Pluribus (TV series)

Pluribus (stylized as PLUR1BUS) is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction psychological thriller television series created by Vince Gilligan for Apple TV. Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows author Carol Sturka, who is one of only thirteen people in the world immune to the effects of "the Joining", resulting from an extraterrestrial virus that had transformed the world's population into a peaceful and content hive mind. Season 1 We Is Us [1.01] Helen: You ever read, um, Finnegans Wake? Carol: Nope. Helen: I tried to, in grad school. It's probably great, I don't know. All I know is, it made me miserable trying to get through it. I figure, you make even one person happy? Maybe that's not art. It's something. Helen: "Spoiler alert, Raban is back and yummier that ever." Yummier than ever, I think she means. "You better belief he's got my permission to come aboard. I'd walk his plank any time." I'm sensing a nautical motif. Carol: A little bit. You think HoustonMom's off her meds again? Helen: I think HoustonMom would spread her legs for a grilled cheese sandwich. Carol: What the hell is wrong with you people?! Crowd: We just wanna help, Carol. Davis Taffler: We feel like we're doing all the talking here. Are there any questions you might have for us, Carol? Anything at all? Carol: Uh, uh... Yeah. Yeah, sure. I guess to start with... What the fuck is happening?! Carol: Okay. So if you're not aliens, who am I talking to right now? Who are you? Taffler: This particular individual, this is Davis Taffler. Under-Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation. But you are currently talking to every person on Earth, including Davis Taffler. We're all one. Carol: How does that work?! Taffler: We don't know, exactly. It just does! Taffler: Rest assured, Carol. We will figure out what makes you different. Carol: Figure it out? Why? Taffler: So we can fix it! So you can join us. Carol: Oh, God. [she collapses on her couch.] Taffler: Carol? You still there? Carol: You said my life was my own. Taffler: It is. One-hundred percent. Carol: So what happens when I say no? Taffler: Carol. Once you understand how wonderful this is... Pirate Lady [1.02] Zosia: Carol, you may find this hard to believe, but yesterday was the greatest day in the history of humanity. Helen thought so, too. Carol: No! Helen is not one of you! Zosia: She joined us before she passed. She's gone, but all of her thoughts, her memories, they're right here. Should we tell you how much she loved you? Carol: You bunch of ghouls! You are a goddamn bunch of grave-robbing psychopaths! You are the reason she is dead, and now you're gonna speak for her?! Fuck you! Fuck every single one of you! Zosia: Carol, this gathering today -- we have high hopes for it. Carol: Great. But? Zosia: But as we say, your lives are your own. Carol: Which means what? Zosia: We can't really protect you from one another. Laxmi: You sit there and you tell us we must do this, we must do that. But you don’t even bother to educate yourself. Why should we listen to anything you say? Carol: Because I’m smart enough to know you don’t ask a drug dealer to describe their heroin. Grenade [1.03] Carol: Okay, here's what's gonna happen: You're gonna forget everything you know about Helen. Every memory, every thought she ever had. Get her out of your head. Heads! Zosia: Carol, we apologize if it-- Carol: Never mention her again, never think about her again. Only I get to remember her, you got that? Only me! Zosia: If you'd like, we'd be happy to restore the rest of the lights-- Carol: No! Screw it, leave 'em off. Who gives a shit? Zosia: Carol, is there anything we can do to cheer you up? Carol: Cheer me up? Why? I'm fine! I'm so happy! There's nothing wrong with me that a fuckin' hand grenade wouldn't fix. You got one of those? Because I think that would be the perfect topper for the greatest week in human history. Carol: You people make no goddamn sense, do you know that? "We wanna make you happy", you say. "Your life is your own", you say. And agency, I've got all this agency! But, I mean, I guess I have agency just until I don't? Zosia: Carol, if you were walking by a lake and you saw somebody drowning, would you throw them a life preserver? Of course you would. You wouldn't think, you wouldn't wait, you wouldn't try to get consensus on it. You'd just throw it. Carol: So now I'm drowning? Zosia: You just don't know it. [Carol has just asked, hypothetically, if "They" would be willing to give her an atom bomb.] DHL Guy: Why would you want one? Carol: To blow shit up, for kicks. I mean, does it matter? You gave me a grenade, for fuck's