"The notion of honesty, or the lack thereof, is, when you stop to think about it, a uniquely human concept. Few animals are capable of true deception, making the human capacity for lying one of our most dangerous features. Science fiction loves exploring this concept, especially when it comes to concepts of telepathy. In Alfred Bester's 1953 classic novel, The Demolished Man (and the first novel to ever win a Hugo award), a world of telepathy makes premeditated crime impossible."
"In Episode 4, when Carol (Rhea Seehorn) sits down with one of the many humans who have become part of the Joining, she wants to know what the hive mind actually thinks of her romance novels. Because so many people love the books, the hive mind puts these tomes on equal footing with Shakespeare. And in one touching moment, we discover that one of Carol's most annoying fans in Episode 1 was actually so comforted by her books that she avoided suicidal thoughts."
Pluribus Episode 4 applies the concept of telepathy and honesty to create a humane, emotionally grounded hive mind. Carol asks the Joining what it thinks of her romance novels. The hive mind elevates those novels to canonical status alongside Shakespeare and conveys the books' real-world comforting impact. A previously irritating fan is revealed to have avoided suicide because of Carol's writing. The episode contrasts prior science fiction portrayals where telepathy eliminates secrecy or prevents crime, by focusing on lying as a human, cultural behavior. The hive mind's candid assessments show both validation and vulnerability, and they reveal what Carol's late wife thought of her unpublished work. The portrayal preserves emotional nuance and privacy complexity, making the speculative element feel immediate and resonant.
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