“Now, I realize some of you think the world might be better off this way, with all the newfound peace, love and understanding. Enjoy that opinion! Relish it! Because it may be the last one you ever possess. And when the day comes that you have peace and love forced upon you, who knows, maybe in that last fleeting moment… you might just realize you treasured your individuality. Please. Let’s work together, the thirteen of us. ‘Cause it’s gonna take everything we’ve got. But these people need saving. We owe it to humanity.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic put us all on lockdown, many around the world began experiencing feelings of profound loneliness and isolation and delved into the world of escapism. One might say that this loneliness is even a defining characteristic of humanity on Earth and much of our entertainment is based on the idea that the truth is out there, that we are not alone in this universe. We have imagined and depicted many concepts of what alien life could possibly be on film and television, but this show posits the idea of something far more unknown and isolating.
Showrunner Vince Gilligan is no stranger to trying to tackle questions of the human condition, with his previous two shows, “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” being some of the most acclaimed shows of all time and exploring the nature of human greed. However, his first big break in television was as a writer for the original run of “The X-Files,” and this series marks his return to the science fiction genre. One of the main cast members of “Better Call Saul” was Rhea Seahorn, who has once again joined Gilligan for a new show set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The plot follows a happily married fantasy romance author named Carol Sturka (played by Seahorn) who lives in Albuquerque. One day, when flying home from a book signing event with her wife, an aerosolized mist released from planes flying around the entire world, causing nearly the entire human population to spontaneously convulse and writhe on the ground. Billions died, but those who survived have lost the very element that truly makes them human, their individuality and sense of self. They are now “We” or “Us,” a hive mind that encompasses the entire human race with the exception of 13 people, including Carol.
The show is truly odd in that after the first episode, you really only see a handful of characters. The hive of mine predominantly speaks to Carol through the body of a woman once known as Zosia (played by Karoline Wydra), and we also follow an anti social self storage manager from Paraguay named Manousos Oviedo (played by Carlos-Manuel Vesga) who shuns all interaction with the hivemind. People act as a vacant and happy mass, always using plural pronouns while trying to claim that their new way of life is pure and total bliss. The premise also lets the show set a rather unnerving tone, of mostly empty cities devoid of human life, feeling almost liminal at times.
“Pluribus” may only be in its first season, but I feel that it has successfully laid the groundwork for something potentially exceptional. Here’s hoping that Season 2 can reach up to Gilligan’s previous heights as a showrunner. My final rating for the show is an intriguing 9/10.
