Cross posted to the Carnivale Community. DON"T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN UP TO EPISODE 2 of the SECOND SEASON!

What I'm here to propose.. is the next wacky theory next to Sophie's child will be the anti-christ.. a theory shot down by the writers in the Commentary of Season 1.

My theory.. Sophie IS  the final usher. If not Something WORSE.   Stop gasping and THINK about it.  It's perfect and they outright TOLD you what side she was on with EPISODE ONE.   It doesn't mean she'll pick that path (this goes with my theory on how Scutter can be the usher but NOT be evil.)  Grab your DVD boxed set or NetFlix rentals and follow along children. Dr. Paige is going to propose a theory.   Keep in mind that Brother Justin IS the big Bad.. and No.. I'm not even thinking that Sophie's going to join Justin or anything like that.  I think Soph is the next one in line to be tapped when Justin dies.  It's a major twist but Justin IS the Usher.

First off. I'm looking at this as a writer. Sophie is perfect. She's a character you CARE about.. 
You aren't going to suspect her because you don't WANT to suspect her.  We have Brother Justin as the Big Bad.. and what a great big bad he makes!  You WANT that fight to happen. I know I want that fight.  But in the background.. the final battle may just come down to Ben and Sophie..  Even if it's a emotional battle. It's been hinted that they may become more than friends.  From a writer standpoint.. it's what gives us the O' Henry tingles in our black over-energy-drink-soaked souls!
Here's my sick justification.. SPOILER WARNINGS!



Everyone loves Sophie effect
    I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like Sophie. She's just your average 20 something who's just getting severely messed with.  She was the perfect counterpart to Ben.. Ben wasn't very likable when he was first introduced.. and Sophie was the first person he bonded with. Quickly Sophie was moved to alternate plot lines thus keeping the two apart.   Sophie was the person with "powers" you liked while Ben adjusted to the group and opened up. Now you like Ben but when the show started out.. it was hard to like him.    Do you THINK for a second Samson or any members of the Carnivale wouldn't jump to Sophie's aid?  Behold Lodz's reaction when we assume Appy told him of her plot to kill her daughter.. he wouldn't believe it.  Everyone likes Sophie. Where as Brother Justin is cold but powerful. Sophie's potentially more dangerous. She's loved and potentially powerful. The Unknown (even to herself) wolf in sheep's clothing.  Remember before this Justin WAS a devout man of god.. With incest urges.. but everyone of power in this show has their own little vices.
 

Sophie's Personality

Look at the way she did her double dealing with Libby and Jonesy at the Season Finale?  Did anyone stop to think SHE LIED TO LIBBY JUST A FEW EPISODES PREVIOUS?  The same sort of lie. (I want you to be happy so I can't tell you the truth)  Yet she was blind to the fact she did  the very same thing  just a few  weeks (in Carnivale time) earlier.  This indicates a character flaw of blind vengeance. Black and White viewing of the world.    This makes it easier for her to slip to the "dark side". Just like Justin started out thinking he was doing the Lord's work (maybe he still feels that.. even though he's been confronted with the fact he's "with demon")  I think by now though the demon has taken over Justin and he's full force into becoming the USHER.    Point is. Sophie's proven she can turn a blind eye to her own wrong doings when condemming others.  A certian prostitute visiting, (Second Season: episode 1  (not 2.. 2 is when he gets the tattoo))   Murdering, Mind violating and  Sister loving Priest would know nothing of that whole Blind Eye thing now would he?


Ben's Visions of Sophie

Episode 1. The first time they touch.. Justin appears.  NOBODY good ever appears when Ben touches Sophie.  He's seen MANY TIMES the Tattooed Man when he first sees Sophie. Why doesn't he have visions when he touches anyone else? Yes.. visions of Scutter but never the "bad side".  It's only Sophie who consistently gives him the flashes of Justin and Tattooed Grunge Man.

