TX AG 88 said:

---

AJ02 said:

---

I don't think the "virus" has to be injected. I thought at first it was being spread by kissing, and then when they did it worldwide....I don't recall what the method was. In the food supply, maybe?

---

Didn't they show "chemtrails" in the sky? I thought that was a hilarious faux-affirmation to the conspiracy nuts.

---

Right, they see the chemtrails, and it never comes up again. What's that all about?

They were "broadcasting" the virus

Rhea Seehorn is finally a Golden Globe nominee for her performance in ‘PLURIBUS’

She was never nominated for ‘BETTER CALL SAUL’ during that show’s run.

See the nominees list: https://t.co/dn5vIH2WXD pic.twitter.com/amV5WgDtO3

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 8, 2025

I also found out today her character is named after Carol Burnett and the last name comes from a Twilight Zone episode.

Out of curiosity I went back and watched the opening of episode 1. They never displayed the frequency that the signal was on and given that is was drifting, 8613kHz wasn't that. I could see the signal that the Paraguay guy was listening to being the communication backhaul for the connected people.

Also of a nerdy note, the signal drift in the opening episode is doppler shift. This means whatever sent it was moving pretty fast relative to Earth. You might say it was moving relatively fast! Could the sender already be on their way?

The Sun said:

---

Out of curiosity I went back and watched the opening of episode 1. They never displayed the frequency that the signal was on and given that is was drifting, 8613kHz wasn't that. I could see the signal that the Paraguay guy was listening to being the communication backhaul for the connected people.

Also of a nerdy note, the signal drift in the opening episode is doppler shift. This means whatever sent it was moving pretty fast relative to Earth. You might say it was moving relatively fast! Could the sender already be on their way?

---

I'm no radio expert, but i imagine the radio setup Paraguay guy has is no way capable of detecting a signal from deep space. That site in the first episode was an array of at least dozens of radio telescopes.

As for the Doppler shift, could that be explained by the ongoing expansion of the universe? Similar to red shift?

schmendeler said:

---

The Sun said:

---

Out of curiosity I went back and watched the opening of episode 1. They never displayed the frequency that the signal was on and given that is was drifting, 8613kHz wasn't that. I could see the signal that the Paraguay guy was listening to being the communication backhaul for the connected people.

Also of a nerdy note, the signal drift in the opening episode is doppler shift. This means whatever sent it was moving pretty fast relative to Earth. You might say it was moving relatively fast! Could the sender already be on their way?

---

I'm no radio expert, but i imagine the radio setup Paraguay guy has is no way capable of detecting a signal from deep space. That site in the first episode was an array of at least dozens of radio telescopes.

As for the Doppler shift, could that be explained by the ongoing expansion of the universe? Similar to red shift?

---

We hear radio signals from space all the time in ham radio. If you've ever heard someone tuning across frequencies and hear all the blips and woooOOOOoooo sounds, a lot of those those are radio signals from all kinds of astronomical phenomenon. You can even tune into pulsars and listen to those. That said, I said I think he is listening to a communications backhaul that the connected are using.

Yes Doppler could be moving either way. If they had the frequencies displayed on the signal waterfall you could tell. I just think it is fun to imagine some species sending their bioweapon ahead of themselves on the way to Earth.

AJ02 said:

---

I don't think the "virus" has to be injected. I thought at first it was being spread by kissing, and then when they did it worldwide....I don't recall what the method was. In the food supply, maybe?

---

That's a good point. I got confused on the retrieval method versus the infection method. Appreciate the clarification!

Reddit had a pretty good thread from a stem cell expert that said bone marrow stem cells are different than cells from those found (or that can be changed into) in frozen eggs. Is it legal to post Reddit threads here? If so, I can find it. It has some really interesting info.

But, who knows. This show has done a ton of misdirection by showing the hivemind to be this villainous organism, only to flip the script on it. I'm not sure why this particular scenario is any different, especially when the frozen eggs were presented in a specific context of Susan and Carol together.

