THE GATE BANNERS SIDESHOWS CARNIES TEN-IN-ONE EXHIBITS COLOSSUS MANAGEMENT THE BALLY
       
       
 
 











 

1x01. "Milfay"

written by Daniel Knauf
directed by Rodrigo Garcia

original airdate: September 14, 2003
running time: 57 minutes

 

BY MATT ASENDORF

Printable Version 1.1 - September 29, 2003; 51kb
(Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files.)

 

SAMPLE

The carnival members have buried Ben's mother and are standing around her grave, marked with a simple wooden cross, singing. RUTHIE, a frail but defiant woman plays the accordion. With her are Samson, Jonesy, the conjoined twins ALEXANDRIA and CALADONIA, the bearded woman LILA, a very tall and long-limbed GIANT, and Ruthie's son, the mentally-challenged wrestler/strong man GABRIEL. They are singing the hymn "Nearer My God to Thee."

RUTHIE, SAMSON, ALEXANDRIA, CALADONIA, LILA AND OTHERS (singing)
"E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be nearer my God to thee. Nearer my God to thee. Nearer to thee. Though like the wanderer, the sun go down. Darkness be over me, my rest a stone. Nearer my God to thee..."

Ben looks around him at the strange folk. Their trucks are marked "Carnivàle." In one truck painted "Apollonia ~ Queen of the Gypsies," Ben spots the young and beautiful SOFIE, who turns away from him. He also sees, waiting outside their car, STUMPY and RITA SUE DREIFUSS and their teenage daughters DORA MAE and LIBBY. And watching from a distance and singing in French is the blind mentalist, PROFESSOR LODZ. He draws an arrow in the dirt with his cane.

They finish singing and right on cue, the bulldozer demolishes Hawkins's home.

SAMSON
Okay, children, let's shake some dust!

RUTHIE
Can't just leave him.

SAMSON
The boy ran rabbit from a chain gang. He's still sporting ankle-iron.

JONESY
Nothing but trouble.

RUTHIE (to Jonesy)
Yeah, that's what I said about you.

SAMSON
C'mon, Ruthie, don't do this. We've got nothing open. We're down to tater-shucks.

LILA
He can have my tater-shucks.

RUTHIE
Just to Milfay.