On Nov. 7, Apple TV released the first two episode of “Pluribus,” the all-new sci-fi thriller from Vince Gilligan, creator of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” The show stars Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka, a romantasy author in Albuquerque, N.M., who is one of 12 people immune to an alien virus that has made everyone on earth a part of a singular, happy hivemind.
This is Gilligan’s first television series since the conclusion of “Better Call Saul” in 2022. He first developed the idea while writing “Better Call Saul” over 10 years ago, as he wanted to create a story with both an apocalyptic event, an entire population being “unfailingly nice” to the protagonist and a protagonist that acts as a force for good, unlike his two previous antiheroes.
“… at this point in humanity and in world history, I think we need more good guys again. We need more heroes,” said Gilligan to Variety.
The first episode “We is Us” covers the spread of the extraterrestrial virus all over the world, in an event known as the Joining. More specifically, we see how Sturka and her manager/partner Helen (Miriam Shor) deal with the event when they return from an exhausting book tour to New Mexico.
The pilot is one of the most gripping hours of television I’ve ever seen. Highlights include the ominous countdown timer interspersed throughout the episode, Sturka’s saga in trying to get Helen medical help and the scenes of everyone shaking during the Joining. It gets your heart racing, as you inspect every pixel of your screen to see what’s around the corner.
The scenes of everyone but Sturka convulsing makes for a torrid sight, seeing people who were normal just a moment ago uncontrollably shaking in place. It reminds me of those liminal spaces online; these are scenes that look normal, if not for everyone in the place shaking their caboose.
One mustn’t forget the cinematography and acting on display as well. There are some inventive and haunting shots in the first act during the lab outbreak, and as Sturka passes a crashed cop car. Seehorn’s acting is exemplar, capturing the anger, confusion and trauma of a woman angry at — basically aliens — who took her partner away from her in a freak occurrence.
The second episode, “Pirate Lady,” details the ensuing aftermath of the Joining, where Helen meets with the five immune and English-speaking individuals on what to do about the hivemind.
In a marked shift from the horror/thriller episode that was the pilot, this episode delivers a philosophical discussion on the situation at hand.
Sturka believes they need to eradicate the hivemind, but others disagree. One wants to become a part of the hivemind to return to her family, another believes that her nine-year-old son is still her son and not part of an 8-billion-strong hivemind and one person, Koumba Diabaté (Samba Schutte), disagrees so he can keep up a playboy lifestyle.
Diabaté is probably the one person who realizes the opportunity this affords him. Unlike the other characters, he sets out to live his life like the main character in a video game, flying to Las Vegas in Air Force One with a group of supermodels in tow.
The second episode also explores the hivemind a bit more. Thanks to their interconnected mind, everyone has vast knowledge on every topic imaginable. People go about their day in silence. when speaking, they refer to themselves using the royal “we.” When talking about specific people, they use the word “individual.”
Nobody seemingly has any independence within the hivemind, so it knows everything about everyone. A nine-year-old boy could know as much about Transformers as he does the intricacies of heart surgery.
Many online believe the hivemind is a cautionary tale of what the increased use of generative AI could entail and how succumbing to the hivemind robs one of their individuality. This can be supported by one line in the end credits of each episode, which states it was made by humans, and Gilligan’s distaste towards the use of AI.
NPR argues that the show is about the ever-expanding feeling of loneliness people have in the 21st century, through social media, political polarization and rising inequality.
Gilligan and company have been cagey so far on the deeper meaning behind a show that refers to the Latin phrase “e pluribus unum,” or “out of many, one.” Whatever it may be, it certainly has me intrigued to discover what happens next in the show. How will Sturka deal with the death of her partner? Could Diabaté and the others change their minds on the hivemind? Could the hivemind find a way to infect the 12 who are immune? Guess I’ll have to check in every Friday until the Boxing Day finale to see what happens.
Rating: 5/5 stars
This show sounds absolutely fascinating