The World’s Greatest Sinner

Clarence Hilliard is fired from his job as an insurance salesman after the manager concludes he disregards the company's policy. The dismissal shatters his routine and fuels his sense of grievance. This setback becomes the first push toward his desire to reinvent himself.

In a private moment, Clarence reveals to Edna that he wants to be more than an ordinary man and hopes to start a political career. Edna, exhausted by the moment, falls asleep, underscoring their growing disconnect. The idea plants the seed of his later transformation into God Hilliard.

Clarence speaks to his horse and his friend Alonzo about a dream of immortality and ruling as a god. He outlines a grand plan to transcend humanity and achieve eternal power. This conversation marks the beginning of his alliance with Alonzo and the cult's formation.

After witnessing an ecstatic crowd at a rockabilly concert, Clarence decides to learn the guitar and reinvent himself as a performer. He begins training and testing new ways to captivate audiences. Music becomes the vehicle for his growing influence.

With Alonzo's encouragement, Clarence gathers followers and proclaims himself 'God Hilliard', founding the Eternal Man's Party. He preaches a message of immortality for all, reframing power as a universal gift rather than privilege. The movement starts to take on a life of its own.

During a meeting, the followers consider targeting minorities, but God Hilliard pivots to a non-discriminatory philosophy. A wary follower warns that concentrating power could turn him into a dictator. The balance of charisma and control begins to tilt toward danger.

God Hilliard finances the cult by deceiving elderly widows and draining their life savings. Alonzo creates a public image for God Hilliard, including a false soul-patch beard. The double-fronted strategy combines political spectacle with predatory finance.

A band forms around God Hilliard, and he performs a rockabilly number with a spoken motif 'take my hand' and provocative theatrics. He allows a snake to be present on stage, illustrating the cult's wild spectacle. The performance cements his popularity and deepens his followers' devotion.

The followers stage a riot, smashing cars and buildings in a bid to demand more from God Hilliard. In a separate episode, he encounters an ex-follower who has fallen apart from abandoning his family; Hilliard gives him a gun and urges him toward suicide, revealing his moral bankruptcy.

Betty warns of the consequences of her father's behavior; a confrontation with Edna escalates as Clarence demands that no one sit on top of him. Edna challenges his authority, and Betty is sent away with a warning not to reveal his business. His mother visits and condemns the sacrilege, deepening the family's fracture.

A political manager pressures God Hilliard to abandon the rock career in favor of becoming a genuine political threat, suggesting he smash his guitar as a symbol. With the manager's help, Hilliard pursues a presidential nomination for the Eternal Man's Party, staging a forceful press conference that leaves reporters unimpressed. The movement leans more into political theater than music.

Hilliard tours the United States, captivating crowds with his immortality promise. During the tour, his mother dies, a blow that shakes his faith and dampens his fervor. Despite the personal loss, Alonzo and the party push ahead with speeches and propaganda to sustain the campaign.

Hilliard refuses to let Edna and the children attend church, and a confrontation culminates in him slapping Betty when she presents a Bible. He sneaks into a church in disguise and steals a piece of sacramental bread, contemplating whether it bleeds. This act precipitates a deeper spiritual crisis and loss of moral bearing.

Back at the Eternal Man's Party building, a slime trail appears that Hilliard follows back to his base. He undergoes a final, internal confrontation with the notion of power and God, and is ultimately defeated in his challenge to a higher power. He returns to his room a broken figure, ending his rise in tragedy.