sake. [A long beat. Carol leans forward.] It'd be okay to say "No" at this point. That would be sane. Not utterly, batshit crazy. DHL Guy: If you truly wanted a nuclear weapon, we would weigh the pros and cons with you. We would explain that it would be very destructive... Carol: "Yes" or "No". DHL Guy: Ultimately... Yes. We wouldn't necessarily feel good about it. But we would move Heaven and Earth to make you happy, Carol. Would you like an atom bomb? Carol: I'm gonna have to get back to you on that. Please, Carol [1.04] Carol: You're the fucking mayor. Tim Keller: Thank you for your vote. Carol: What did Helen think of my books? Tell me. Lawrence: Helen loved you very much. Carol: Not what I asked, Larry. Spit it out. What did Helen think of the Wycaro books? Lawrence: Carol, you expressly told us that Helen is off-limits. Carol: Yeah, but you know what? Special dispensation this one time. What did Helen think of my Wycaro books? Larry? Lawrence: She thought they were… harmless. Carol: "Harmless"? Lawrence: "Cotton candy" was the phrase she used in her mind. Mostly. Carol: Okay, if you're so accepting, then what about what you're trying to do to me now? Make me just like you, even though you know I do not want that. Zosia: You want to change us too, don't you? Didn't you just ask if it's possible? There is something else to consider. We know what it feels like to be you. To be alone. To suffer. We've been you. But you've never been us. Carol: And that fuckin'... lady, lady pirate they sent, hmm? Raban. I'm... I'm sorry, I mean Zosia. "It's Zosia. You didn't catch her name because I knew her name. Zosia. You're a fucking idiot." Whatever. How annoying is that chick. Very, very fucking annoying. All smiley. "Hey. Oh, hi. Hey, Carol. We just— We just want to make you happy. Blah blah blah." She's like, "Oh, oh. We're the whole wide world and we're stoked. It's just life is one big, sunshiny walk in the park when you're one of us. Whoo." No way. Nobody sane is that happy. I call bullshit on that. And why she gotta be so goddamn fuckable? Got Milk [1.05] Answering Machine: Hello, Carol. Carol: Hey! Uh, where did everybody—?! Answering Machine: This is a recording. At the tone, you can leave a message to request anything you might need. We'll do our best to provide it. Our feelings for you haven't changed, Carol. But after everything that's happened, we just need a little space. Carol: Now, I realize some of you think the world might be better off this way, with all the newfound peace, love and understanding. Enjoy that opinion! Relish it! Because it may be the last one you ever possess. And when the day comes that you have peace and love forced upon you, who knows, maybe in that last fleeting moment... you might just realize you treasured your individuality. Please. Let's work together, the thirteen of us. 'Cause it's gonna take everything we've got. But these people need saving. We owe it to humanity. Call me any time, day or night. Good luck and godspeed. Carol: Anybody listening out there? Huh? How about it, you twelve? Any response? Are you even getting these, 'cause how the fuck would I know? Carol: Son of a bitch. Son of a bitch... HDP [1.06] [Diabate turns on a video for Carol, John Cena appearing in it] John Cena: Hello Carol, we're John Cena, and we're here to address any questions you may be having regarding our food supply. As you know, we can't purposely harm, kill, or otherwise interfere with any form of life. That limits what we're able to consume. Because when we say any life, that includes plant life. We can't harvest wheat, corn, or rice. We can't pluck an apple from a tree. Once an apple drops of its own accord, well, we'll eat it, of course, and gratefully. Indeed, we harness all the windfall we can find. Plus, there are billions of domesticated animals, cows, chief amongst them that still require milking. And there’s preexisting food, millions of tons of it, that was processed prior to our joining. So far, so good, right? Except for one small problem. As of this taping, there are 7,348,292,411 of us. