"Pluribus, which premiered in November and closed out its first season on Wednesday, begins with nerdy scientists exulting over the discovery of a signal from outer space, then deducing that the code is actually the RNA sequence for a virus they can replicate in a lab. When an accident infects a researcher, the virus quickly and quietly spreads through the population,"
"until Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a successful but disgruntled author of romantasy novels, looks up into the night sky over Albuquerque and wonders why so many airplanes are flying in formation overhead. The next thing Carol knows, everyone around her is catatonic or seizing, conditions that segue into either death (as is the case with Helen, Carol's wife) or automaton-like behavior. A menacing soundtrack thrums in the background as Carol drives through a cityscape pocked with fires and crowds that speak to her in creepy unison."
Pluribus opens with scientists decoding an extraterrestrial signal as an RNA sequence for a lab-replicable virus, which escapes and spreads through the population. Carol Sturka, a romantasy novelist, witnesses mass catatonia, seizures, deaths, and hive-like automatism amid an apocalyptic Albuquerque. The initial setup implies a mystery-driven, paranoia-laced sci-fi thriller. The series instead becomes a contemplative investigation into humanity, identity, happiness, and morality, emphasizing character and philosophical inquiry over plot mechanics. The season finale's startling scene—Carol briefly embracing the hive mind, then requesting a nuclear weapon after admitting self-deception—suggests a possible return to more conventional storytelling while leaving moral questions unresolved.
Read at Slate Magazine
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