I feel like I'm posting too much on this thread and I don't want to be annoying, so I'm going to go back to my mizzenmast and enjoy watching the conversation!

Every time I poke my head into this thread - it's off on a tangent.

Enjoying the show! Love me some Vince. Rhea is great.

rynning said:

---

TX AG 88 said:

---

AJ02 said:

---

I don't think the "virus" has to be injected. I thought at first it was being spread by kissing, and then when they did it worldwide....I don't recall what the method was. In the food supply, maybe?

---

Didn't they show "chemtrails" in the sky? I thought that was a hilarious faux-affirmation to the conspiracy nuts.

---

Right, they see the chemtrails, and it never comes up again. What's that all about?

---

That is how they infected pretty much the entire globe in such short order. It's how everyone came down with it so fast and all in unison in episode 1 (i.e. that guy crashing his truck, and then everyone in that little town square having the shakes as the virus took hold).

That being said, it seemed like the preferred methos was through saliva and that it was a much quicker transition when spread that way. Am I remembering correctly?

oragator said:

---

Rhea Seehorn is finally a Golden Globe nominee for her performance in ‘PLURIBUS’

She was never nominated for ‘BETTER CALL SAUL’ during that show’s run.

See the nominees list: https://t.co/dn5vIH2WXD pic.twitter.com/amV5WgDtO3

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 8, 2025

I also found out today her character is named after Carol Burnett and the last name comes from a Twilight Zone episode.

---

I saw a conspiracy theory online that Carol is an offspring of the character from that same Twilight zone.

Acceptance?

That episode was pure vibes, but man the vibes were immaculate. Carol having that fancy dinner alone, the beautiful skyline in the background… Manousos's road trip, with all of those stunning shots… just… wow. Manousos using the opportunity to learn English was so smart too, especially in the way it culminated with the line he kept repeating to himself as motivation. Felt very "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." That, and I'm so curious to see *who* Carol is now, once Manousos finally arrives. Not is-she-one-of-them, but has her hatred for/fervor to cure them dissipated enough that there's now going to be some drama there?

Only two episodes left! Can't wait!

TCTTS said:

---

That episode was pure vibes, but man the vibes were immaculate. Carol having that fancy dinner alone, the beautiful skyline in the background… Manousos's road trip, with all of those stunning shots… just… wow. Manousos using the opportunity to learn English was so smart too, especially in the way it culminated with the line he kept repeating to himself as motivation. Felt very "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." That, and I'm so curious to see *who* Carol is now, once Manousos finally arrives. Not is-she-one-of-them, but has her hatred for/fervor to cure them dissipated enough that there's now going to be some drama there?

Only two episodes left! Can't wait!

---

The loneliness is definitely getting to Carol, but Manousos showing up might get her back on track, so to speak.

I'm very interested in how this Carol-Manousos dynamic is going to play out. She's very much a color outside the lines kinda person, he's very meticulous and borderline OCD, and they only have their common goal to work as the glue there. How is he going to feel after nearly dying in The Gap to get to her, only to find her in the street crying with her new one-of-them BFF?

I will also echo that this whole episode was gorgeous.

Agreed with the vibes! Carol is at the acceptance stage in grief! I am rooting for Manusos more so than Carol. Carol is just so lonely. Humans are not meant to be alone. Everyone needs someone

ok hear me out i just think it’s really interesting how they framed zosia walking this way…with a certain posture…parallel to carol and then the license plate on the car says ACEBABY. that’s all i’ll say. pic.twitter.com/uI5AsMB1I9

— mich✰ (@cinemichh) December 12, 2025

I noticed her weird posture and the side angle when I watched it last night.

schmendeler said:

---

ok hear me out i just think it’s really interesting how they framed zosia walking this way…with a certain posture…parallel to carol and then the license plate on the car says ACEBABY. that’s all i’ll say. pic.twitter.com/uI5AsMB1I9

— mich✰ (@cinemichh) December 12, 2025

---

Significance of "ACEBABY"? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Agreed, that last episode was very aesthetically appealing all around and highly entertaining. Felt like it went by way too quickly and I was bummed when it ended.

