HBO: Carnivàle - S1, Episode 5 Babylon:
As the caravan bounces along a dusty hill, Samson and Jonesy pull up next to a lone traveler, walking toward them. The man, Stangler, tells them they're almost to Babylon, Tx. "You the carnival?" he asks, eyeing the trucks. "Been waiting for you folks for a long time." Samson and Jones are bewildered as the man tips his hat and walks off, toward 50 miles of nothing.
Setting up, the rousties and troupers are more agitated than ever; they want to know what they're doing in a tapped out mining town that is legendary for terrorizing carnies.
In an effort to calm the riled up crew, Samson offers to take everyone out for a night on the town. But when the dolled-up troupers arrive at the local saloon, it is rundown and empty, and behind the bar is Stangler. "Never made it out of town, huh?" Samson asks. "Never do," Stangler says solemnly.
Dora Mae asks the bartender where everyone is. "They don't drink much," Stangler says. "Anyway, it's better when they don't come in." they.

HBO: Carnivàle - S1, Episode 6 Pick A Number:
In a timeless ritual, the carnies clean up Dora Mae and prepare her for burial. The men, armed to the teeth, are headed to town. "We ain't comin' back empty-handed," Samson says. "Everybody clear on that?" But when they arrive in Babylon, they see there will be no justice: there is not a living soul in town, anywhere.
Walking back to camp, Jonesy spots Stangler again walking up his hill. "Samson!" he yells. "There's still one man left in Babylon!"
Stangler is brought out in front of the entire group and an ancient wagon is circled around him three times. The confused townsman is told to pick a number, from one to six, and a bullet is loaded in a revolver. Shaken, Stangler takes the number three choice determines the number of trigger pulls. not also the number of bullets, I don't think, though it says that here: and three bullets are loaded in the revolver.He tries to explain: "If someone's taken, it's better it was her," he says. "She weren't no good girl." As Stumpy attacks him in a rage, Stangler goes on: "You gotta understand we ain't got no women in Babylon. Be right nice to have someone to dance with...I'll watch over her as best I can..."
Samson levels the pistol at him and Spangler begs him to at least take him over the hill to do it. "If I die here, I stay here. Just like everyone else since Scudder left." but Stangler seems not to have died here yet --he's the only one out in daylight, walking over the hill, then in the evening back in town tending his bar-- so why is that he is unable to leave Babylon, to walk over the hill and away? Samson squeezes the trigger. The chamber is empty. Another attempt brings the same result. Samson pulls the trigger a third time...click. Spangler has survived carnie justice.
The next day, just before the Carnivale takes to the road, Samson stops in for a whiskey from a surprised and appreciative Stangler. Samson asks him what he knows about Henry Scudder. The bartender explains that the miners of Babylon were planning to lynch the outsider Scudder after he murdered one of their own with a pick axe. But on the way, a massive cave-in killed the entire company. Stengler says he saw it. (so, he was part of it, not killed like all the miners in the cave-in.
"And the next night, they came back." Stangler says "Every one of them."

Carnivale starting [Archive] - tribalwar Forums:
- I know the carnies are like 'he confessed kill him!' but i didn't get the impression that Stangler killed her himself. It seemed he was just talking about how the lost souls at babylon wanted a female companion. y. -People's souls who died there lived on and never left. Why else would Stangler beg to be taken just over the hill to be killed, he almost said it himself. "What's over the hill?" "Nothing, nothing at all." meaning his soul would not be stuck for internity hmm in that forsaken town.
-Is Scudder 'management'? -I find it interesting how when Ben saw Scudder in the mine he said 'i know who you are!' and the only thing Scudder said back was 'but do you know what that means?'