Carnivàle

- Season 2

(2005)

As the spiritual powers of Ben Hawkins evolve, the entity Management reveals its identity (the Russian soldier in Ben's dreams) to Ben, and then exposes him to a vision of the cataclysmic disasters (a nuclear explosion) that awaits the world if Ben doesn't identify and conquer his nemesis: Brother Justin, the creature of darkness. In order to do this, Ben must find his father, the elusive Henry Scudder, who holds the knowledge of the preacher's identity and location. In the aftermath of the fire which killed Apollonia, Samson covers for Ben by claiming that he died in...

Ben travels on his own to Alamogordo to seek out Father Kerrigan, a former preacher residing in a lunatic asylum - who knew his father, and who tells him to beware of a mysterious tattooed man that both Ben and Brother Justin see in their dreams. Back at Carnivale, Stumpy continues his pursuit of Rita Sue and Libby's well being by gambling. Ben finds a distraught Sofie wandering on the road and brings her back to the troupe, while nobody realizes that although Sofie's mother is dead, her ghost (whom only Sofie can see and hear) still lingers around her. Still worried ...

When Carnivale sets up show in Ingram, Texas, Ben sets out to find some people who knew Scudder and stumbles into a bizarre moonshiners' camp, which proves both painful and revealing. Meanwhile, Stroud continues his quest to find Scudder by investigating the mining accident in the ghost town of Babylon. At Carnivale, Sofie still refuses to read Ben's future through the tarot cards, but the cards soon reveal something without Sofie's assistance. Ruthie's luck with her snake charming skills seem to be turning against her. Stumpy pitches Rita Sue and Libby to an underage...

Still held captive in the moonshiners' camp, Ben meets his blind and elderly grandmother who reveals some family secrets and a mysterious face of death. Meanwhile, Lila confides in the rest of the riggers that she suspects Samson was responsible for Lodz' demise. Jonesy instructs Sofie to dig a large hole in the ground. In Mintern, Justin continues his mesmerizing evil sermons to his Temple of Jericho congregation, where he has a seizure when he has a vision of the threat that Ben poses to him. In Los Moscos, New Mexico, Stroud reports his progress to Justin who ...

When the Carnivale stops outside Creed, Oklahoma, they receive an uninvited visitor, Varlyn Stroud, who begins asking questions to Jonesy, and later to Samson, about where to find Scudder. Meanwhile, Rita Sue bails out Stumpy for his $400 gambling debts, but he bets (and loses) all of the money on a big fight anyway. In Mintern, Justin pushes Dolan to make a decision while Iris confesses to Dolan about being the one responsible for the ministry fire. Back in Creed, Ben pays a visit to an elderly mask-maker for information about Scudder, which turns into a literal ...

On the road to Damascus, Nebraska, Samson and the troupe stop to help when they run into a rival troupe that has fallen on hard times. In Mintern, Dolan tries to help Iris and Justin find a solution to their legal problems while Iris is surprised when she learns of Justin's real plan: to frame Dolan for the ministry fire. Back at Carnivale, Rita Sue learns that Stumpy lost all of their money with gambling while he and Jonesy come to blows over her. Ben and Sofie decide to explore their growing romantic relationship with sex when she tells him that she intends to leave...

When Carnivale finally arrives in Damascus, Ben gets closer to finding his father when another vision of a man with the shredded face leads him to the town's seedy hotel. Ben then goes to investigate further, and finally meets his father, who is working as a clerk at the hotel. Meanwhile, Bishop McNaughton arrives at Brother Justin's new residence at the Temple of Jericho at New Canaan where he puts Justin on notice about the content of his sermons. Back at the Carnivale, Jonesy cannot get the departed Sofie out of his mind, while Libby and Rita Sue continue their war...

Ben and Samson have a heated argument over some bad news that Ben tells him about the death of Management, and Samson learns from Ruthie about seeing Stroud abduct Scudder. Ben suggests that they must track down Stroud at once so he will lead them to Brother Justin. Meanwhile, Iris and Justin back a local politician while Justin reveals his evil side to Reverend Balthus. Back at Carnivale, Rita Sue tries to play hardball with Bud, Stumpy's debt collector, by showing him who's the boss. Libby shocks her parents by revealing that she and Jonesy got married after a ...

While driving down a desolate highway in rural Utah on his trail of Stroud, Ben comes across Jones and Libby, the victims of a vigilante group blaming Jonesy for the Ferris wheel accident, leading Ben to try to heal Jonesy. Back at Carnivale, Ruthie has another possession by the deceased Lodz, who leaves a lipstick message that Sofie is the Omega. Lila then tries to reach the deceased Lodz. At the Canaan camp, the invalid Reverend Balthus takes a shot at Justin during his fiery political sermon, and when chaos breaks out, Justin shocks the crowd with forgiveness. ...

Following another one of Ben's visions, he and Joney set out to find Stroud and they soon arrive in the Wyoming state capital where from a discarded newspaper in a recently vacated hotel room, they finally learn the name and location of Ben's nemesis. Back at Carnivale, Libby struggles to stick to her alibi that Jones concocts for them, but lets the story about Ben slip to her mother. Samson then has a heart-to-heart talk with Libby about Ben's magical abilities. At Justin's ministry camp, Stroud arrives and finally meets his evil master face-to-face. There, Wilfred ...

When Samson announces that the carnival's next stop is the Christian camp of New Canaan, California, both Lila and Stumpy challenge his authority. Jones arrives back with the troupe and gives Samson the information that he and Ben found about Brother Justin. Meanwhile, Libby urges Jones to reveal the secret of Ben's powers to the rest of the troupe, despite Samson's protest. While Ben infiltrates Justin's ministry camp to look for him, he finds Sofie being baptized as a new convert when a new tragedy rises from the pond - in the form of the murdered Eleanor. Later, ...

In the cliff-hanging season finale, Samson devises a grand plan by scheming with Ben, Jones, and the entire troupe to lure Brother Justin to Carnivale for his confrontation with Ben. Meanwhile, Stroud wants to protect Justin who correctly suspects that the carnival is setting a trap for him. Sofie finds herself locked in a dark shed after she tells Justin her conflicted thoughts about where her loyalties lay, and soon becomes terrorized by ghostly visions of her mother. Rita Sue is touched by Samson's generosity of giving her the money needed to pay off Stumpy's loan ...