It's funny because I saw an interview with Gilligan that he didn't want to write another baddie, an anti-hero.
But in her own way she's just that. Extremely flawed, not someone any of us would likely wanna hang out with, but she is seemingly humanity's last hope. Heck even the other "survivors" didn't like her.
And she's set against the relentless positive attitude of everyone else.
My assumption is that over time utopia will decline (the meat thing is one example) and her disposition will become less and less out of whack with reality. Which will be fun, to watch the world will change around her again, just much slower and in her favor.
We will see though, i only put the spoiler tags on because it is early, so even basic guesses can impact an entire season's viewing. But nothing detailed or crazy.

I'll take this thread as an opportunity to suggest any of the Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul Vince Gilligan fans to not be afraid to go back and watch some of the the X-Files episodes he wrote due to fear of not knowing the mythology of the series (alien invasion blah blah blah).

Most of the episodes he wrote are standalone episodes or only lightly reference the lore and are some of the better all-time episodes of television.

Pusher
Paper Hearts (with Tom Noonan at the top of his game)
Bad Blood
Drive (where his relationship with Cranston began)

I actually need to go back and watch his eps, I've seen most all of them but don't know the ones he did specifically.

As per Pluribus, not at all what I expected but I'm totally intrigued. The meeting in episode 2 was really interesting, and it totally tracks that people who hadn't lose their loved ones and still more or less have them "there" would adjust totally differently than Carol did.

Super intrigued to see where this is going and what else might be happening that she's not aware of as well as the purpose behind everything. Definitely all seems too good to be true at this point.

If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

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Along these lines, as cool as this show is, i am curious as to the expected longevity of the show. It just feels, 1.5 episodes in, that this was meant to be a single season type of show, that it would have to get super nutty sci-fi in order to be a continuing show.

I don't know though, maybe there are some mega plot twists in store? I seem to be picking up on some societal metaphors that I am trying to figure out, and would not be surprised if this just turns out to be some type of entertaining satire or something. Still no clue where this show can or will go.

javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

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I went back to the first episode and listened to the technical language of the radio astronomers and they theorized that it would take an antenna the size of Africa to send the signal they received. I think will see technological advancement for the purpose of spreading the virus to the next host planet.

javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

---

If every single person has the expertise of the world's greatest experts on every single subject, then for sure.

Every single person immediately has a phd in computer science, pharmacology, antennas, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, etc. while simultaneously having the manual labor capabilities and overall know-how to construct anything they could possibly dream of.

You also have 3/4ths of the world doing jobs that no longer matter (arts, entertainment, news, government, hospitality, etc.) getting involved in efforts to improve food supply issues, medicine, engineering, infrastructure improvements, etc. So endless free labor supply, no need for middle men, and endless supply of expertise.

Yeah, these guys are perfecting AI and figuring out interstellar travel within a few years.

Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag said:

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javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

---

If every single person has the expertise of the world's greatest experts on every single subject, then for sure.

Every single person immediately has a phd in computer science, pharmacology, antennas, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, etc. while simultaneously having the manual labor capabilities and overall know-how to construct anything they could possibly dream of.

You also have 3/4ths of the world doing jobs that no longer matter (arts, entertainment, news, government, hospitality, etc.) getting involved in efforts to improve food supply issues, medicine, engineering, infrastructure improvements, etc. So endless free labor supply, no need for middle men, and endless supply of expertise.

Yeah, these guys are perfecting AI and figuring out interstellar travel within a few years.

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Hell, such a people are essentially super advanced AI robots themselves...more that than "human" imo.

El Gallo Blanco said:

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javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

---

Along these lines, as cool as this show is, i am curious as to the expected longevity of the show. It just feels, 1.5 episodes in, that this was meant to be a single season type of show, that it would have to get super nutty sci-fi in order to be a continuing show.

I don't know though, maybe there are some mega plot twists in store? I seem to be picking up on some societal metaphors that I am trying to figure out, and would not be surprised if this just turns out to be some type of entertaining satire or something. Still no clue where this show can or will go.

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Here is a good article on Gilligan and the show. As for longevity, he sees it going beyond 2 seasons
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/pluribus-explained-vince-gilligan-rhea-seehorn-1236571666/

Quote:

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Apple gave "Pluribus" a two-season order, and Gilligan says he sees the series going beyond that. "I think we have a pretty good idea of where it should end," he says, but that doesn't mean he'll stick to it. "One of the most important things I can do in the writers' room is not be too precious about the ideas. If we come up with a better way to end this thing, we will."

