Spoilers

“Charm Offensive”

Episode eight is the penultimate episode of season one of Pluribus. It feels as if I have only begun to watch it. Having the first season on the brink of being over is odd.

The episode started off with Manousos getting medical attention from his trouble in the jungle last week. He refused to stay to recover though, as he discovered that he was in Panama. There was not much from him this week, but it is clear that he is on the way to Carol’s soon.

Meanwhile, Carol has reunited with Zosia, which she seems very pleased about after her forced isolation by the hivemind. Carol was bonding with Zosia, though also picking her for information. Carol wrote on her dry erase board that the hivemind was planning on creating an antenna to send message (virus?) to other planets.

The show revealed an answer to a mystery. Specifically, are animals a part of the hivemind. We meet a nice dog at the hivemind’s sleepover that proved that animals are not a part of the hivemind.

Carol took her relationship with Zosia to another level after an emotional confrontation with her after a weird trip to a diner from Carol’s past. They had sex and Carol started to write afterwards again. She does feel like she is becoming more connected to Zosia. I wonder what will happen when Manousos gets there.

One more episode to go for Pluribus. It has been a wonderful show so far on Apple TV +. Vince Gilligan seems to have another hit on his hands.

Spoilers

“The Gap”

This was a fascinating episode of Pluribus, as there is very little dialogue from any of the characters. It had Carol humming and singing some classic songs as she went about her daily attempts to fill the time, isolated from everyone.

Then we saw Manousos in his attempt to make his way to find Carol.  Manousos is working on his English, repeating several simple phrases and eventually, “My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.”

It is an episode about how a human being is not designed to be alone, and we see how Carol eventually breaks down, allowing a firework that she had set up, accidentally flipping right at her, to fire away. Carol had accepted death at that point, not willing to move or to stop the firework from going off. It missed her and is able to survive.

Meanwhile, Manousos is walking through the jungle, refusing any help from The Others, when he falls into a chunga palm tree and its bacteria-laden spines. He tried to save himself, but he collapsed in the jungle only to see a helicopter show up, I assume, to help him survive.

It was an interesting episode and these types of episodes standout as something different. Makes me think of episodes like Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Hush.”

Spoilers

“HDP”

John Cena???

The last thing I expected was to see John Cena on a TV screen during Pluribus, E6. I guess it makes sense since he was not one of the survivors. It gave me that Bill Murray in Zombieland vibe.

It was also weird when the shocking revelation from the end of last week’s episode, was wrapped up in just a few minutes.

It was human parts being stored in the warehouse that Carol found, but they were those who had already died, and we being used as HDP, Human-Derived Protein, something they need to survive.

All told to us by John Cena. That still blows my mind.

Carol heads off to Vegas with this shocking tape to find Koumba Diabaté. He showed her the Cena tape. He also tells her the only way they would be turned into the Hive-mind was via use of their individual stem cells and the would require permission to access them.

Big piece of info there, but the HDP reveal felt a touch flat for as wild as the ending to last week was. However, the John Cena cameo was awesome.

The guy from Paraguay found Carol’s tape and got into his car. I knew he would be playing a bigger role moving forward. I wonder if he plans on driving to New Mexico?

SPOILERS

“Got Milk”

We are up to episode five already of Pluribus on Apple TV +. I have to say that number surprised me. It is moving right along.

Carol finds herself completely alone as the others in her city left, needing time apart from her. I guess even the hive mind grew tired of Carol’s shenanigans.

However, they were still available for things that Carol needed, though she had to leave a message on an answering machine to get any response. Then, she would have service from a drone.

Carol was making videos to send to the other survivors, and she had them delivered (and transcribed in whatever language the other survivors may speak) by the hive mind. I find it funny that she could send videos specifically designed to bring down the hivemind and they would just deliver it, no questions asked. Perhaps the nicest invading force ever.

However, Carol had other troubles, including hungry coyotes. Carol made a discovery of what the Others drink… some substance mixed together and placed in milk cartons like are served in schools. She also broadcast this info out to the other survivors via drone delivery.

This led her to a warehouse where she found something that made her gasp… leaving us with a very epic cliffhanger… one that was extremely annoying because I don’t want to have to wait until next week to know what it was.

This was a fun episode, with a lot of funny moments while Carol showed her capabilities for this investigation.

Spoilers

“Please, Carol”

Carol goes on the offensive in an attempt to discover what chance she has on finding a way to reverse the Joining. She comes up with a plan to inject Zosia with a truth serum (via heroin) but Zosia goes into cardiac arrest, which is where the episode ended.

This gives Carol the start of her investigation into what exactly is going on with the earthlings and their new hive mind.

Carol lists the things she knows on the board:

1. Eager to please—would give me A BOMB?!
2. Can’t kill, not a fly
3. Don’t play faves, like all jerks same
4. ***Trying to change me!***
5. Weirdly honest?

Very funny. A little creepy.

The cold open of the episode returned us to the phone call Carol made on the airplane to the man in Paraguay. His name is Manousos and we get the conversation from his POV this time. I figured that character would return to the show and he is back just a couple of episodes later. He is fairly bizarre as he was licking the lids of pet food cans for remnants of remaining food. The cold open was mostly dialogue free and was just wild. He wrote down Carol’s name at the end of the scene so he is clearly on his way, one way or another.

This was a fun episode, though Carol’s desperation really has placed Zosia in jeopardy a couple of times.

SPOILERS

“Grenade”

This show is trippy.

Carol is trying to maintain herself, but with so much taken away, she is finding the way of life to be tough. She does not want the “convenience” of being able to ask for anything and have the Others provide it.

Like a live hand grenade.

Carol asked about how long she had before they turned her into a mindless drone too. Their response: they were not sure. They were working on it.

Carol did get on the phone with one of the non-English speaking survivors. There was a contemptuous conversation there that will clearly come back later in the series.

There was more humor in this episode than in the previous ones, but it felt like a pause between major events. The series has been renewed for a season two already, but Vince Gilligan believed he had a four season story, so things may be on the slow burn for awhile.

Spoilers

“We is Us”

“Pirate Lady”

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn’t this. I couldn’t believe what was happening.

Everybody in the world suddenly started spazzing out at the same time. Carol, one of the most miserable people in the world, was apparently immune, for some reason.

The entire planet, with the exception of 12 people, appeared to become of one mind, much like a hive mind. The transformation in episode one was creepy as can be.

Directed by Vince Gilligan who wrote, directed or produced episodes for The X-Files, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, this show is completely original and takes the idea of the dystopian future in a way that has never been seen before.

Apple TV + has been exceptional with the sci-fi genre. This is yet another fine option on the streamer. I have to say that these first two episodes have a great premise, some excellent execution of story and introduction of the characters with real issues.

Carol, an author, has a short fuse on her temper and that causes massive problems for the hive mind, which seems so far to be trying for nothing but happiness.

There are some conflicts in these two episodes that truly make you wonder what you would do if in their situations, but I do feel like something more is on its way. Gilligan has a history of complexities in his shows.

Good stuff so far.