Carnivàle/Apollonia Bojakshiya

Appollonia Bojakshiya
Carnivàle
Actor	Diane Salinger
First Appearance	1x01 - Milfay
Last Appearance	1x12 - The Day That Was the Day
Series Billing	Main Cast
Episode Count	12

Character History

Season 1

Apollonia was once a renowned seer who read cards for the rich and famous on the eastern seaboard. She was the only psychic Houdini was unable to debunk, and when a reporter later opined that perhaps Madame Apollonia was "the real McCoy," Houdini reputably snapped, "Just because she fooled me doesn't mean she's not a fake."

We know that Apollonia was raped, and in 1913, during childbirth or soon thereafter (reports vary), she suffered a series of devastating seizures that left her paralyzed and catatonic. She was subsequently cared for by her sister, Anash, and later by her daughter, Sofie. The two eventually began working the travelling circuits as a mother-daughter act, since Sofie was able to hear her mother's thoughts.

Sooner or later, the pair joined up with the Hyde and Teller company, and stuck with it after Management took over. Apollonia kept a tight rein on Sofie, and was prone to violent outbursts. She was highly critical of her daughter's life and sought to keep Sofie as sheltered as possible. This is due in part to Apollonia being aware of the fact that Sofie is the Omega.

Apollonia also displayed a marked interest in Ben Hawkins, from the moment that he joined up with the carnival. Her interest was apparently great enough that one night she roused herself from approximately 21 years of immobility to walk to Ben and tell him that "[he's] the One." As a result, we can infer that Apollonia was also conscious of Ben's avataric heritage. In fact she pressured Sofie into interacting with Ben, to the point of inviting him to have his cards read and performing menial tasks for him (like driving him around). Contact between Ben and Apollonia ceased after Ben and Sofie had a falling out.

Besides Ben, Apollonia communicated with Professor Lodz as well, though infrequently and only when she had to. At the end of season 1, fearful that Sofie would try to leave the carnival, Apollonia revealed what she knew to Lodz, who declared the whole situation insane and ran out of the room. Worried of losing Sofie, and worried that Sofie would lose herself, Apollonia felt she had no other option than to murder her daughter. In a desperate attempt, she trapped Sofie and herself within their burning trailer.

Season 2

During the fire, Apollonia died, though Sofie and Jonesy survived. However, much like Lodz, Apollonia continued to play a role in the show. Most notably, she followed Sofie around in many different forms, both ethereal and physical. Sofie remained plagued by her mother's presence until, almost unwittingly, Ben spiritually healed her and released her from her mother's spectre. Ruthie was also able to see Apollonia, although this is due to Ruthie's resurrection, not to any connection between her and Apollonia.

In season 2, we also learn the identity of the mysterious Tattooed Man who raped Apollonia and fathered Sofie: Justin Crowe.