5 Burning Questions Pluribus Refuses to Answer (Yet)

Pluribus has finally been released on Apple TV, bringing Vince Gilligan's science fiction vision to reality. The creator of Breaking Bad delivers a tale that feels both mysterious and fresh.

Rhea Seehorn plays Carol, an agitated romance novelist who is immune to the alien virus that has taken over humanity. The virus turns everyone into a connected hivemind. Only thirteen humans stay the same, and Carol finds herself fighting to protect humanity while everyone looks annoyingly happy all the time.

The series keeps audiences guessing with each episode. Four episodes in, the mysteries keep piling up. Gilligan enjoys the process of keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Every answer leads to another bigger mystery. The show moves at its own pace, but intentionally.

Better Call Saul fans will recognize this vigilant storytelling approach. Pluribus rewards the patience of viewers who pay attention to details.

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Five Burning Questions Pluribus Refuses to Answer (Yet)

Where did the alien signal come from in Pluribus?

The infection started with a radio signal from space. Scientists concluded that it originated from a distance of 600 light-years. They decoded the signal and found some instructions for creating a virus. The virus attaches itself to the human consciousness, but nobody knows who sent the messages. The signal might have been coming for thousands of years.

Earth could have just accidentally caught and decoded it. The hivemind calls itself The Others and claims it means zero harm. They insist no aliens have invaded the planet. This seems like a technicality, since alien technology was responsible for everything. Carol is seeking answers to the origin of the signal. However, the show may never reveal this information. Some mysteries are more compelling when left unsolved.

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Why are these thirteen people different?

Carol and twelve others somehow resisted the virus. They come from separate countries and backgrounds. Their ages range from four to 49 years old and even further. An old fisherman in Sardinia survived. Moreover, a young girl who lives with horses in Lesotho. A candy vendor in Istanbul and a noodle chef in Japan also made the list.

Pluribus offers no easy pattern connecting these survivors. The Others are also trying to understand their humanity as well. Seeking the answers would, in fact, let them be the thirteen survivors. Carol needs to solve this puzzle to start with. Her survival depends on staying one step ahead. The series treats this mystery as its main question.

Finding the answer would let them infect the final thirteen humans. Carol needs to solve this puzzle first. Her survival depends on staying one step ahead of her pursuers. The show treats this mystery as its central question.

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Will the hivemind force the final thirteen to join?

Throughout the series, The Others claim they respect free will. They promise Carol can live her own life. But they also compare her situation to someone who is drowning. They believe becoming part of the hivemind would save her from loneliness. This creates a moral dilemma that does not hold easy answers.

The virus spreads through saliva, but Carol stays immune even after exposure. Scientists within the hivemind work consistently on this issue. They wish everyone connected by any means possible. Pluribus builds tension around the inevitable conflict. What happens when peaceful beings encounter an unstoppable biological attack?

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Can anyone reverse what happened?

Carol searches desperately for a way to undo the transformation. She makes lists and plans on whiteboards. In the fourth episode, she discovers that The Others cannot tell lies. This gives her a new strategy for extracting information. She tries using the drug that works as a truth serum on one of them.

However, the attempt fails, and others intervene to save their dying member. But their urgent and panicked response suggests something huge. A reversal method might actually exist. The Others clearly went to keep this secret concealed. Pluribus dangles home in front of Carol while keeping answers just out of reach.

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What is Hivemind's hidden agenda?

Pluribus asks audiences to question their assumptions. Crime has disappeared entirely. Racism and war no longer exist, and everyone feels loved and connected. Gilligan himself wonders if this transformation may be positive.

Carol sees her individuality as special and worth fighting for. But others among the thirteen feel unique. They want to join their families in the collective, but she does not. The cost of this utopian world is personal freedom. Pluribus examines whether the trade-off makes sense. The answer probably depends on what viewers ask.

These burning questions will likely define the whole show as it continues beyond its nine episodes in the first season.

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