TL;DR – A profoundly moving series exploring isolation, consent, and free will in the framework of an all-powerful and all-knowing Hivemind.

Disclosure – I paid for the AppleTV+ service that viewed this series.

Warning – This series contains flashing lights.

Warning – This series contains scenes that may cause distress

PLUR1BUS Review –

To be honest, I was not sure what to expect when I sat down to watch Pluribus. I didn’t expect Pluribus to immediately contend for my favourite series of the year — though in hindsight, given the creative pedigree, perhaps I should have. But whatever the case, few shows have made me ponder like this.   

So, to set the scene, one evening, two SETI scientists find a repeating message coming from space. It is nothing bouncing off the Moon. It is a code repeated every 78 seconds and sent from 600 light-years away. As the scientists try to break the message, Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) is busy signing the latest addition of her romance fantasy book. But little does anyone know that one bite and a kiss later, the entire world changes. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there may be [SPOILERS] ahead.

Concept

The first thing I want to talk about is the guiding concept that provides the framework for the rest of the show. All of humanity being damned or saved [depending on your perspective] all comes because our curiosity and human nature outstripped our processing of threats. There are a lot of Zombie Apocalypses and Alien Invasions that dabble in this area, but this is up there with Station Eleven and Earth Abides as profoundly plausible scenarios for the end of the world [or the start of a new world]. The wild hubris grounded the first episode, We Is Us, in a way I don’t usually see in shows like this and created the best foundation for me wanting to see all of this.   

Production

For a TV series that spends a large percentage of its time in the one cul-de-sac, you would think that would be quite limiting, but instead, what we get is one of the most beautiful shows on television. The way you see all the humans of Albuquerque leave en masse as red lights off in the distance creates such a mood. This is a show that brings life and beauty to arid lands and is probably the best advertisement for New Mexico that I have ever watched. One of the best parts of the show is how it demonstrates the power of the Hivemind, and this is usually captured in-camera using some of the best choreography in the business. I don’t know how many takes they have to do with some of the group scenes where everyone has to be speaking at the same time, because I have tried doing that with a group before, and it was not fun. Then there are all these small touches, for example, ending an episode on the sound of a defibrillator charging up and nothing else. Every moment brings you in more.  

Cast

At the core of the cast is Rhea Seehorn, who provides a complex portrayal of Carol Sturka. Carol is a profoundly interesting character because she is deeply compelling as one of the last people alive in the world. However, you understand quite well how deeply flawed she is as a person. Carol is someone who has become successful, but through a medium that she had compromised herself to enter. It is also clear that this is probably where her excessive drinking comes from. Carol is not the person that you would want to be the leader of human salvation, but then maybe that makes her the best choice because perfection is the enemy [or salvation].

The supporting cast is also fascinating throughout the season, especially Karolina Wydra & Carlos-Manuel Vesga. Karolina Wydra is our focal point in the Hivemind, and that is a complicated character to pull off. She must be compassionate as the face of an entity that feels that it would be best for all to join it. But also, that slightest bit mysterious in the wrong way, so you are never quite settled in their presence. Carlos-Manuel Vesga gets to play the most single-minded character in television history. He is rigid in his conviction, and I am not sure he would have been a fun person to be around before the incident. He is the more hardened version of Carol, while Koumba Diabaté (Samba Schutte) is the more liberated.

Narrative

Thanks to the strong concept and all the cast giving their all, it creates everything you need to be pulled in this story, and the writers don’t disappoint. I was captivated by each turn the story took as we follow Carol investigating the destruction of her way of life. But then we shift gears in the back half, where it becomes more of a meditation on isolation. There are these little touches that they use all over the season that help build on the lore that is happening. The way they never change the message, so Carol must listen to the whole thing every single time she wants to ask for anything. How you see a bunch of people drinking milk before that becomes a plot point. Then there are the concepts of consent, ownership, free will, replicating imitations of humans, the power of art, and the use of resources.   

Another thing I found interesting about the show is how much it continues to keep hidden in a series, which has John Cena appear as a cameo to explain why they eat humans. For an entity that apparently can’t lie, you can feel mistruths all over the place. For instance, the Others can communicate and act differently when one of the immune 13 is around. A biological imperative that causes an apparently non-violent species to be fine with 886,477,591 dead during the conversion. Zosia was clearly not in a good place when the transition happened, but no one is unpacking it, maybe because the Others are purposely officiating things to hide the truth. Add the weird no mobile phones situation, the odd radio signal, and a species actively driving itself into extinction, demanding everyone follow them down.       

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend PLUR1BUS: Season One? Absolutely. I watched all of it in two days because it got its hooks into me and I needed to see where it would land. Every character was interesting, every plot point captivating, and every thought it has made me think has been compelling. Like, has all art stopped being made? What does it say about a society without art? If you enjoy sci‑fi that sits in your head and makes you think, such as Arrival or The Leftovers, then this is absolutely the show for you. Have you watched PLUR1BUS: Season One? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.    

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of PLUR1BUS
Directed by – Vince Gilligan, Gordon Smith, Zetna Fuentes, Gandja Monteiro, Adam Bernstein & Melissa Bernstein   
Written by – Vince Gilligan, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Ariel Levine, Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll & Jonny Gomez
Created by – Vince Gilligan
Production/Distribution Companies – High Bridge, Bristol Circle Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment & AppleTV+
Starring – Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra & Carlos-Manuel Vesga
With – Darinka Arones, Manoli Ioannidis, Jesse Ramirez, John Cena, Samba Schutte, François Guétary, Soledad Campos, Anna Mhairi, Max Reeves, Olivia Rouyre, Menik Gooneratne, Jeff Hiller, Miriam Shor, Robert Bailey Jr., Thor Knai, Peter Bergman, Karan Soni, Allan McLeod, Jack Mikesell, Woody Fu, Blair Beeken & Eric Steinig
And – Elena Estér, Jennifer Esquivel, Brenden Roberts, Sofia Embid, Jai Yunae, Don Converse, Jhordan Munn, Sharon Zhang, Joette Waters, Rayaan Kamal Khan, Tim Keller, Tedd Taskey, Matthew Page, Amaraa Sanjid, Khaliun Amarburen, Piyusu Gupta, Viji Nathan, Sharon Gee, David Niu, Phuong Kubacki, Imani Love, Esther Omegba, James Cady, Kyle Bolt, Ashley Dunec, Bernadette Guckin, Monique Lott, Monae Lott, Sam Quinn & Dennis W. Milliken
Episodes Covered – We Is Us, Pirate Lady, Grenade, Please, Carol, Got Milk, HDP, The Gap, Charm Offensive & La Chica o El Mundo