This article contains major spoilers for Pluribus‘ episodes 1 & 2.
Apple TV‘s <em>Pluribus</em> features a compelling hook in its opening moments where a mysterious happiness virus infects nearly every human on the planet. Only a few individuals end up being immune to it, and one of them is the main character, Carol (Rhea Seehorn).
Although the new Apple TV sci-fi show walks through everything from the origins of the “virus” to how it spreads from one person to another, it avoids delving into many details surrounding its purpose and its creator. Throughout Pluribus‘ episodes 1 and 2, Carol struggles to understand what has happened to the world around her while getting used to the new normal.
Even when she interacts with other immune “survivors,” she ends up saying things that drive them away from her. However, surprisingly, just when Carol’s infected chaperon, Zosia, is about to leave with one of the other immune individuals, Koumba, she makes the intriguing decision of stopping the plane instead of letting her go.
Why Does Carol Stop the Plane in Pluribus Episode 2’s Ending?
All survivors, except Koumba, leave after Carol makes them believe that her worldview and resistance against the virus would cause more harm than good. Carol meets Koumba, hoping that he will still agree with her. To her shock, though, he only stays behind to ask her if her chaperon, Zosia, can join his circle of “romantic partners.”
Carol is disgusted by how Koumba exploits the apocalypse to pull off something unethical and immoral like this. Although Koumba tries to defend himself by claiming he actually admires Zosia, Carol calls him out for taking the agreeability and niceness of the infected for granted. Therefore, instead of agreeing to let Zosia leave, she asks her to call the shots and decide what she wants.
With this, Zosia boards the plane with Koumba while Carol prepares to go home. However, a sudden realization prompts Carol to stop Koumba’s plane. Although the episode ends here, Carol’s change of heart seems to have something to do with Zosia’s decision to leave. The fact that Zosia seems to choose one thing over the other implies that the virus’ hive mind does have some free will.
If it did not have the ability to make decisions for itself, Zosia would not have been able to conclude whether she wanted to stay with Carol or leave with Koumba. Carol seems to understand this towards the end of episode 2, seemingly realizing that she can leverage this to somehow find a way to find a cure for the infected. In future episodes, she might try to use Zosia as a vessel to help all the infected restore their humanity.
What Are The Origins Of The Happiness Apocalypse & The Virus’ Hive Mind Infection?
In Pluribus‘ opening minutes, a group of astronomers closely study an outer space microwave that comes from 600 light-years away. After initially struggling to understand the Morse-coded message it carries, they finally realize it is an RNA sequence. The RNA sequence is then converted to DNA and seemingly monitored in rats through a viral vector.
After a scientist studying the DNA gets bitten by one of the rats, she becomes Patient Zero. With this, a strange desire to spread the virus dawns on her, marking the inception of the pandemic. As Zosia later tells Carol, the process of spreading the virus escalates after the military finds out about it.
All infected individuals are not only inhumanely nice and happy but also share a hive mind. Owing to their shared consciousness, they seem to know everything about one another’s personal lives and also know every skill in the world. The infected also refer to themselves as “we” instead of adopting their previous individual identities.
Interestingly, even though Carol is immune, she seems connected to the hive mind in some way. Every time she has an outburst of emotions, the entire hive experiences a glitch, and many connected to it also get a fit. Carol’s loose connection to the hive might eventually help her manipulate the infected into becoming human again.
Why Are Only A Few Like Carol Immune To The Happiness Virus?
Pluribus‘ episodes 1 and 2 do not explain why only Carol and 11 others are immune. However, Carol’s immunity seems to have less to do with her genetic makeup and more to do with her own dark traits. Carol is portrayed as the most miserable person on the planet in the original Apple TV show. However, in a world where happiness has seemingly been enforced on everyone, Carol seems to be the only real human whose emotions have not been sterilized.
She seemingly remained unaffected by the virus because her darker traits overpowered the happiness that the virus was supposed to instill in a person. This is an interesting reversal of the anti-hero trope where a character’s dark traits eventually lead to their moral decay. In Pluribus, these same traits have become the main character’s strength, allowing her to retain her humanity and become everyone else’s potential savior.
What Is The Significance Of The Timer In Pluribus?
Pluribus features a countdown as soon as the astronomers discover the RNA sequence. The show’s timer keeps counting down until almost everyone is infected. It starts counting up after only Carol and a few others are left behind as the “survivors” of the happiness apocalypse. If the timer counts down to the inception of the apocalypse, it seems strange that it completely ignores the immune individuals.
Whoever created the virus seems sure that those who are immune are incapable of turning back time on this apocalypse. The timer can also be seen as a symbol of humanity’s measure of progress. More often than not, we see happiness as a destination and count our way down to it. The countdown in this show seems representative of that.
Like Vince Gilligan’s other shows,Breaking Bad&Better Call Saul,Pluribus was also shot in Albuquerque.
Once humans achieve their ideal inPluribus, they stop associating happiness with future prospects and lose their sense of time altogether. Since this marks a new era’s beginning, time starts counting up.
How Does Helen’s Death Affect Carol’s Perception Of The Infected?
The majority of other survivors hardly see anything wrong with this apocalypse because they still have their loved ones with them who are also infected but seem physically alive. In contrast, Carol loses her partner Helen. If Helen were still alive, it’s possible that Carol might have considered becoming one of those infected herself.
The relationship between Carol and Helen serves as a solid reminder for her individual identity and life experiences which she would not want to give up for manufactured peace and collective bliss.
This grief allows her clarity regarding everything wrong with those infected. It helps her realize that even if this virus may be benefiting humanity as a whole, its version of happiness is hollow at best. The benefits brought about by this apocalypse come at an enormous cost where millions had perished. Furthermore, Carol’s relationship with Helen serves as an important reminder for her individual identity and life experiences which she would never want to sacrifice for manufactured peace and collective bliss.
Is Carol The Problem In Pluribus?
When pointing out how collective happiness resulting from infection came at an immense cost leading millions toward death another survivor Laxmi reminds her that her emotional outburst killed eleven million people too suggesting perhaps that maybe it’s actually Carol who is resisting this new normal rather than accepting it like other “survivors.”
This said even though methods employed by Carol may seem harmful it’s difficult not seeing how she’s right because these infected individuals aren’t even human anymore having lost their ability for independent thought altogether despite how infection may create peace what value does such peace hold when individuality is nonexistent?
A genuine peace can only be embraced if conflict remains possible likewise true happiness can only exist if sorrow remains real within our world thus withinApple TV’s<em>Plu r ibus world peace alongside happiness has become mere illusions masking everything which makes us human therefore instead it’s clear that rather than being part problem instead she’s become its antidote.
