"Old favourites such as The White Lotus and Severance let us down, with gaping plotholes and a total absence of forward momentum respectively. New shows have failed to break through, too, largely due to an expectation that television shows are now the things people put on in the background while they scroll on their phones. All in all, it seems like there hasn't been a show that people could really get their teeth into this year. That is, until Pluribus came along."
"The virus causes everyone to lose their identity, becoming enmeshed in a global hive mind that causes them to act with a sinister placidity. They work together. They seem kind. Bad vibes actively seem to hurt them, too; whenever Sturka has a temper tantrum, millions die. And so, simply because nobody else is going to do it, Sturka sets about saving the world."
"Apple TV recently announced that Pluribus is its biggest show of all time. Admittedly this might not be saying much, because anyone with an Apple TV account will see how often Ted Lasso rises to the top of the charts like a dead frog in a stagnant pond. But even beyond the streamer's metrics, it feels like Pluribus is taking hold."
Television felt stagnant in 2025, with established shows like The White Lotus and Severance disappointing viewers through plotholes and lack of momentum. New series struggled to break through as viewers increasingly treated TV as background while scrolling on phones. Pluribus emerged as a major exception, becoming Apple TV’s biggest show and gaining broader cultural traction. Vince Gilligan returned as sole creator since Breaking Bad. The plot centers on Carol Sturka, an author who resists an alien virus that creates a global hive mind, producing sinister placidity; bad emotional outbursts can kill millions. Sturka assumes responsibility to save humanity.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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