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El Gallo Blanco said:

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Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag said:

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javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

---

If every single person has the expertise of the world's greatest experts on every single subject, then for sure.

Every single person immediately has a phd in computer science, pharmacology, antennas, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, etc. while simultaneously having the manual labor capabilities and overall know-how to construct anything they could possibly dream of.

You also have 3/4ths of the world doing jobs that no longer matter (arts, entertainment, news, government, hospitality, etc.) getting involved in efforts to improve food supply issues, medicine, engineering, infrastructure improvements, etc. So endless free labor supply, no need for middle men, and endless supply of expertise.

Yeah, these guys are perfecting AI and figuring out interstellar travel within a few years.

---

Hell, such a people are essentially super advanced AI robots themselves...more that than "human" imo.

---

Great seque into a tongue-in-cheek post I was going to make about this possibly being the most woke non-woke show possible:

Everybody is trans-human! So they have shared knowledge and experiences - does everyone know what everyone else's junk looks like or do they have to ask for permission before seeing that image in their head? What about their sexual experiences (both past AND present)?

It will be interesting to see if they can stay consistent with this shared experience thing or if they'll have inconsistencies that will cause it to fall flat. Can't wait to see the next episode to see where they go.

javajaws said:

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El Gallo Blanco said:

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Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag said:

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javajaws said:

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If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

---

If every single person has the expertise of the world's greatest experts on every single subject, then for sure.

Every single person immediately has a phd in computer science, pharmacology, antennas, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, etc. while simultaneously having the manual labor capabilities and overall know-how to construct anything they could possibly dream of.

You also have 3/4ths of the world doing jobs that no longer matter (arts, entertainment, news, government, hospitality, etc.) getting involved in efforts to improve food supply issues, medicine, engineering, infrastructure improvements, etc. So endless free labor supply, no need for middle men, and endless supply of expertise.

Yeah, these guys are perfecting AI and figuring out interstellar travel within a few years.

---

Hell, such a people are essentially super advanced AI robots themselves...more that than "human" imo.

---

Great seque into a tongue-in-cheek post I was going to make about this possibly being the most woke non-woke show possible:

Everybody is trans-human! So they have shared knowledge and experiences - does everyone know what everyone else's junk looks like or do they have to ask for permission before seeing that image in their head? What about their sexual experiences (both past AND present)?

It will be interesting to see if they can stay consistent with this shared experience thing or if they'll have inconsistencies that will cause it to fall flat. Can't wait to see the next episode to see where they go.

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Exactly, when I pee in my backyard, does everyone get to feel that sense of unbridled freedom and happiness that I do? To the same extent?

El Gallo Blanco said:

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javajaws said:

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El Gallo Blanco said:

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Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag said:

---

javajaws said:

---

If all of humanity was "one" and had shared knowledge/experiences I would think that would result in a relatively quick transcendence event in technology and knowledge.

I wonder it they'll go there or just slow play everything for plot purposes.

---

If every single person has the expertise of the world's greatest experts on every single subject, then for sure.

Every single person immediately has a phd in computer science, pharmacology, antennas, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, etc. while simultaneously having the manual labor capabilities and overall know-how to construct anything they could possibly dream of.

You also have 3/4ths of the world doing jobs that no longer matter (arts, entertainment, news, government, hospitality, etc.) getting involved in efforts to improve food supply issues, medicine, engineering, infrastructure improvements, etc. So endless free labor supply, no need for middle men, and endless supply of expertise.

Yeah, these guys are perfecting AI and figuring out interstellar travel within a few years.

---

Hell, such a people are essentially super advanced AI robots themselves...more that than "human" imo.

---

Great seque into a tongue-in-cheek post I was going to make about this possibly being the most woke non-woke show possible:

Everybody is trans-human! So they have shared knowledge and experiences - does everyone know what everyone else's junk looks like or do they have to ask for permission before seeing that image in their head? What about their sexual experiences (both past AND present)?

It will be interesting to see if they can stay consistent with this shared experience thing or if they'll have inconsistencies that will cause it to fall flat. Can't wait to see the next episode to see where they go.

---

Exactly, when I pee in my backyard, does everyone get to feel that sense of unbridled freedom and happiness that I do? To the same extent?

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I don't think I want to "see where they go" that bad!

Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag said:

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CheeseSndwch said:

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Not an original premise (so far) but the implementation and production quality is top notch. I really hope we see more about how the virus deals with aligning infrastructure with its peaceful philosophy. I'm pretty sure the population of the entire world could survive without animal protein but it's not something that would be possible overnight. Once they exhaust the existing food supply there might be some issues.

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Oooh, I'd love to derail a bit to discuss some of these possible issues if this was reality.

I think a loss of 1/9th of the world's population will significantly assist with food supply issues in the short term. Also, given the hive mind, mindless consumption of excess calories will immediately stop, as well (no more fatties). I don't think a lack of meat will be a huge issue as overall caloric consumption markedly decreases among western countries (specifically US, Mexico, Canada, Western Europe). There will also be significantly less food waste as "picky eaters" are no longer a thing, and people are eating appropriate sized meals.

Although one major issue will be the need of a mass increase production of B12 shots to supplement the all veg diet.

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Great points, and presumably there won't be any unplanned pregnancies so they'll be able to control population growth as needed.

Why do I somehow think you're going to tie this back to the NDA conversation from the BCS days

Gordon Smith the director and writer of #Pluribus next episode. Is the same writer of Chicanery and Bagman. pic.twitter.com/fkZ6eS82JU

— Pluribus spoilers (@odenhead) November 11, 2025

Gordon Smith is the writer and director of #Pluribus "Grenade," which happens to be the 3rd episode. His previous w/d 3rd episode was Better Call Saul "Rock and Hard Place" 👇pic.twitter.com/ONPoXmsC9h

— Saul Goodman ⚖ (@itsSaulGoodman) November 10, 2025

I think, from the perspective of the collective anyway, Carole is the baddie.

Humanity in it's current form is essentially dead, but i don't think it's in doubt that the species and the planet as a whole will be more successful and healthy going forward (at least until some as yet unknown flaw emerges).

A decent chunk of human DNA is ancient viral DNA so i appreciate that there is some precedent for something less severe to this fictional event occurring in the distant past. Makes it feel more realistic. And also makes me wonder what the next one will be.

My guess….


carol eventually uses her rage resets to kill as many of the hive mind as possible as her weapon against them.

If she killed 11,000,000 as they stated in the first run through…she has a ways to go

they built a small exterior portion of Air Force One for PLURIBUS to extend digitally.

CGI always looks better when it’s built on something real - it’s why AI will never beat the human craftsmanship + computer combo. pic.twitter.com/7EyKWClBma

— patrick. (@imPatrickT) November 10, 2025

An entity of some sort has created heaven on earth, but Carol is the only person who sees it as hell.

I thought about this, too.

If she kills all of the hive mind, there will only be 11 humans left on the planet, so that doesn't seem to be the way the show is headed.

OldArmy71 said:

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I thought about this, too.

If she kills all of the hive mind, there will only be 11 humans left on the planet, so that doesn't seem to be the way the show is headed.

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They'd all be pretty upset with her cause they'd lose their loved ones.

I'm more interested in why Carol is not affected? That's the key. Perhaps an Andromeda Strain or War of the Worlds type of solution? Better than her going All Rambo and destroying the Hive.

Please be a stand alone season and not string us along.

yeah...that's the vibe I'm getting as well.

The interactions with the our main character and "infected" folks feel very similar to "The Good Place", which makes it hard for me to take the show very seriously.

Dumb question here. So, pirate lady is an alien? Or a regular human who's been infected?

They claim not to be aliens

I gathered that she is a regular human who was infected.

In trying to find someone to approach the main character, the hive mind found pirate lady, who resembles the female version (a version Carol never told anyone about except for her partner) of the fictional protagonist of Carol's novels.

DG-Ag said:

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Dumb question here. So, pirate lady is an alien? Or a regular human who's been infected?

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She's a regular person. Hence why she was dirty and wearing those dirty clothes when we first saw her.

Langley said:

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My guess….


carol eventually uses her rage resets to kill as many of the hive mind as possible as her weapon against them.

If she killed 11,000,000 as they stated in the first run through…she has a ways to go

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Ha this would be an interesting approach. I still think she sees these people as real humans that might be able to potentially be saved someday, but will that last? So many directions this show could go.

They definitely cleaned her up majorly and put a wig on her so i don't blame you.

it is such an interesting/crazy scenario, where you're "competing" with the collective real-time intelligence and resources of the entire world.

Seems like the old War Games trope...the only way to win is not to play.