Pluribus is undoubtedly one of the best shows of 2025 and a standout sci-fi offering in Apple TV’s impressive catalog. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan developed the series with Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn in the lead role, portraying a woman named Carol who is among the few individuals not immediately absorbed into a hive mind in the show’s premiere episode. Once a romantasy novelist before the world changed, Carol faces an impossible choice: conform to the collective or preserve her individuality. After events take a turn with the small group of others who have not been assimilated, she encounters Manousos (Carlos Manuel Vesga), the only other person determined to restore humanity instead of accepting their new reality. At the red carpet event for Pluribus‘ Paleyfest panel, Collider’s Taylor Gates spoke with Vesga about the series.
By the conclusion of Season 1, Manousos becomes Carol’s sole true ally. He is not supportive of the collective, and whenever the hive mind attempts to recruit him, he responds with significantly more volatility than Carol. This difference in perspective sometimes leads to disagreements between them. One particularly intriguing aspect explored through Manousos’ experiences is his reaction when the collective sends his mother to deter him from finding Carol. When she speaks to him, he is far from kind, demonstrating that the hive mind fails to comprehend their relationship entirely. At Paleyfest, Vesga discussed what he knows about Manousos and his relationship with his mother.
When asked if he had spoken with Gilligan about that relationship, Vesga replied, “Not really,” but elaborated on their dynamic. “Vince didn’t tell me what the issue was about. I remember discussing the word he would use to describe his mother. I think it’s clever how he discovers that he can be sure it isn’t his mom because she’s so sweet. That is genius,” Vesga explained. By flipping that maternal expectation on its head, “It’s not that she’s mean; it’s actually that she’s sweet. That’s how he can tell. That’s amazing.”
He continued, “I thought that was incredible, but then we discussed what word he should use in Spanish, and I believe we found a word that is insulting but not overtly harsh towards her. It is quite derogatory, and I appreciate how with that simple piece of information, you get this entire universe of a relationship.” Vesga expressed hopes for further exploration of Manousos and his mother, praising Soledad Campos for her role. “They would say cut, and we would just hug each other. She’s lovely. She’s absolutely lovely.”
Carlos Manuel Vesga Had a Connection to His Most Iconic Line
The first extended time we spend with Manousos in the series occurs when he drives to find Carol in New Mexico. During his journey to Albuquerque, he practices English by repeating a phrase: “My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.” However, Vesga shared with Collider that after joking around during the first take, he stumbled over the line several times as he mixed a famous quote from <em>The Princess Bride </em> with a legendary line from <em>Star Wars</em>.
“When we shot that scene where he arrives at Albuquerque at Carol’s house, it was filmed before all the other Darién Gap scenes—the ones where I repeated constantly, right? So when we shot the last one first, I mistakenly said my name is Manusos Montoya and kept referencing The Princess Bride because I was joking about it all the time. I was blending Inigo Montoya and Darth Vader together. So I would say, ‘My name is Manusos Montoya. I am your father. Prepare to die.’
You can see Vesga as Manousos in Season 1 of Pluribus. Stay tuned at Collider for more.
- Release Date
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November 6, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV
- Directors
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Adam Bernstein, Zetna Fuentes, Melissa Bernstein
- Writers
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Ariel Levine
