This episode, despite its title, is probably the darkest and most adult episode of the series thus far. It’s violent, bloody, and enthralling.

The episode starts with the introduction of a new character. Mollymauk Tealeaf, a tiefling soothsayer who serves as the master of ceremonies at the carnival. He’s introduced in bed next to a naked man and woman. Quickly, Mollymauk (colloquially known as Molly) leaves his two lovers, inviting them to see him perform at the carnival. Molly walks through the carnival grounds with his boss and good friend, Gustav. They discuss ways to pack as many people into this carnival as possible. Molly assures Gustav that he’ll ensure a packed house.

Beau gets to the carnival after being forced to walk there because Caleb and Nott stole her horse. She’s looking for the informant named “Deadeye” that Dairon, the spy, sent her to find. Deadeye has information on how to take down the Volstruckers. Caleb and Nott discuss ways to steal some magic supplies from the carnival. They’re looking for a type of glowing bug that one attraction keeps in stock. Jester tries to get Fjord to enjoy the carnival games with her. Fjord still puts on the act of a sea captain, even though he was only a low-level deckhand. Eventually, Fjord gives in to Jester’s pleading, and the two go to enjoy some games.

Soon, a giant cart rolls into the carnival. It holds a massive, devil toad and its keeper, Toya. Toya scares and entices some carnival-goers by telling them that the toad has a taste for child blood. This new attraction makes everyone rush to buy tickets for the carnival. The bugs that the toad eats are the same bugs that Caleb needs to do his magic. Nott tries to distract Caleb, but Caleb doesn’t steal any bugs. He is too close to getting caught, and he chickens out.

Beau follows her instructor’s directions and waits for Deadeye. She is interrupted by Molly, who suspects she is up to no good. Beau pushes Molly out of the way and chases after a man whom she suspects is the informant. Beau and Deadeye meet in a closet. Deadeye gives Beau an orb containing a clue to who the traitor of the Dwendalian Empire is. Beau now must return to Dairon with this orb to find out who the traitor is. Beau spots Caleb and Nott and decides to confront them over her horse. Nott attacks Beau and steals the orb. After causing a scene, Beau gets kicked out of the carnival because it looks like she attacked a child.

Fjord and Jester continue to enjoy the carnival. Fjord asks Jester about who this “traveller” is that she’s always talking to. Jester reveals that the “traveller” is a deity that she talks to and hangs out with all the time. She insists that the traveller is the source of all of her magic. Fjord is humiliated when he tries to play a carnival game because he doesn’t have enough strength to play it correctly. Jester comforts him, telling him that the game is probably rigged anyway.

At the main event, people start filing in. Molly is anxious about the night going well, but Gustav reassures him that everything will be ok. While the town is at this event, Caleb and Nott devise a plan to steal the bugs once and for all. Before going on stage, Molly performs a reading for himself. The one card he draws is “death.” At the same time, Caleb and Nott successfully steal some of the bugs. The massive devil toad emerges from its cage, and the keeper descends from the rafters, controlling it with her voice. Molly invites anyone brave from the audience to come to the stage and stand in the toad’s mouth. Jester, of course, volunteers despite Fjord’s pleas. Beau sneaks back into the carnival and beats up Nott in hopes of getting the orb back, but it’s to no avail when Caleb fights back. Caleb drops the bugs to defend Nott, but this lets them fly everywhere, including into the carnival tent.

The devil toad starts to get angry, and the keeper loses her control over it with Jester still in its mouth. Jester dives out just in time. Now, Jester, Fjord, Molly, Beau, Nott, and Caleb are all in this carnival tent, and the devil toad is starting to attack the audience members. Beau chases after Nott. Nott chases Caleb. Caleb chases the bugs to try to perform some magic. All the while, the toad starts shooting venomous shards at the audience members, turning them into reptilian creatures who brutally eat other audience members. The carnival quickly devolves into mayhem as the main characters get caught up in the middle of it all. Finally, the beast-keeper is able to control the toad, but not until it kills much of the audience. The main gang ends up standing in the burning center of the carnival tent, surrounded by guards.

The episode ends with Deadeye walking home. Owelia is on his tail. She stops him, begging him for information on what was in the orb, and ultimately killing him.

This episode started slowly, but for good reason. The action sequence at the end was violent and bloody, and the episode’s otherwise boring encounters at the carnival culminated in it. There aren’t many sequences in the show that are “rewatchable.” This is the case with most hard, serial fantasy. Once you watch it and understand the episode’s story, it can be hard to rewatch. There is an exception, however, with the epic toad fight at the end of this episode. The beast is a unique monster, terrifying because it spares no victim. There are clips in the final 10 minutes of fathers turning into reptiles and tearing apart their daughters, and kids rushing out of the tent.

Molly Tealeaf, the new character of this episode, is fascinating, but has his fair share of corny dialogue. He plays a classic trope in animated shows like these, the “too-smooth Playboy”. Unfortunately, due to the style of the show and the way a lot of the more adult scenes are written, it seems like Molly was written by a child trying to guess at what an adult would say. That being said, his powers are epic, and if you can look past some of the cringeworthy dialogue, Molly is an enticing character to watch on screen.

Rating: 8/10