings: Death, evangelism, complex boundaries between siblings

Summary

Carnivàle shows up in Tipton as a funeral is in progress. Most of the mourners turn away from the coffin and watch the carnival come into town. One fancy guy seems pretty pissed.

The carnival is setting up as Samson reads off a list for purchases in the town. Samson tells Hawkins to go with Jonesy. Jonesy has never worked this town. They used to have a circuit until Hawkins showed up. Which doesn’t make sense yet.

Samson has the carnival setting up. The angry, fancy guy comes over. Lyle Donovan, Tipton's sheriff, comes to find Samson. They shoot the shit for a bit, but Lyle sucks and tells Samson he’s not going to allow it. “Because the town is too poor” but probably because Lyle sucks.

The two have known each other for a long time, but Donovan refuses to let Samson set up the carnival since Donovan doesn't want his people being cheated out of what little money they have left.

Paying for entertainment is not the same thing as being cheated, you moron. And if they gamble? That’s on them.

In town, it’s obvious how bad off the town is. There’s hardly any food and no water, even the cows are dehydrated. It’s definitely bad. Jonesy haggles over barely corn while Ben sees a truck with the Big Sky Farms sign on it.

Just then, the little girl he healed before identifies Ben as a healer. Jonesy pulls up in the truck as the town is being wild and calls over the ruckus to Ben to get into the truck.

In a nice juxtaposition, the poor migrants from Minten have a new place of worship. Justin and his congregation are having a great time at Chen’s. Justin and Iris are trying to get everyone on key, but we know I don’t want that. Justin preaches that people who God hates are better believers than the ones who don’t have it as hard or something.

Eleanor gives God credit when shaking Justin’s hand and Justin replies that it isn’t a miracle, just a lot of hard work. Honestly, I want to hear more people say that. Take credit for your hard work!

Some council members show up and want a “nickel tour”. Iris says “well well.”

Jonesy arrives and says Ben was being called Jesus. Samson isn’t interested because the carnival has been kicked out. BUT Jonesy has an idea.

Samson stages a faith-healing revival in order to circumvent Donovan's edict. Samson plays the organized religion game and talks to the reverend, spinning a cute tale and promising 50% to this guy’s church. There’s a catholic church down the road, and Samson says “why don’t we let the Catholics take care of the Catholics?” The game is on.

After gaining the support of Tipton's reverend, we get a great shot of Stumpy’s born-again speech. His daughters are dressed up, collecting coins in plates, and looking very "respectable". Quotes because respectability is a patriarchal construct.

Samson is confronted by Lyle and uses the great “freedom of religion” bullshit we’re all being persecuted under today. It’s a great comparison between what’s happening in Tipton and Minten. The poor folks are being taken by religion.

Lila is dressing Ben, putting product in his hair. Ruthie, Gabriel, and Samson walk in. Samson asks who dressed him, Lodz? Because he’s styled exactly like The Gentleman Geek. Ruthie says it’s like seeing a ghost and Samson shoos her out.

Ben gets all high-strung, as is his #1 characteristic., and says he’s not going to do it. He tries to leave, but Gabriel physically stops him. Samson says it’s not an option to leave.

Stumpy's speech is incredible.

I always love these stories, because they’re humble brags of how much sinning someone has gotten up to in their lives and it kind of makes you jealous.

As he ends it, his story for introducing Ben is that he was struck down and Ben brought him back, which turned his sinning light around.

Samson sits behind Lila and Lodz, mentioning the tux was a mean trick. Lodz is thrilled.

Gabriel looks dapper in his gray suit.

Stumpy calls for healing, and people want healing. He calls for a woman in the back, in a wheelchair, Gabriel brings her and the chair to the stage. She has stomach cancer, it’s in her spine and keeps her legs from working. Ben is absolutely freaking out. Finally, the woman reveals her face - because Ben is a big dummy and can’t tell it’s Ruthie - as Stumpy leads the crowd in a chant of Jesus, Jesus!

Ben finally touches her and she performs, the crowd goes wild. Lila in the background shouts the loudest. It’s all very good and honestly, exactly what revivals are so…no hard feelings.

We get another dream sequence. It’s the diner song with the terrible lyrics. Ben wakes up and Samson announces that, due to the incredible success of the revival show, they now have fresh eggs, bacon, and orange juice.

