Pluribus Episode 6 made me question who the real villain is: Here's why

I think the latest instalment of Pluribus, titled HDP, has been the most revealing episode of the series yet! Carol discovers dismembered human body parts stored in freezers at the Agri-Jet warehouse. She films the evidence and drives to Las Vegas to confront Koumba Diabaté, assuming she is the only one uncovering the truth. But Diabaté already knows everything through a video message from John Cena explaining Human Derived Protein. The Others consume dead human remains because they refuse to harm any living creature.

Carol reacts with disgust and horror. Yet in this episode, I learned something more disturbing. The other immune survivors meet twice weekly on Zoom and voted to exclude Carol from these meetings. Everyone is working together to solve the food crisis except her. The Others physically evacuate Las Vegas when she arrives. This episode made me realise the person I thought was fighting for humanity might actually be working against it.

*Disclaimer: The article is based on the writer's personal opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.*

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Pluribus: Carol's deadly pattern starts in Episode 2

The second episode demonstrated the lethal consequences of Carol's emotional volatility. When Carol experiences strong negative emotions, the hive mind cannot process them properly. This results in seizures that kill people globally. Her first major outburst with Zosia kills approximately 11 million people worldwide. Later, after travelling to Spain to meet the other immune survivors, Carol gets drunk and lashes out again.

Another mass casualty event follows as the hive mind seizes in response to her rage. Carol knows about these deaths and feels guilty, yet she continues, struggling to control her reactions throughout Pluribus.

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Pluribus: Episode 3's grenade incident indicates reckless behaviour

Episode 3 of Pluribus showcased Carol's pattern of reckless behaviour leading to devastating consequences. After feeling suffocated by the Others, Carol sarcastically tells Zosia she needs a hand grenade. That night, Zosia arrives at Carol's house holding an actual grenade.

Carol is drunk on vodka and on anxiety medication. During their conversation, Carol grows increasingly agitated when Zosia brings up memories of Helen's trip to Norway. In an impulsive moment, Carol pulls the pin.

The grenade is real. Zosia grabs it and throws it out the window, then tackles Carol to shield her from the blast. The explosion destroys Carol's front yard and sets her car on fire. Zosia collapses from severe injuries, including shrapnel in her back and significant blood loss. At the hospital, Carol asks if the Others would give her another grenade despite what just happened.

They say yes. A bazooka? Yes. Even an atom bomb? After hesitation, they confirm they would. This establishes that Carol has essentially unlimited power with zero accountability in Pluribus.

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Pluribus: Episode 4 threw Carol into the unexpected light

After discovering that the Others cannot lie to her, Carol devises a plan to extract information about reversing the Joining. She visits Zosia at the hospital and asks directly if there is a way to reverse the formula. Zosia confirms there is, but cannot tell Carol how. Carol then raids the hospital pharmacy, stealing sodium thiopental. She tests the drug on herself first. Once satisfied it works, Carol spikes Zosia's IV drip without consent.

The sodium thiopental causes Zosia to go into cardiac arrest. The entire hive mind surrounds them in the hospital room, desperately pleading "Please, Carol" over and over as Zosia's body seizes. Carol violated Zosia's bodily autonomy to force answers. Yet the Others will not intervene to save Zosia without Carol's explicit permission. This incident directly parallels what Carol rails against in Episode 6. She committed the same violation of consent that she accuses the Others of considering.

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Episode 6 reveals Carol's self-inflicted isolation

When Carol arrives in Las Vegas with her warehouse footage, the contrast between her approach and Diabaté's becomes stark. Diabaté lives in luxury at the Westgate Hotel penthouse. He embraced the new world while maintaining his individuality. Before Carol can show her shocking footage, Diabaté cuts her off. He already knows about HDP.

John Cena delivered a professional video explaining the Others' food source to all immune survivors. The Others refuse to kill or harm any living beings. They only consume naturally fallen fruit and the remains of approximately 100,000 people who die daily from natural causes.

Diabaté discovered this information simply by asking John Cena during their hangout sessions. Carol had to break into warehouses and film evidence in secret. Then Diabaté reveals the most devastating information. The eleven immune survivors meet regularly on Zoom twice per week. They voted on whether to include Carol. Most voted against her participation.

The non-English speaking survivors felt offended that Carol excluded them from the Spain gathering. Carol excuses herself to cry in the bathroom. This rejection confirms that both the hive mind and her fellow humans actively avoid her.

Carol leaves the next day, and Diabaté reveals that the Others can convert immune survivors through stem cell extraction. However, the procedure requires explicit consent because it is invasive and risky. Carol immediately calls the Others and states she does not consent.

The hive mind accepts her refusal without argument. This makes Carol effectively untouchable. She has complete immunity plus unlimited access to whatever she requests while everyone else works together on solutions.

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The uncomfortable truth I finally see in Pluribus

I started Pluribus completely on Carol's side because the premise outlined clear heroes and villains. An alien force strips humanity of free will, and one woman stands against the invasion. But Episode 6 forced me to confront an uncomfortable pattern. Carol is not evil or intentionally malicious. She genuinely believes she fights for humanity's soul.

But her methods in Pluribus betray every value she claims to defend. She drugs people without consent while condemning violations of bodily autonomy. She kills millions through uncontrolled rage while positioning herself as humanity's protector. She pushes away every potential ally while blaming the Others for her isolation.

The Others are not perfect. They caused 886 million deaths during the initial Joining. Their food crisis shows poor planning. But they respond to Carol with patience despite the suffering she causes them. They answer her questions honestly. They work toward sustainable solutions. They respect her boundaries by evacuating cities when she arrives.

They accept her refusal to join without argument. When I compare these behaviours, the supposed villain starts looking more reasonable than the supposed hero. Episode 6 of Pluribus made me realise the person fighting for humanity might actually be preventing any chance of survival.

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