Carnivale

On the road to Babylon (Texas), the carnies come face-to-face with nature's fury. Lured by clues about his past, Ben reluctantly follows Lodz into an abandoned house, where the seer tests Ben's powers; Sofie socializes with a handsome cafe owner, to Apollonia's chagrin; Samson pays a visit to an old flame; and Jones, facing a roustabout mutiny, comes up empty in his effort to meet with Management. Meanwhile, Brother Justin struggles with an ultimatum: give up his new migrants' ministry at Chin's, or face losing his old congregation at First Methodist.

While Brother Justin rediscovers his 'birthright' on the banks of a river, his sister Iris gets some unexpected support from a radio reporter. At the carnival, Rita Sue and Stumpy argue over their family's future; Ben and Ruthie go hunting for snakes to use in her act; Samson goes to work on the bally; and Libby and Sofie see stars on the western horizon.

Ben tries to stave off the torments of his dreams by staying awake, but the lack of sleep is taking its toll. Samson looks to drum up new business by resurrecting several tried-and-true scams, including 'turtle boy' and 'man-eating chicken'; Lodz warns Ben about the dangers of not practicing his 'gift'; Sofie worries that her mother is losing touch with reality; Ben marvels at Ruthie's snake-charming routine; and Lodz's psychic act gets a jolt from a mysterious source. In Mintern, Iris reaches out to Brother Justin over the radio airwaves, and Tommy gets a surprise reaction when he reaches out to Iris.

Stroud hits the road on his mission, making rapid progress. Ben seeks out a former associate of Scudder's named Father Kerrigan, a disturbed artist whose 'vision' Ben has seen before. Justin and Iris welcome a beautiful new 'servant' into their home. Meanwhile, Samson threatens to replace Stumpy, who works Rita Sue and Libby harder than ever; Sofie seeks comfort in manual labor, to the men's chagrin; Lila challenges Samson's easy dismissal of Lodz; Management confides in Ben about a secret fear; and Justin makes late-night visits to Chinatown, where a mysterious woman helps manifest his destiny--in the flesh.

Justin is pushed by Dolan to make a difficult decision; Iris gives an important dictation; Ben has a nightmare visit with a mask-maker; Ruthie shares her visions with Sofie, who decides to help Ben; Rita Sue is generous with Stumpy, who bets on a big fight; Libby fishes for a compliment from Jones; Stroud continues his pursuit of Ben; and Justin receives a mysterious gift that gives him a new perspective.

The troupe breaks bread with another carnival and Samson makes a deal with an old friend named Sabina; Iris and Justin prepare for their most difficult sermon yet; Stumpy panics as Rita Sue goes on a charity mission; Jones and Stumpy both try to defend Libby's honor; Lila makes a new friend; and Ben and Sofie dance around family issues.