MovieChat Forums > Carnivàle (2003) Discussion > Why didn't Ben heal very many people?

Why didn't Ben heal very many people?

posted 8 years ago by kurt7825
12 replies | jump to latest

it always bugged me that in season 2 there's a scene where he's healing lots of people quickly but for most of the show he heals hardly anyone

seems like a waste of power

[–] Nuncle_Euron 8 years ago

He has to steal life from something else to heal something.

He wasn't exactly cool with that.

I'll pump her full of motley seed, until she pops out a little me! -Shagwell

[–] kurt7825 8 years ago

it looks like he can do it buy stealing life from plants and grass. is that true?

that wouldn't be so bad

[–] Nuncle_Euron 8 years ago

Besides amplifying the already present Dust-Bowl famine, yeah not the worst result.

Still involves killing something to save something. Someone's livelihood depends on those crops.

I'll pump her full of motley seed, until she pops out a little me! -Shagwell

[–] kurt7825 8 years ago

true. maybe he could have focused on mosquitoes or flies.

[–] fakeslashdash6 7 years ago

Those would need to be a LOT of flies. Remember the part where he heals the guy with the scar who was covered with Tar and Feathers? There were tons of birds that died as a result.

Now imagine how many tiny flies you would need to do the same.

[–] Marionj3 7 years ago

Also, he didn't have much control in the early stages - he sent Libby away so she wouldn't be affected. At that point, the "life" came from the nearest source.

[–] Naughty-God 8 years ago

IIRC, Ben was healing the people as a way of killing Justin. Ben's mission as stated by Management was to destroy and kill Justin.

[–] kurt7825 8 years ago

that's true but it showed he could use his power with little effort if he wanted to. just kill bugs or something when he uses it

[–] Dejay 8 years ago

Well first he recoiled from using his power because of the guilt complex his mother instilled on him. Like the actor, Ben doesn't know if he is a good guy or a bad guy in season 1. He was also scared to be found out by the public.

Later he certainly could have mastered his power by healing and using "cheap life force", but he hasn't mastered his power yet.

[–] kurt7825 8 years ago

thanks. that makes sense

[–] Naughty-God 8 years ago

Yes, but since he was in proximity to Justin, he could drain his life force more directly and heal more people in the process. All previous healings involved one person whereas in the tent revival he was churning them out like customers at a junk truck.

[–] kurt7825 8 years ago

that's true. to bad something has to die in order for something to heal