The rousties send Ben off for more orange juice, while getting a refill he asks Sofie about her mom. Appolonia isn’t great, but at least she’s talking.

Ben says he has something that needs doing in town. He’d seen a sign for “Big Sky Farms” and needed to investigate. Samson gives him access to the car.

Ben is late for his own show chasing leads.

When he gets back, he asks if there’s been a wreck. But it’s all the folks here for the revival show. As he walks toward the carnival a woman with a sandwich board sign recognizes him, Ben is swarmed and Gabe ends up carrying him off.

Back at Chin’s, now the migrant church, the council members - Munson and Templeton - are getting their “dime tour” though you know they used to be regulars here. Justin is showing them the boys’ dorms, which is almost complete. The girls’ dorm, across the hall, is already complete. Justin calls Iris over, she’s wearing one of those designs that grown women had to wear that make them look shapeless like dolls, and she asks if Carroll Templeton was the other Templeton cousin, no it was his nephew. She gives her condolences.

This awful Tempelton says he wishes Justin would’ve come to them first. When Justin says he’d love their support in the future, the other guy has to speak up.

It’s all stupid politics. That guy gets to tell him the demo was planned for this whole block. They offer Justin a run-down place outside of town, in exchange for “this cracker box”. Templeton threatens Justin, which will turn out just fine. I’m sure.

Justin walks out, sweating. Iris rushes out after him, trying to calm the situation. When Justin yells “no!” the older Templeton starts to choke. He’s led out by his dumb cronies. Iris starts to realize there's a connection. It’s probably the hottest her brother has looked to her in a while.

Sofie tends to Appollonia. Appy says he needs her, Sofie isn’t thrilled, but Ben shows up asking for help. Sofie gives him a “disguise” and tells him to wait in the truck. She ends up driving him to the house.

It’s in need of a paint job and a good porch sweeping. He knocks on the door and asks to see Ms. Donovan. At first, he’s told she’s indisposed, but then is let inside.

Sofie is dismissed, politely. Ben shows Becca Donovan the pictures. She knows Scudder, they were lovers at one time, and she knew about Flora. Becca also tells him the rules of the game. Take a life to give a life. If Ben hasn’t figured this out already, I swear.

Regardless, Becca knows about the dreams. His daddy had the gift/curse. Because everything is a story about fathers and sons.

Lyle shows up and bodily throws Ben out.

Sofie drives them back and asks questions that Ben refuses to answer so she kicks him out of the car.

He yells “crazy damn bitch” and she backs up and says to his face “what’d you call me?” He actually repeats himself, which most people wouldn’t, but refuses to get in. He walks away, in the finest clothes he’s ever worn.

Later that evening, Samson is waiting for Ben to return, Since he hasn’t yet, they have a standby.

We cut back to Sofie and Ben in a weird little standoff. Eventually, Sofie asks if she can have a cigarette, and Ben replies “can I drive?” So they make up.

Back at the revival with the stand in Ben, Doramea comes up with bloody legs. She was run over by a thresher.

It’s all going fine until the sheriff walks in. Cops are always looking out for only themselves. But honestly, it’s the draw of religion too. Hope, whether it’s false or not, is still hope.

He demands the healer heal his ailing mother instead of the thrasher victim. But he also knows the healer stand-in isn’t the healer they’ve been sold. Fortunately, Ben shows up. He asks about the rules. He’s worried because he knows if he does it someone or something will die. He tells the cop to move back. But Becca tells him no, don’t touch me. She’s not willing to kill someone else for her sake. Ben alerts the crowd, telling them to remember she said she doesn’t want to be healed. He asks about Scudder, she informs him that Scudder was in Babylon after he was with her, then she dies.

Later that night, Samson demands to know what Ben would’ve done if she hadn’t stopped him. I’m not sure he wants to know. He ends up punishing Ben with latrine duty.

Another comparison you may have already picked up is between Norman and Samson. They both refer to their charges as children - "little girl" vs "children".

As they're leaving, Jonesy asks where. Samson gives directions. Jonesy says, damn that’ll take us mighty close to Babylon. Samson replies, no that’ll take us to Babylon.

On a bicycle.