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TW: SEXUAL ASSAULT, ALLUSIONS TO INCEST.

Before the beginning, after the great war between heaven and hell, God created the Earth and gave dominion over it to the crafty ape he called man… and to each generation was born a Creature of Light and a Creature of Darkness… and great armies clashed by night in the ancient war between good and evil. There was magic then. Nobility. And unimaginable cruelty. And so it was until the day that a false sun exploded over Trinity, and man forever traded away wonder for reason. S E A S O N  O N E M I L F A Y. Brother Justin Crowe, a smalltown preacher, tends to his flock. His older sister, Iris, spots an Okie attendee, Eleanor, stealing from the collection plate, and brings her to speak with Justin after the sermon. When he takes her hand, she begins to throw up coins, and does not cease until Justin, in shock, cries out to God to make it stop. He has fragmented dreams of wartime, and a tattooed man. He also begins to see visions; while standing before a local gambling den, Mr. Chin's, he experiences a fall of snow, then a rain of blood, as a cross manifests on the shop's sign. A F T E R  T H E  B A L L  I S  O V E R. Justin has dreams of a diner, featuring Ben Hawkins, a carny, and two men. As his flock grows, with word of mouth spreading through the Okies, some of his congregation grow anxious. He entreats Carol Templeton, who owns Mr. Chin's, to donate the building to serve as a church for the migrants. When Templeton refuses, wishing to see the migrants gone, Justin draws him into a vision of his sins. Confronted with a vision of himself molesting a boy in the gambling den, Templeton gives in, and, after ceding the church to Justin, commits suicide rather than living with his actions. T I P T O N. Mr. Chin's has been converted into a ministry and an orphanage. Unfortunately, Val Templeton arrives with the city council, and inform Justin that the building will be torn down, and that they are to relocate to a roadhouse outside of town. Recognizing that this is a bid to get the migrants out of town rather than council business, Justin refuses to leave. As he expresses his frustration to his sister, telling her of his vision, Val suffers shortness of breath. B L A C K  B L I Z Z A R D. Norman Balthus, Justin's mentor and surrogate father to the Crowes, arrives with the news that the rest of Justin's congregants have filed a complaint with the bishop, accusing him of neglecting his flock in favor of foreigners. He is given the choice to hand over the church and return to his former congregation, or to face disciplinary action and be reassigned. In a conversation with his sister, he rails against the poor conditions faced by the migrant children, and against those who would allow it. In the middle of the night, Justin is woken by Iris, who informs him that there's been a fire at the ministry. The children have all perished. B A B Y L O N. In the wreckage of the church, Justin prays for the dead. P I C K  A  N U M B E R. Still in the destroyed ministry, Justin falls into crisis, seeing visions of those the fire claimed. In search of some proof that his efforts were not simply in vain, he takes off into the wilderness. He comes across a man named Tommy Dolan. Unbeknownst to Justin, Dolan is a radio reporter, and broadcasts his story. T H E  R I V E R. Having heard Dolan tell Justin's story on the radio, people begin to send letters and donations to Iris, who still has no idea of his whereabouts. In the meanwhile, Justin, in despair, attempts suicide by throwing himself from a bridge. He survives the fall, washing up on the banks of the river with a broken leg. He encounters visions of himself and his sister as children, Irina and Alexei Belyakov, though he does not recognize them for what they are. The young Iris knocks him out with a rock. At home, Iris tells Dolan a story about their childhood as immigrants from Russia, traveling with their mother by train, and on the run from their father. The train crashed, leaving only the two children alive. She describes having had to fight to keep them both safe. Justin wakes when his younger self lays a hand on his forehead, and entreats him (in English and in Russian) to help him, saying he knows the boy wants to do right. When the young Iris returns, Justin tries to restrain her, but with a word, his younger self renders him prone, and snaps his neck. This is revealed to be a vision that Justin has while standing on the bridge. He realizes that, as a child, he killed the man in the woods, as opposed to Iris, who has always taken responsibility for it. In that moment of hesitation, the police manage to drag him back from the edge. Justin is in a daze, and murmurs that the strange things that have been happening have not simply been visited upon him, but are his birthright. Later that night, he calls Iris, saying that she's always known what he was capable of. L O N N I G A N ,  T E X A S. Following his attempted suicide, Justin is committed to an insane asylum. While confined, he says that he has realized that he is "the left hand of God," God's