The opening episode of Pluribus drops us into a new dystopia with little to no time to prepare. The creator Vince Gilligan woke up and chose violence for sure, but that gave us an apocalypse led by people who want to kiss you into a hive mind of permanent good vibes, which is somehow creepier, honestly!Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol Sturka. She is a wildly successful romance author but hates her own success, possibly even everyone around her. Life is flawless at her book launch, and to her, it is, therefore, meaningless. But then comes an alien code and a kiss-spread virus that turns humanity into one giddy collective consciousness. Yet Carol remains painfully human.If you're still recovering from Episode 1, don’t worry. Keep reading because below, we answer each of the questions the premiere throws at us.Answering questions you may have about Pluribus Episode 11) What’s actually wrong with Carol? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWell, nothing is wrong with her per se, but everything seems to be. Carol is exhausted, being the poster child of Freud’s “discontent of civilisation.” She is, as we said, smothered by success and desperate to feel anything real. So she is miserable, and yes, she drinks, but it just ironically primes her to become the only person on Earth who finally gets to be left alone. She didn’t mean it when she said she'd like to be alone, of course. Nobody ever does.2) Why is the rest of humanity all so happy? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAs you saw on Pluribus, there was an intercepted signal from space and an oddly behaving lab rat later. After that, humankind becomes like a planet filled with the medically enlightened space pod people. A kiss chain sprays the population into an emotional Nirvana of sorts. In a matter of hours, the world becomes a synchronized community of smiling, joined citizens who know and yet can love everything.3) What was the alien code? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe politician on TV breaks it down on Pluribus. It is said that the message consisted of guanine, uracil, cytosine, and adenine. This is the molecular alphabet of DNA/RNA. So, as it turns out, the aliens have sent a psych-bonding compound that rewires human biology into a shared hive mind.4) Why is Carol immune?Carol reaches out to the other unaffected people (Image via Apple TV+)The very real answer is that no one knows, even as of episode 5 (which we have watched), sorry! But the infected keep insisting they are not aliens and are just upgraded in a way. But Carol is one of the 11 people on Earth who is as they were. The collective wants to figure out what’s “wrong” with her and fix it. In other words, Carol isn’t in danger...but she also isn’t free.5) What should we take away from Pluribus Episode 1? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostGilligan has already said he’s fascinated by a world where everyone gets along and loves one another. Is it a nightmare disguised as a dream? Episode 1 makes that clear, right? Harmony can be horrifying with no individuality. The show weaponizes the feeling of being the only person at a party who doesn’t know anybody. On Pluribus, though, the whole planet is invited.Pluribus is streaming on Apple TV+.NEXT UP: Pluribus, what could be the secret ingredient in the milk?