Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Pluribus Episode 7.
The latest episode of <em>Pluribus</em>, “The Gap,” doesn’t maintain the narrative pacing of the previous weeks. Carol (Rhea Seehorn) and Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) both undertake incredibly isolated journeys, one emotional and the other physical. Creator Vince Gilligan likely intended to show the audience just how dire the situation is becoming for each character; however, that doesn’t mean this slower-paced episode of Pluribus was a waste or should be ignored. In fact, “The Gap” sees Carol taking her biggest step forward in her relationship with the Others, though not before revealing how depressed she has become in her solitude.
Carol Seems To Accept Her Death in ‘Pluribus’ Episode 7
From the beginning of Episode 7, it is clear that Carol has adopted an even more cynical approach to the Others and the world she now finds herself in. Not only does she pettily scold them for delivering her a “tepid” Gatorade, but she swipes a bunch of fireworks only to glumly set them off in her cul-de-sac. While it is the latter of the fireworks scenes that proves darker this week, the former still shows Carol’s isolation, as she responds to the nearby calls of a wolf pack not as a howl of kinship, but with a dominating scream that silences them and leaves her, once again, alone.
Later, Carol’s enforced loneliness reaches a new low with what is easily the darkest moment in Pluribus so far. While Carol is sitting in the middle of another group of exploding fireworks, one accidentally tips over to aim directly at her. While most people would immediately run away or try to right the explosive, Carol merely turns in her chair to look down the barrel and closes her eyes. Considering that she’s sitting in the middle of these fireworks, this outcome might have been what Carol was hoping for, and reflects her feeling of a lack of agency as she waits for fate to decide if she lives or dies. Luckily, she is spared as the firework narrowly fires past her head, starting a fire in the garage of a neighboring house.
The fact that episode writer Jenn Carroll and director Adam Bernstein decide to present this moment in silence, with no tense score or soundtrack, makes it even more horrifying. It doesn’t feel like Pluribus‘ lead character is on a hero’s journey anymore; instead, she’s just a sad, lonely person who would rather let herself die than carry on alone. With this framing, Carol’s emotions, rather than the impact this would have on the plot, are what pull the viewer into her darkest moment yet.
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Carol’s Dark Moment in ‘Pluribus’ Episode 7 Subverts Viewer Expectations
While there are countless debates over whether taking one’s own life is right or wrong on a moral level, Carol’s true sin here, and why it feels like such a disturbing moment for the viewer, is that her emotional detachment breaks a major storytelling rule. A protagonist is meant to be active, to fight for what they believe in, whether they are right or wrong, and Carol has played this part perfectly in the first half of the season. She requests a meeting with the English-speaking survivors in Episode 2, “Pirate Lady,” and she discovers what the Others have been consuming in Episode 5, “Got Milk.”
In this moment, however, Carol is the complete opposite of how fans have perceived her so far. She isn’t active but passive in waiting for death as if it would be a kindness. Carol’s refusal to accept the Others and her stubbornness to listen to her fellow immune have contributed to making her a divisive character (some will argue she fits the show’s billing as “the most miserable person on Earth”), but it’s also what makes her so intriguing to watch. Seeing Carol’s spirit shatter so completely — and not in an explosive way but silently — should be heartbreaking even to her staunchest critics.
Carol’s Breakdown Adds New Layers to Her Reunion With Zosia in ‘Pluribus’ Episode 7
Carol’s brush with death snaps her out of her emotional rut and pushes her to apologize to the Others, leading to her tearful reunion with Zosia (Karolina Wydra). Yet if she hadn’t sunk to such depths, Episode 7’s conclusion would have felt unearned. Carol now has a strong connection with Zosia but it could also be seen as a dependency depending on how you view the Others’ intentions. Did they anticipate her having this mental breakdown and desperately pleading for them to come back — and is that why Diabaté (Samba Shutte) previously told Carol the Others needed to see a “change of heart”?
It’s still impossible to know just what is going on inside the Others’ hivemind right now but Manousos’ imminent arrival assuming the Others can save him from the poisoning he suffered in the jungle should be the first test of Carol and Zosia’s bond. If the Others are truly as loving as they say they are should they leave these fellow survivors to their own devices even supporting them when necessary? Will Carol want to return to isolation even if she has a potential new ally who now supports her desire for freedom? All of these questions would not exist without Carol’s darkest moment in Pluribus so far, making the episode a worthwhile piece of Gilligan’s ever-evolving sci-fi drama.
- 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