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. We’re facing a caloric deficit, and to make up for it, we’ve had to take certain measures. This is how we get our sustenance. One half-pint of this shelf-stable liquid contains 300 calories. Which means that based on a diet of 2,400 calories a day, someone John Cena’s size needs eight of these every 24 hours. Larger individuals require more. Smaller ones, less. What’s in it? Well, a lot of things. It’s manufactured across the globe, so the recipe changes based on the local availability of ingredients. Mostly, it’s those stockpiled foodstuffs we spoke of, particularly ones that are in danger of spoiling. Additionally, each carton contains eight to 12% of something we call HDP. Human-derived protein. And yep, that’s pretty much what it sounds like. Nearly 100,000 people pass away each day due to natural causes and accidents. Those human remains, which would otherwise go to waste, are our source of HDP. We cherish the memory of these people and appreciate their sacrifice. Given our druthers, would we choose to consume HDP? No. Throughout history, most cultures, though not all, have taken a dim view of anthropophagy. Honestly, we’re not that keen on it ourselves. But we’re left with little choice. Rest assured, Carol, you will never have to consume this product. Not unless you want to, which we assume is unlikely. We will never serve HDP to you in any form at any time. We will continue to reserve only the freshest, best windfall and stockpiled foods for you. We hope that clears things up. As always, your wellbeing is of the utmost importance to us. Any comments, concerns, call any time, day or night, and leave a voicemail. We regret not being able to speak to you directly, but for the time being, we need our space. The Gap [1.07] [A group of infected approach Manousos in the jungle after he leaves his car, about to cross the Darién Gap. The dialogue is in Spanish] Hivemind Member: Manousos. Please don't do this. The Darién is too dangerous. It's over 100 kilometers to Panama, and there are no marked trails. The forecast this week is not conducive to hiking. It's going to be over 38 degrees with 98% humidity. And we don't mean to harp on hydration, but clean water is not going to be easy to come by. The tropical forest houses a remarkable diversity of snakes, spiders, insects, and many are quite venomous. And then there are the chunga palms. The spines can grow up to 20 centimeters long, and they're covered in bacteria. Even the smallest cut could lead to a fatal infection. Look around you. All these items were left by people who could carry them no further. Please, Manousos. We can take you anywhere you want to go. How about New Mexico? Isn't that where you're going, to visit Carol Sturka? We could get you there by nightfall, we could even transport your car. We know how much it means to you. Manousos: [takes out a gasoline canister from the trunk of his car and douses the car with it] Nothing on this planet is yours. You cannot give me anything, because all that you have is stolen. You... [ignites a lighter] don't belong here. [Manousos lights the gasoline on his car, setting it ablaze and walking past the group of infected] Manousos: My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world. Charm Offensive [1.08] Zosia: May we ask you a question? Carol: Sure. Zosia: What was your best day writing? Carol: No such thing. Zosia: Really? Carol: C'mon, you have other writers in there! You should know. That's like asking "Uh, what's the most fun you ever had getting your teeth drilled?" Zosia: Oh, you poor, tortured artist. Carol: You are trying to distract me. Knock me off-course. You rebuild my favorite diner. You jump for joy when I tell you I'm writing again, but it's all an act. It’s manipulative bullshit because you know I haven't given up. Admit it. Tell me you know I won't give up. Zosia: We know. We wish you would. But it's also true we love Wycaro. Carol Alright! Honesty. Let's go for it, cards on the table. I like you. You people, you... you, whatever. You're... There-- There's a lot of things that I like about you. But this? This is a trainwreck. This is unsustainable. It's mental illness. It's psychosis. You are starving and you can't even pick a goddamn Apple off a tree? I-- how...? Someone has to put the world right, even if it means you all leave me again. Even if it means that I'm...[Zosia kisses Carol on the cheek. She flinches back, then kisses Zosia on the lips.]'' Cast Rhea Seehorn - Carol Sturka Karolina Wydra - Zosia Carlos Manuel Vesga - Manousos Miriam Shor - Helen Samba Schutte - Koumba Diabaté Peter Bergman - Davis Taffler Max Reeves - Margaux Anna Mhairi - Vesper Olivia Rouyre - Genevieve Esther Omegba - Jasmine Imani Love - Cleo Phuong Kubacki - Soleil Menik Gooneratne - Laxmi Darinka Arones - Kusimayu Karan Soni - Deshpande Allan McLeod - Bob Jack Mikesell - Ray Woody Fu - Dave Blair Beeken - Jenn Eric Steinig - Mel John Cena - Himself External links 15435876 Pluribus pluribus Pluribus Category:2020s American black comedy TV shows Category:2020s American drama TV shows Category:2020s American science fiction TV shows Category:Post-apocalyptic TV shows Category:Apple TV+ shows Category:Current shows Category:TV shows set in New Mexico