will made flesh. He also manages to compel one of the other patients into silence. I N S O M N I A. Iris makes an appearance on Dolan's show to send a message to her brother. As the broadcast goes on, Justin compels another patient to repeatedly dash his head against one of the walls, drawing blood. He is released from the institution, and takes with him a manuscript he had compelled his doctor to write, having no access to pen or paper as a patient. H O T  A N D  B O T H E R E D. Justin returns home. When he confronts Iris about hiding the truth about his powers, she says it was for his own protection. Later on, Dolan drops by the house to tell Iris he is returning to Los Angeles; she invites him in for coffee. Dolan tries to convince Justin to speak on the radio, but he is resistant to the idea. Still, Iris invites Dolan to church. Justin startles the congregation by appearing, and delivers a sermon on the nature of evil, calling out the sins of individual members of the gathered crowd as well as confessing to the murder he committed as a child. After declaring salvation attainable through atonement, he asks Balthus to baptize him. When Balthus does, he has a vision of the holy water turning to blood. D A Y  O F  T H E  D E A D. Balthus tells Iris of his vision, confiding in her his fear that Justin may have come under the influence of a demon. He suggests an exorcism. He only grows more certain in his conviction when Dolan tells him that Justin had spent the last few weeks in an asylum, and that his car had been seen outside the ministry shortly before it burned down. When Iris tells Justin that Dolan plans to run the story, Justin says they have nothing to hide. Unfortunately, this isn't quite true: Iris confesses that she was the one who burned down the ministry, so as to clear Justin's path. In horror, Justin puts his hand around her throat. Instead of harming her, he kisses her, before pushing her away. T H E  D A Y  T H A T  W A S  T H E  D A Y. Justin accepts Dolan's offer to broadcast his sermons (and to get out in front of any claims of his having burned down his own ministry). He also meets with Balthus, who tells him of his belief that he has been possessed by a demon. Justin denies this, instead telling Balthus that the reverend has also sinned against God, and drawing him into the according vision. It turns out to be of the night that Balthus found the young Iris and Justin by the side of the road, and took them into his care. Justin realizes what this means; that Balthus saving Justin's life was an act against God. Balthus tells Justin to pray to remove the demon from himself, but Justin knows better: he is the demon. He begs Balthus to kill him, but Balthus is unable to go through with it. When he raises his head as Balthus flees, his eyes have turned pitch-black. Later, Justin delivers his first radio sermon, proclaiming that the end times will be ushered in by "the left hand of God." On the heels of the skirmish Man foolishly called the war to end all wars, the Dark One sought to elude his destiny… live as a mortal. So he fled across the ocean, to an empire called America… but by his mere presence, a cancer corrupted the spirit of the land. People were rendered mute by fools who spoke many words, but said nothing… for whom oppression and cowardice were virtues… and freedom, an obscenity. Into this dark heartland, the Prophet stalked his enemy… until, diminished by his wounds, he turned to the next in the ancient line of light. And so it was that the fate of all mankind came to rest on the trembling shoulders of the most reluctant of saviors. S E A S O N  T W O L O S  M O S C O S. The bond between Ben and Justin grows stronger. When Ben performs a miracle (he is capable of healing and giving life, so long as he takes it from another), Justin feels the effect as he preaches. He also has a vision of warped tree, and the tattooed man. Later on, he visits Balthus, who has suffered a stroke and is no longer able to speak, in the hospital. While driving, Justin encounters the tree, and decides that it will be the site of his New Canaan. As his fame grows, Dolan once again brings up the matter of the burned ministry. Justin, despite now knowing that his sister was the arsonist, tells Dolan to conduct a full investigation. At the radio station, he is approached by Wilfred Talbot Smith, who tells him that he must kill Henry Scudder in order to become the Prophet, and the Usher of Destruction. Through the radio broadcast that follows, Justin sends a message to the criminal Varlyn Stroud, naming him his apostle. Upon returning home, he experiences a vision in which he peels off his own skin, revealing Ben underneath. A L A M O G O R D O ,  N M. Through the radio, Justin compels the prison warden to release Varlyn Stroud, and tells Stroud to find Scudder. Near the warped tree, Justin breaks ground for his Temple of Jericho. In the crowd afterwards, Dolan discovers that Iris was the last to leave the ministry on the night that it burned down. Meanwhile, Justin catches the eye of Celeste; they share a vision of her opening her blouse and rending her own