Sophie's Conception

Now it could be untrue.. or it could be Sophie's getting old and coming into her powers.. maybe her mom wasn't loosing it at all.  Maybe Appy wasn't crazy... I mean yes it is possible and most of the theory goes on the assumption that Appy isn't crazy and that she really Did love her daughter and was hoping to protect her all these years.. and the appearance of Ben started a quick cycle of "waking" up Sophie's powers.   If you go by the thought that Appolonia WAS going crazy.. then most of this point is bunk. BUNK!
   Okay so going on that theory.. that Appy isn't crazy..  We can slow mo down the VERY blury scene and see that it's a guy with long hair the whole time.  But there's a few frames where the blury tattooed man has a .. shirt on??  yet he doesn't have Brother Justin's nose.. This is one of those things that's going to up to speculation until someone on cast and crew confirms if it was two people filming as the rapist or just one. (the actor playing that tattooed man)  I'd provide a screen capture but everything is so blurry it's like pointing out the BigFoot in the background of the same shot. *shrug*   The forehead looks somewhat like Justin but the nose .. and ya know that's all you can really make out of the shirt wearing man.. if that's not just Appy's dress. It's VERY BLURY on a frame frame shot Even on a HDTV.
    But let's assume it's the Tattooed Man who's Sophie's dad.  Is he also Brother Justin's father? (by a different mother.. in Russia silly!)   The way the talk has been on BBS, on the old HBO site and generally.. it's been implied that the Tattooed man is the Devil come to America (thus causing the dust bowl)   Gee WHY would he want to have a son or daughter by a true psychic?  Not only a psychic but a Telekinetic psion at that.   Whyyyyy would he want to have a child with someone already with power.  Let. Me. Think. About it.  Oh yeah.. that whole FINAL battle thing coming up.   


Sophie being under her mom's thumb.

Notice it all started to "go down" with Sophie's mom after Sophie tried to leave.  Okay.. granted Appy doesn't want to loose her daughter but what if this whole time she's been providing "white noise" to mask Sophie from getting visions from the Powers That Be.    Appy is VERY POWERFUL.  ThunderClasps and all that. ..  
      Management is probly FULLY aware of Sophie.. But she's hardly a blip on the power scene right now.  I'm willing to bet Management has it's hands full with Scutter, Ben and other affairs to worry about tangling with Appolonia.  Sophie's not a concern to him at all. She's already right there and benign anyway... Management probly would RATHER have her remain hidden (thus the trying to force her and her mom to work together again) Because he's got his hands full with the others already.  Why bring another major chess piece onto the board when you aren't sure you can control it?
     Maybe Sophie has powers.. and has the potential to have visions but her mom been blocking them all these years... and blocking the OTHERS from sensing her.. (except for now Ben)  Now it's 20 something years later an she's been in a catatonic state all that time. Her power over her daughter is bound to get a hole in it.. Opening that little door to Sophie.  And if Sophie Leaves... her mom can no longer protect her from the visions that come with being one of these selected few.  Perhaps that's why Appy decided to kill Sophie. Rather Dead then Damned.
    Or it could be even worse. What if Appy is trying to possess Sophie while she's still has the greater power. (notice in Episode 2 the shadow of Appy on Sophie's.. and the fact Sophie doesn't remember walking.. oh yeah and that whole Collapsing from the silence in her head after her mom finally dies)   Wouldn't THAT be interesting. If Appy KNEW Sophie would be saved.. but Appy was going to  try to possess her daughter. It'd be the ultimate blockout of the powers that be from getting Sophie.  Two Souls One Body.  
   
Sophie's dream with Libby.

Umm yeah.. To quote Dr. Weird "GENTLEMAN! BEHOLD! I HAVE REVERSE STIGMATA!!"
 Now that could have been a flash of the future.. The scene that would have happened in the season Finale... but it never happened that way.. (Sophie never got naked and the scene indicates that they're in a truck under the cover during the DAY not at night.)  But you know what? My writer  half dings again and points out that the Reverse stigma is VERY important.. and it's hidden in plain sight amongst the nookie action.  I mean everyone talked about the scene but not about the fact that.. Sophie has the same mark that Justin gets.    I don't think her mom sent her that dream. I think that was all Sophie.  Appy doesn't like Libby.. at all.. I'm willing to bet that screaming in the background was Appy.. screaming at the monitary laspse in her control over Sophie.. and the fact her daughter is well.. clearly enjoying her time   with Libby.   The Stigma could be the leaking of  the dreams she should have been getting alongside Ben. (the next generation comes of age and gets tapped)   After this that's when Appy realizes she HAS to kill her daughter and spare her becoming  The Dark to Ben's Light.
Wait did I say the next generation...
Whaaa?

