viewPluribus Episode 7: The Gap
See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here
Following Carol and Manousos on their journeys is both meditative and harrowing. Carol is drowning in abundance and loneliness; Manousos is on a glass-huffing vision quest. Carol’s resolve cracks, Manousos’ resolve almost kills him.
The episode reminded me of a prestige version of The Last Man on Earth (Will Forte), like when Carol copped a Georgia O'Keeffe painting from a museum to replace her poster at home. Both shows asked, “What would you do if?”
This was one of the most soulful and quixotic episodes of television I have seen. Director Adam Bernstein and writer Jenn Flower, wow.
Watch it.
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viewPluribus Episode 6: HDP
See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here
Episode 5 cliffhanger revealed: Carol turned vlogger and documented the frozen, shrink-wrapped body parts that fuel the Others' Human-Derived Protein drink. The cannibalism is explained by the body, mouth, but not the brain, of John Cena.
Diabaté returns in a glorious scene. He informs Carol that she is not in the private chat.
Motivated by Carol’s video, Manousos in Paraguay sets off to find her, but runs into “Mom.”
Gilligan served the obvious while shrugging it off. No narrative-changing reveals, just practical explanations of the Hive’s moral code. He provides plot answers, leaving us with bigger philosophical questions.
Watch it.
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viewPluribus Episode 5: Got Milk
See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here
Being yourself is lonely. After Carol's interrogation of Zosia backfired, making the whole world hive-mind cry, the Others are giving her the silent treatment. They convoy out of Albuquerque and rely solely on recorded updates and drone interactions. Her only social outlet is video messages to the other twelve soloists.
Sparked by moments of action and levity with her co-opted police car, Carol's solitude, with help from a pack of canines, lets her grieve Helen.
Carol becomes Agatha Christie as a series of clues eventually leads to an abandoned dog food factory and a classic episodic TV cliffhanger.
Watch it.
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viewPluribus Episode 4: Please Carol
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Carol can’t help herself as she amps up her war on the Uni-Consciousness. Fun with chemistry turns disastrous as she concocts new ways to hurt Zosia et al.
Watching television crafted by Vince Gilligan is like being in the hands of an artisan who makes beautiful things. As much as the Big Ideas of Pluribus are a philosophy class, the small moments like Carol setting up her camera (has a memory card ever been so cinematic?) or the Paraguayan’s existence in his bunker, communicate vividly.
Some might view Pluribus as a bold defense of individualism; I am not so sure.
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viewPluribus, Episode 3: Grenade
See review of the first two episodes here
In the aftermath of almost 100% of humanity entering the singularity, our cranky protagonist, Carol, is refusing to deal. But when even a grocery run to Sprouts typifies the emptiness of having every need met, avoidance is futile.
Gilligan humanizes AI slop through Carol's keeper, Zosia. She is a hive mind Amelia Bedelia, glitches at emotion, and one sip of vodka is enough to chat out random Wikipedia entries.
By Grenade's end, Carol understands the crowd-sourced charm offensive she's experiencing and the power both she and they hold. Carol now enters a race to protect her individualism.
Keep watching it.
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viewPluribus: First Two Episodes Apple TV
They avoided me, I avoided them. The hype cycles, that is. I knew diddly-squat about this show other than showrunner Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad/X-Files) and lead actor Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul).
If you entered unspoiled, I love that for us! Instant canon for prestige TV debut episodes. Hit me like the Lost, Mr. Robot, or Mad Men premieres did.
Gilligan is a craft master. Seehorn holds the pluralities of the lead into a singular force. Mystery boxes are quickly discarded, and these episodes establish a hub of infinite possibilities.
I held my breath through these two. Watch It.
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