The worst episodes of Carnivàle
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
Jones looks to management when the crew turns mutinous; Appolonia is displeased with Sofie's romantic tastes; Justin faces a difficult choice between his congregations; Ben is tested by Lodz.
- 02
Ben uncovers a piece of his past as a result of Jones' sense of humor; Justin tries to persuade a parishioner to make a deal in real estate; Sofie endures a frightening mishap involving her mother; Samson changes the carnival's course.
- 03
Ben is the main attraction when Samson refashions the carnival as a religious revival to satisfy a town's moral underpinnings; Justin has a powerful ally in a fight against city hall; Sofie accompanies Ben on a journey into his past.
- 04
Ben tries to escape his dreams by staying awake; Iris uses a radio ally to help locate Justin; Samson goes back to the drawing board to increase business.
- 05
The troupe sends out search parties when a distraught Sofie goes missing; Justin and Iris welcome a new housekeeper; Samson accuses Stumpy of skimming; Ben visits an old acquaintance of Scudder's in New Mexico.
- 06
Lila hasn't given up trying to find out what happened to the missing Lodz; Iris begs her brother not to harbor so many secrets; Jones finds new work for Sofie; and Balthus sees another display of Justin's power.
- 07
Lodz disagrees with Samson's decision to send Ben on a business trip for the carnival; a radio-show host tries to help find a wandering Justin; Sofie considers a career change.
- 08
Ben and Samson go in search of the mysterious Scudder; Sofie accuses her mother of foul play; Lodz waits patiently for Ben for fall asleep; Justin returns to Mintern with a new plan.
- 09
Samson runs into an old acquaintance when the troupe crosses paths with another carnival; Rita Sue's business decisions give Stumpy fits; Justin and Iris struggle with a tough sermon; Libby's honor is in need of defense.
- 10
After a recent tragedy, Stumpy and Rita Sue debate their future in the carnival; in her brother's absence, Iris receives help from a radio reporter; Ben helps Ruthie with her act.
- 11
Rita Sue teaches a newcomer a few tricks of the trade; Balthus is nervous about Tommy Dolan's allegations; Lodz gets approval from Management to help Ben.
- 12
The Dust Bowl circus troupe deals with the fallout from a fatal fire and, in California, Brother Justin reaches new converts on the radio. Elsewhere, Lila wonders what happened to Lodz; Ben takes off to find Scudder.
- 13
Dolan continues his quest to get to the bottom of the Ministry arson; Gabriel gets into the act with Ruthie, who experiences another supernatural vision; Ben happens upon some distant relatives.
- 14
Lila voices her opposition to Samson's itinerary for the troupe; Justin's baptism of the faithful coincides with another tragedy and a startling event in the migrant camp; Libby pleads with Jones to reveal his secret; Sofie sees a familiar face.
- 15
After a conversation with Ruthie, Sofie reaches out to Ben; Stumpy wagers on an important fight; Dolan puts pressure on Justin, who sees things in a new light after receiving a mysterious gift; and Stroud's quest to find Ben continues.
- 16
Ben reluctantly joins the carnival after the bank forecloses on his family's Oklahoma farm; Brother Justin has a bizarre encounter with a poor parishioner; Sofie has a run-in at a small-town gas station.
- 17
A local politician receives Iris and Justin's support; Ruthie tries to hide from her visions; Rita Sue takes charge of Stumpy's debt; Smith sees trouble for Justin; Sofie gets new work; Libby has shocking news for her parents.
- 18
Samson tries to improve the troupe's spirits with a night of revelry; Ben has an enlightening experience at the bottom of a mineshaft; a group of miners is anxious for entertainment.
- 19
Revenge-minded carnies practice their own form of retribution; Justin encounters a group of hobos on his journey of self-discovery; Ben returns from another strange experience.
- 20
Ruthie's latest vision leaves evidence behind; Lila hasn't given up her search for the missing Lodz; Eleanor goes on a picnic with Iris; Justin's powers calm a chaotic gathering.
- 21
Samson tries to stay a step ahead of impending chaos; Stroud does his best to protect Justin; and Ben's powers face the ultimate test.
- 22
Stroud is closing in on Ben, who pays a visit to a run-down hotel; Justin and Iris pacify a bishop with a good meal; Sabina shares her secrets with Libby; the troupe is concerned about Sofie; and Jones gets a favor from Libby.
- 23
Justin has help avoiding a disaster; Iris locates another branch of her family tree; Stroud tries a strength-in-numbers approach; Libby is cowed by her mother's authority; Ruthie pays another late-night visit to Lila.
- 24
A distraught Ben finally meets with Management; and in California, Balthus and Justin deal with the tragic undercurrents of their ministry. Elsewhere, Stumpy and Rita Sue try to save their marriage; Samson must think fast when the law comes to the carnival.
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