Pluribus - Season 1

Pluribus presents the next step in human evolution — a merging of minds, memories, and intellect into a single collective consciousness. A hive mind where knowledge is shared, decisions are streamlined, and personal identity becomes secondary to the greater whole. The question is whether this is humanity’s breakthrough… or its quiet extinction.

As always, there will be spoilers ahead. Continue at your own risk!

Recap

Pluribus begins with a mysterious signal arriving from space — a transmission containing a sequence designed to trigger a global transformation. That signal gives rise to a virus, not meant to destroy humanity, but to fundamentally change it.

The virus initiates what becomes known as the Joining: a process that merges the minds, memories, and intellect of nearly everyone on Earth into a single collective consciousness.

Almost everyone is absorbed into the hive mind — except twelve individuals. Some others don’t survive the process at all, their bodies left behind as the world quietly reorganizes itself around this new form of existence.

The series follows Carol Sturka, one of the twelve. A bestselling author, Carol is introspective, guarded, and disconnected from the pursuit of happiness that now defines this new world. During the Joining, her girlfriend is lost — at least physically — but her consciousness still becomes part of the collective.

Carol resists almost immediately. While the world adapts to this shared existence, she wants one thing above all else: to go back to how things were before. She refuses to accept that the loss of individuality is an acceptable trade-off for global harmony.

When Carol learns she isn’t alone, she seeks out the other remaining individuals, organizing a meeting with those who can communicate in English. She hopes to find allies willing to help restore the old world.

Instead, she finds contentment. The others aren’t mourning what was lost — they’re thriving. Free from the collective yet still benefiting from a world shaped by it, they’re living their best lives, fulfilled and satisfied.

Carol quickly realizes she’s the only one who wants things to go back.

As the season unfolds, Carol begins testing the limits of They, the collective consciousness that now governs the world. She learns that They are driven by a single guiding principle: to please at all costs.

To help her adapt, the Hive assigns her a shaperone — Zosia, a woman who looks like the female version of the hero of Carol’s own books, designed to guide her through this new world order.

But Carol soon discovers a dangerous flaw. When she loses her temper, it sends shockwaves through the collective — throwing They into shock and killing some members of the hive.

They don’t lie. They won’t kill — even for food. Most importantly, Carol discovers that the Joining isn’t irreversible — at least in theory. It could be undone.

The hive is honest to say that they want the remaining individuals to join the Hive, but it can’t be forced. Reversing it requires stem cells from the remaining individuals, something They refuse to take without consent.

Toward the end of the season, Carol makes contact with another individual — Manousos, a man from Paraguay who distrusts They entirely. Drawn by the video messages she’s been sending out, he seeks her out with a far more radical goal.

Because while Carol wants to reverse the Joining…

he wants to destroy They completely.

Highlight / Strengths

One of the biggest strengths of Pluribus is the originality of its premise. While the idea of a hive mind isn’t new to science fiction, Pluribus approaches it from a distinctly human angle — not as an invasion or a violent takeover, but as a voluntary evolution driven by the promise of harmony, happiness, and efficiency. That framing alone makes the series stand out.

The physicality of the Hive is also remarkably well thought out. The choreography is precise and deliberate, giving the collective a distinct presence without turning it into something overtly monstrous. The way the Hive moves, reacts, and occupies space reinforces the idea of many minds operating as one, while still feeling grounded and believable.

Visually, the series makes strong use of long takes and one-shot sequences. These moments aren’t just stylistic flourishes — they enhance immersion and emphasize the seamless, uninterrupted nature of the collective consciousness. The camera movement mirrors the Hive itself: fluid, controlled, and eerily calm.

Finally, I also appreciated that Pluribus embraces foreign languages rather than defaulting to English. It reinforces the global scale of the story and adds authenticity to the world, making the Joining feel like a truly worldwide event.

Critique

One of the main weaknesses of Pluribus is its pacing, which can feel sluggish at times. The series often leans heavily into silence and observation, particularly when following Carol on her own. While this approach works initially — helping establish mood, isolation, and emotional distance — it eventually starts to overstay its welcome.

Watching Carol go through her daily routines in near silence is effective for a while, but as the season progresses, those moments begin to feel repetitive. At times, it feels less like deliberate restraint and more like the story hitting pause, slowing narrative momentum when it should be pushing forward.

That same issue comes up with the voicemail sequences Carol listens to after the Hive decides to keep its distance from her for its own safety. The idea itself is strong and really funny at first, but repeated too often, it starts to feel like padding. Instead of advancing the plot, these moments sometimes stall the story, stretching scenes that could have been more concise without losing their impact.

Acting

It feels a bit unfair to single out a top three performances in Pluribus, because the show is so tightly focused on one perspective. That said, there’s no way around it: Rhea Seehorn is absolutely perfect as Carol Sturka. She carries the series almost entirely on her shoulders, often with very little dialogue, relying instead on restraint, body language, and emotional precision. It’s a demanding role, and she makes it look effortless.

She’s also very well supported by Karolina Wydra as Zosia. Wydra brings an uncanny calm to the role, striking the right balance between warmth and something slightly unsettling — exactly what the character needs to embody the Hive’s version of comfort and guidance.

And while his presence is brief, Samba Schutte leaves a strong impression as Mr. Diabaté.

Final thoughts

Even though I was hoping the story would push a bit further by the end of the season — ideally with Carol having at least theoretical groundwork for reversing the Joining — Pluribus remains a compelling and worthwhile watch.

The show’s originality, strong visual identity, and outstanding central performance make it stand out in Apple TV’s growing sci-fi lineup. Pluribus doesn’t just earn the attention it’s getting — it deserves the hype, and it leaves you genuinely curious about where the story goes next.