Sophie's Age

Well.. Let's see... Brother Justin.. I'm guessing he's not in his 20s.. He's not in his 30's.. he's old enough to be Ben's Father.  If someone can prove me wrong.. please do.. Because I'm surprised nobody has picked up on this.  How can Brother Justin  be  of the same Generation as Ben?   He's just the one that's currently "tapped".  It's already been shown that  there's multiple Generations of Ushers of Doomy-doom Doom  and Bringers of  Light or whatever you want to call them.. walking around at the same time. You only become the true one after you kill the previous.We have Scutter-Russian  Justin-Ben  but I have the theory that what if it's  Scutter-Russian  Justin-DEAD (not here anymore) Sophie-Ben.
   Here's ANOTHER random theory.. what if Scutter is the usher of dooomy doom doom but unlike Justin he fought it and continues to fight it.. He doesn't SEEM like a bad guy. He's done bad things (oh yeah..and him biting the snake.. People! He was the Gentleman Geek! That's what Geeks do!!)
but he saved Ruthie, he apparently was in love (Justin has only shown lust), and saved Ben's life... And he seemed not like YOU MUST  KILL!!  BWAHH HA HA! No.. he was kind. Every time he appears he seems like  good guy with a bad destiny.   The Good guy Could still be the Russian athough he's not such a nice guy and the greatest threat is Brother Justin  Because Justin WANTS the power.. WANTS to be the Usher.    Maybe Scutter is running from becoming the Usher.. Maybe he IS the Usher but he runs from it. Runs from the Tattooed man and refuses to do his job.   
   But Sophie could be the next usher in waiting AFTER Justin.  She's Ben's Age..  and it's been shown that the previous force of good and bad need not die for the next generation to start showing powers.  They only receive the FULL of the powers after the previous generation dies.  But Ben an Justin of the same Generation? It's close.. but  Sophie's the more obvious option.  Ben STILL has to be the one to step up and fight Justin.. and that's why it's going to be such a great battle! Justin is so far along in his powers compared to Ben.

The Actress
Clea DuVall is more than able to pull of the collected methodical homicidal maniac.   They don't want some over the top "tee hee I'm EVIL" Xena-Warrior Princess villain.  Look at the way they handle Clancy Brown's Brother Justin.. Calm.. Collected... but utterly insane.. Clancy Brown was a perfect selection.  I think Clea DuVall as an actress can pull off that "with a look you know there's darkness" effect they're going to be looking for. 
Note her calm collected way after she dispatches the would be rapists in Episode 1... except you see that boiling over rage.  I'm talking about the actress.. not the character. See how Clea pulls it off. You see she's not ashamed but rather enraged. She conveys it with her eyes  before saying a word to Jonsey , the same way Clancy conveys power and Nick Stahl says so much without saying a word.


Now keep in mind I still think the final battle is going to be Justin-Ben. I'm just saying Sophie has a future role in the battle. "every prophet in her house".  Maybe this theory will become the next "the Fetus is Management" theory.. Who knows.

Okay.. now the rest is just SILLY.. So laugh.. please! I've taken up enough of your time.. Now have a smile.. with my..

Dumb clues

The word "WORD" as in you will know him by his WORDs was broken up WO... what if the guy was mistranslating? Why was it broken at the WO?  You're dealing with the 1930's here.  Women are good for babies and cooking.  

Sophie brings worms back to life!  SO they can DIE again in the tequillia!  That's EVIL! She just left that poor re-animated worm to drown! She's EVIL!

You think she'd use that bucket of water to help Ben FINALLY clean up? That dirty boy? NO.. instead she hears her mom scream and goes running.

She's possibly gay... I mean according to a good chunk of America that makes her evil and not equal. (Thanks America!  America: Land of the Free.. as long as you subscribe only to certain parts of the Bible. Ya know the ones that are easy to follow if it doesn't affect you.)

The CRAP deck is stacked against her to turn her bad.   Her mom burried in a potter's grave.. Samspon lying to her. Jonsey telling her to get lost... I'm pretty sure something bad is going to happen between her and Libby..  The Bad Karma storm is looming!