Ever since Apple TV's post-apocalyptic sci-fi series Pluribus dropped its cryptic clues netizens have been spiralling into speculation over a shocking possibility. The Hive Mind may not be driven by pure domination or vengeance after all but by something far more human, a twisted fixation on Carol. What started as a fringe Reddit thread has now snowballed into a full-blown fandom debate with fans dissecting every frame to support the idea.At the heart of this theory is the Hive Mind’s increasingly selective behaviour in Pluribus. Fans have noted how its actions appear unusually restrained whenever Carol is involved.This bizarre speculation began when one Redditor posted this fan theory, sparking a debate about the hive mind's feelings for Carol in Pluribus. The comment reads:''Guys, The Hive Mind is in love with Carol.''Carol's immunity from the Others and their calculated actions around the protagonist have fueled this buzzing Pluribus fan theory.Why do fans think the Hive Mind is in love with Carol in Pluribus? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe Redditor continued to provide evidence, supporting this bizarre fan theory:''Their chosen avatar for Carol was someone she would be attracted to. Helen's death offers a really unique experience that they cannot necessarily absorb from anyone else. Thematically, it ties into Carol being a romance writer.''While this fan theory may look bizarre or even impossible at first, it does have some thematic evidence. Since Helen coincidentally died moments after her assimilation with the hive mind, her deep love and memories of Carol became part of the collective consciousness.The fan theory suggests that the 'Helen part' of the hive mind still deeply loves and cares about Carol, wanting to make her life as easy as possible. The Redditor continued this theory by suggesting how Carol's love for Helen became an integral part of the collective consciousness:''It's this heightened level of passion and intimacy that nobody in the hivemind could have experienced besides Helen. Carol demonstrated the most extreme and longing example of romantic love.''Another Redditor joined in on the conversation and even calls the hive mind's love for Carol their 'weakness' in Pluribus:''What if this (probably ancient and alien) hive mind’s only weakness was love after all? Imagine surviving decades and decades, jumping from planets to planets, and then mere humans immediately charm you and find your weakness.''Secondly, this fan theory suggests that the hive mind intentionally chose Zosia as their representative, as she was somebody Carol would actually be attracted to. This assumption works wonders for the hive mind in Pluribus as Carol not only feels sexually attracted to Zosia but the two share a kiss and spend the night together in Episode 8. Since Zosia's time with Carol also forms the collective experience of the hive mind, this theory seems plausible.Love or manipulation? A different reading of the Pluribus fan theory View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWhile this Pluribus fan theory has much thematic evidence, another group of fans thinks this love is not altruistic in nature. Instead, this love is another form of manipulation, even self-preservation disguised as affection. While the show presents the hive mind as a collective, happy and altruistic consciousness, aiming for Carol's best interests, it could very well be a facade for their own self-preservation.Many fans agree that Zosia's role as the hive mind's representative is intentional. However, not because they are in love with Carol but because they want to manipulate her by misusing her feelings for Zosia. The hive must keep Carol happy to prevent her from literally "breaking" their network with her toxic unhappiness.A redditor voiced this theory as:''They are manipulating her...They created emotional stakes with Zosia, and we see her falling for the bait. They need to make her feel a personal connection so that she holds back her emotions from killing them. That explains the apparent 'mixed feelings' as well. They want Carol invested in Zosia just like how Laxshmi can't bear to think of harm to her hive-son.''While hive mind manipulating Carol for their own self-preservation seems an exciting turn for Pluribus, they could be in love with the romance author, which would make Carol's story extremely ironic. A romance author who deeply despises her escapist garbage writing realizes that the world has literally become a romance story dedicated entirely to her- a personal nightmare.Catch the Season 1 finale on Apple TV+ on December 24. For more crazy fan theories about Carol and the hive mind, follow SoapCentral.