I agree with TCTTS and some others that it could be setting up for some awkwardness and maybe some tension between her and Manousos. He has been eating dogfood and drinking rain water and shunning his mother and brazenly risking his life to get to the one person who is on the same page as him...only to possibly find that she has broken and is relying on them for emotional comfort and stability, and might possibly be well on her way to adopting a "Mr. Diabate" mentality of "let's just make the most of it".

We'll see...Could get interesting!

Great episode. I feel like color theory played a significant role in this episode.

TLDR
The episode uses color to show Carol shifting from individuality (blue) toward the hive mind (yellow), landing in a neutral white at the end. Her choices signal growing acceptance of shared responsibility and, IMO, set up a finale where she must choose between preserving Susan's memory within the collective or standing alone with it. Manousos represents the opposite extreme of individualism, positioning him as a key counterpoint to Carol's evolving middle ground.

Rest of my Ted Talk

I noticed that shades of blue usually frame Carol, while the hive mind is framed by shades of Yellow. The episode started with a blue sky and Carol driving a police car (representing the color blue). As the episode goes on, we see less blue and more yellow. The Georgia O'Keeffe wing she is in is full of blue-and-white paintings.

Then, when she is golfing, the blue police car dies. She follows Diabete's lead by selecting an ultra-luxury car that was customized for two people (the just-married decorations... changing from individual to couple). When she goes to dinner, she is wearing a yellow dress (or at least a shade closer to yellow than we have seen before) and eats meals that she enjoyed with Susan (again drifting from individualism). We also see her be more accepting of the hive mind using their memories of Susan to bring her happiness.

I do wonder if the attempted firework suicide is supposed to represent some form of ego death, as her putting out the house fire could be a call back to the first episode, when the bus was on fire, and she drove past it as the hivemind put it out. It could also show her caring more about the greater good and accepting responsibility for her actions, as she could have called the hive mind to put out the fire.

Finally, in the last scene, she painted her message in white and was wearing a white shirt, a neutral color. She also chose to call the hive mind and reconcile with them rather than reach out to Diabete and the other non-hive mind humans. I wonder if this is because she knows the hive mind accepts her unconditionally, even though she has hurt them, while she would need to take responsibility with the non-hive humans.

I expect a reconciliation with them in the next episode, and that's when Manousos comes into play. Carol commits herself to helping humanity survive by focusing on solving the food crisis, and Manousos comes in with his radio signal info.

That sets up a first-season cliffhanger: Carol realizing there might be a way to disrupt the hive mind, and her choice is between a world where Susan's memories are alive and can't be forgotten, and a world where she is the only one who really remembers Susan.

A quick note on Manousos. I think the words he was practicing (about the girl and the mouse and the trap) might come back into play. I also expect him to represent the extreme view of individualism, with Carol somewhere in the middle, and the other humans accepting the hive mind is the future.

I did find his speech about stealing interesting. It hits on a few levels for me. First, the fact that the only reason he is alive is because Spain colonized South America centuries before he was born. Either he doesn't realize this or he doesn't care.

It also fits as an excellent allegory for AI. Without existing creations, AI wouldn't be able to work. It also offers itself as a savior for him that can help him with anything, but he chooses to do things on his own. But, he quickly finds out there are some things that are beyond his abilities. I am really looking forward to his reaction to waking up in a hospital and how he reconciles with the hive mind saving his life.

Just speculating but Ace is a shorthand for asexual.

Quote:

---

i'm still on the zosia pregnant to fertilize carol's eggs for the stem cell train

---

Will someone please translate this to English? What is the theory being referenced?

I think it has to do with the fact that the hive mind can't extract the type of stem cells they need to convert Carol just through the egg itself. If they could, they would have already turned Carol.

I don't think the theory is correct. But, what if the frozen egg plays a different roll? What if a hybrid baby, between Carol and the hive mind, is the key to saving humanity?

Some foreshadowing, maybe?