skin, which upsets her deeply. Justin comforts her, and Iris invites her to stay with them as the new housemaid. In the evening, inspired by his constant visions, Justin has his chest and back tattooed with the tree. I N G R A M ,  T X. People flock to the new Temple. Balthus is transferred to the Crowes. Though he is still immobile and unable to speak, Balthus expresses his contempt for Justin by spitting food in his face. Later in the night, Justin sexually abuses Celeste in front of him. O L D  C H E R R Y  B L O S S O M  R O A D. Iris finds Celeste huddled in a corner of Justin's bedroom, bruised and traumatized from her encounter with Justin; the Crowes subsequently find a new maid. As Dolan circles closer to her as a suspect for the ministry fire (and as Justin continues to deflect, telling Dolan he needs more evidence), Iris burns the clothing she wore that night. At a sermon, Justin has a vision of Ben stabbing him in the chest, and collapses in front of the crowd. C R E E D ,  O K. Every day, the number of people flocking to the church grows. Dolan brings Justin proof of Iris's involvement in the ministry fire. Following a confrontation, Iris tells Justin that if he wants her to turn herself in, he'll have to ask. Subsequently, she makes her confession to Dolan, with Justin present, in which she alludes to Justin's darker nature. Justin receives a package in the mail containing a cast of Ben's face. Upon putting it on, he sees what Ben sees. T H E  R O A D  T O   D A M A S C U S. Justin confesses his doubts to Balthus. He cites Iris's refusal to repent for the ministry fire, as well as his chosen vocation as a man of God. He arranges for a confession to be made during a sermon. As Dolan reads what he believes to be Iris's confession, he instead reveals a confession of his own guilt (which he was presumably compelled to write by Justin). Dolan is arrested, much to Iris's shock and anger. At the carnival, one of his radio sermons reaches a young woman, Sofie. D A M A S C U S ,  N E. Justin dreams of being fitted for a funeral suit, of the carnival, of Ben, and of his own castration. The Crowes lose another maid to a case of "nerves." He also receives a visit from the supervisory board, asking that he submit his radio sermons for pre-approval. Balthus, who has been recovering, manages to get out of bed. Iris helps him back into bed, and tells him that she refuses to be left behind as Justin's influence grows. Stroud catches up to Ben, though Ben manages to escape and find Scudder. Ben heals Scudder's wounds, severely weakening Stroud in the process, and prompting Justin to vomit despite being nowhere close to the scene. At the sermon, Justin goes off-script, and essentially positions himself as the head of his own church. Ben brings Scudder back to meet with Management, the man running the carnival; Scudder reveals that Ben's enemy's name is Alexei Belyakov, and Management's son. Management attacks Scudder; Ben intervenes, stabbing Management, who bleeds blue blood. O U T S K I R T S ,  D A M A S C U S ,  N E. With his last breath, Management teaches Ben how to kill Justin. As Management dies, Justin goes into convulsions. His eyes turn black, and he passes out. In the chaos, Scudder escapes, only to be caught by Stroud. Justin turns to the Templetons once more as an avenue into political power. His tattoo has turned into burned and scarred flesh; Smith explains this as his enemy having received his boon. The Crowes hire Sofie as their new maid. L I N C O L N  H I G H W A Y. In another nightmare, Justin dreams of being pursued through a cornfield with his throat slashed, and falls only to see the carnival before him. Once again, he confesses to Balthus, relating the nightmares he had had as a boy of a spinning wheel, which Iris overhears. Sofie begins work as the new maid. She is the first not to immediately fall for his advances; when Balthus laughs, Justin induces the loss of one of his teeth. Eleanor, who had been working for the Crowes since the beginning of Justin's rise, leaves the house. When Iris pursues her, Eleanor insists that she saw the Devil. Iris convinces her to take a day off, and takes her to the river. Though Eleanor finally relents, Iris beats her to death with an oar when Eleanor says she means to tell Justin what she thought she'd seen, and dumps her body in the river. At a sermon, Balthus, who has slowly been regaining mobility, attempts to shoot Justin. The mob rushes Balthus, but Justin breaks it up, preaching forgiveness and understanding. It moves Sofie to tears (presumably for having also been the subject of an attempted filicide); Justin, notably, takes the moment to ensure that the badge Balthus is wearing, which advocates for Templeton for Congress, is visible to the gathered press. At home, Justin tells Balthus that he had his chance to kill him, and failed. As Ben performs another miracle, Justin suffers another seizure. Iris tells Balthus that they will eventually expose Justin's true nature, but that it must, for the moment, remain secret. That night, Sofie and Justin speak about forgiveness; when Sofie says she cannot forgive those