There are 12 non-hive mind humans. With Carol, there are 13. There were 12 disciples of Jesus. With Jesus, there were 13. Jesus was an immaculate conception.

Also, the car Carol uses after the police car is adorned with signage and balloons saying, "Just Married".

I do wonder if there was additional foreshadowing from Manousos with the line he was practicing: "The girl saves the mouse from the trap."

Is the mouse humanity and Carol the girl? Or is he the girl and Carol the mouse? Or is Zhosia the girl, Carol the mouse, and Manousos the trap? Or maybe something else?

Edit: interesting name meanings from google (so not
100% on this):

Carol: free person
Zhosia: Knowledge
Manousos is tied to Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us"

I like how Vince has integrated the Captain Kirk Strategy for Dealing with Renegade Computers into this series.

There may be more to it, but I took the license plate as just a rich golfer's car that was left at the club when "the event" occurred. "ACE" referring to a hole-in-one. It's Gilligan so yeah, probably more to it, but I think most is a reach.

Just want to say, F falling on a tree like that. Looked like a mid-evil torture device.

Anagrammatic Nudist said:

---

There may be more to it, but I took the license plate as just a rich golfer's car that was left at the club when "the event" occurred. "ACE" referring to a hole-in-one. It's Gilligan so yeah, probably more to it, but I think most is a reach.

---

Yeah, I just remember taking it as a signal that the car belonged to some rich pretentious ******bag...as both VG and Mike Judge like to poke fun at these types on occasion. But we will see...you're right, never know with guys like VG.

LB12Diamond said:

---

Just want to say, F falling on a tree like that. Looked like a mid-evil torture device.

---

Were those poisoned spikes a la the poison dart frog projectiles from Apocalypto? I could not tell if Manousos was passing out from dehydration/exhaustion/injury...or if he had toxins running through his veins. Kinfd of looked like the latter to me.

The person that tried to persuade him to forgo the trek through the jungle said that the tree spikes are covered in bacteria.

schmendeler said:

---

The person that tried to persuade him to forgo the trek through the jungle said that the tree spikes are covered in bacteria.

---

Ah ok good catch. Wonder if we are supposed to assume primitive tribal people (like the Yanomami) using them as defense measures or something? Along those lines would have been entertaining to see half naked jungle tribespeople in loincloths come out of the woodwork to render medical aid and speak like supremely educated scientists and doctors. Big swing and a miss by Gilligan, should have hired me as an assistant writer.

EDIT: Nevermind, upon further research it looks like there is a crazy tree in the jungles of South America (sandbox tree) that has crazy toxic spikes. Forgive me, recently watched Apocalypto and immediately assumed humans had done this.

🎊🎊🎊 Congrats, #Pluribus! 🎊🎊🎊 https://t.co/07v6Qq1qYb pic.twitter.com/CG8JGo6bVy

— 𝙧𝙝𝙚𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙣 (@rheangelseehorn) December 12, 2025

Hate that I have to wait for each new episode. But that's part of what makes them more fun I guess. Prob would have binged this show in two nights.

They could have done away with some of repetition, though I understand why they did it (to highlight the monotony and loneliness).
But outside of that, this was one of my favorite episodes of TV I can remember. I think it's also the lowest rated episode on IMDB. I feel sorry for the people who can't see this show for what it is, and keep waiting for "things to happen".

But just in this episode, beyond the almost otherworldly perfect way it was shot (and I will survive as the piano song), look at the arc. Both characters are showing themselves to be strong, adapting to their new world, finding solutions to their problems, taking charge of their lives. And by the end they both discover, in very different but critical ways, they need the hive (or some form of human interaction) desperately. And it was done with almost no dialogue. Seeing Carol finally break at the end (even though you knew it was coming as soon as she got out of the car) really caught me off guard emotionally.

But now he has set up a bunch of contradictions, even from where we were a week ago, in the reunion perfectly. It isn't as simple as "us against them", or "they are pure evil", so how does it get framed?

One last point, the early reviewers were allowed to watch through this episode. I can totally see why.