who have hurt her in the past, they pray together. C H E Y E N N E ,  W Y. Stroud arrives with Scudder in tow. They must wait to kill Scudder, however, until the drugs that Stroud has been administering him wear off, as he must be clear-headed when killed in order for Justin to receive his boon. As Justin continues growing closer to Sofie, so too do Iris and Balthus continue to conspire against him. Sofie expresses her gratitude to Iris for taking her in. They speak about Sofie's past, and Iris experiences a vision; the details of Sofie's life align with Justin's past. Sofie is Justin's daughter, born of his rape of the gypsy fortuneteller Apollonia. At dinner, Justin indicates that he is aware that Iris and Balthus are plotting against him. He remands Balthus's care to Sofie, and has her sit at the table with them for the rest of the meal. Stroud attempts to assault Iris when she leaves, but she manages to escape his grasp. Smith goes in secret to meet with Scudder, offering to kill him before Justin can in exchange for the location of the Saunière manuscript. Using his powers, Scudder tears Smith to pieces. Scudder steals a car so as to escape, but fails to notice Justin in the back seat. Justin decapitates Scudder with a scythe, and takes his boon. Ben and Jonesy arrive at New Canaan. O U T S I D E  N E W  C A N A A N. Templeton returns with concerns about the upcoming election; Justin makes it clear that he plans for his message to spread beyond the migrants, and that he is not concerned about the argument for the separation of church and state. Ben manages to sneak into the house, but is intercepted by Iris, who takes his hatchet. She sends him down to the river, where Justin is performing a baptizing ceremony. Justin baptizes Sofie, who spots Ben just before she goes into the water. The ceremony, however, is interrupted, as Eleanor's body floats through the site. Justin calls it a suicide. Afterwards, Sofie finds Ben, who tells her that Justin is evil. Sofie refuses to listen to him, and leaves. At the house, Sofie overhears Iris and Justin speaking in Russian, which corroborates some of what Ben had told her. The next morning, Justin summons the two men who were on guard at the house, and nearly compels one to cut the other's fingers off. Sofie witnesses the event, and while cleaning the house, finds the mask of Ben. She questions Justin about it, who realizes that she knows who Ben is. That night, Ben manages to sneak up to the house, and sees Sofie and Justin speaking on the porch. He nearly gets close enough to kill Justin, but is once again intercepted, this time by Jonesy, who tells him that to go up to the house would amount to suicide. Justin kisses Sofie, still unaware that she is his daughter. When she pulls away, he grabs her arm, though he relents when she tells him he's hurting her; she returns into the house. The next morning, Justin nicks himself while shaving — and bleeds blue. The carnival arrives at New Canaan. N E W  C A N A A N ,  C A. Sofie once again begins to see visions of her mother. Following the vision, she wanders through the Crowe household and comes across Justin, who is still dressing. She sees the tattoo of the tree upon his chest, and realizes he is the tattooed man she has seen in her visions (along with the rape of her mother). Justin asks her to cut a loose thread on the back of his collar, baring his neck for her and offering her his razor. She does so — and when she does not kill him, Justin confronts her about what she knows about Ben and the carnival. His eyes turn black as he tells her to choose between him and the carnies; she refuses him, and so she is taken out to be kept in the hut formerly occupied by Scudder. She experiences a vision that makes her parentage clear, as well as the reason that her mother attempted to kill her: she is the Omega, the final Avatar, the Destroyer, the Antichrist. She sees herself with black eyes, who intones, "This is your house," in reference to the phrase, "Every prophet in his house," as said multiple times throughout the series. Iris confesses her doubts to Balthus about the courses of their lives. Justin attends the carnival with Iris, despite knowing that it's a set-up; he is effectively trapped upon the ferris wheel as Ben performs his miracles, suffering the results. He manages to compel the wheel to stop, and gets out of the car with Stroud's help. He goes after Ben, and tells Stroud to take care of Sofie. Wielding his scythe, Justin begins to massacre those in Ben's tent. Balthus, recently healed by Ben, attempts to stop him, but Justin cuts him down, calling himself the unholy evil. He pursues Ben into a neighboring cornfield, where, face-to-face for the first time, they duel. Ben manages to kill him, stabbing him in the chest at the bough of the tree. As he does so, lightning strikes the tree, setting it on fire. Jonesy follows Stroud and frees Sofie, who, her eyes still black, promptly shoots him in the chest. The next morning, the carnies retrieve Ben from the field. As they leave, Sofie finds Justin; as she puts her hands on his chest, the plants around them begin to die.