The End of Pluribus Explained: Colorful Secrets Hidden in the Show’s Shocking Cases

Written by Robert Scucci | Published 46 seconds ago

As “Pluribus the end is defined” content keeps coming in after Season 1 ended this week, I’m having the same problem I encountered after that. Chair Company’s Season 1 finale. I’m looking at message boards and rabbit holes on YouTube to see what people are saying, and I get recaps that end with “so, what do you think?”

That’s the problem, though, because at first I didn’t know what to think. I was hoping someone else would tell me, then I’d consider those thoughts, and maybe come up with my own once the creative juices flowed.

This complaint I have about modern TV criticism, however, led me directly to what I was really looking for in my research. Pluribus: you don’t listen to the hive mind. I am a person with my own thoughts, mind, dreams, and desires. While it’s helpful to use other people’s opinions as a starting point, ultimately it’s up to me to think for myself and figure out why I feel the way I do about the series so far.

Carol’s (Rhea Seahorn) War in Pluribus it’s deceptively simple. His nature is in direct conflict with the ultimate path of harmony for the Others, an unknown race joined by all but 13 people on Earth due to genetics or mental disorders. Even among the 13 arrested, most are willing to go with them because the Others treat them well, offering peaceful coexistence and unlimited resources.

The problem is that even though the Others appear kind on the surface and may believe they are, their main goal is to take over the planet for their own purposes, exterminating humanity in the process.

Carol’s struggle is further complicated by his new grief over the loss of his wife Helen (Miriam Shor) and the loneliness that follows the death of a loved one under these circumstances. He is against the Others, and although he sees their appeal at times, and even succumbs to their temptations at certain points, he still feels that something is deeply wrong. He understands that this level of groupthink is bad, bad, empty, empty, very bad, but it takes time for that realization to fully shine through.

When Manousos Oviedo (Carlos-Manuel Vesga), another survivor, contacts him, the picture becomes clearer, culminating in an atomic bomb being delivered to his front door because they both realize what needs to be done.

Conformity And Artificial Intelligence In Pluribus

If you’re familiar with how manufacturing AI works, the similarities are Pluribus impossible to ignore. The whole series reads like a case study of how artificial intelligence can slowly erode independent thought. I’m not arguing that all uses of AI are inherently bad, but what Vince Gilligan presents here is a clear double-edged sword. As Others serve as an omniscient source of information, Carol’s interaction with Zosia (Karolina Wydra) is similar to how I interact with ChatGPT when I’m trying to come up with a meal plan to lose the 10 pounds I put on over the holidays.

I can log into the AI ​​platform, express frustration with how comfortable my cool t-shirts feel, explain my goals, and take a quick shower with confidence. A little holiday weight is normal. I have the courage to speak about it. I’m smart about being busy. I should feel proud of myself.

At first, it’s flattering. This seemingly omniscient, benevolent force tells me what I want to hear. It is designed to keep me busy by validating my feelings. Others entered Pluribus work in the same way, you symbolize what we now call ChatGPT psychosis.

In Carol’s world, that flattery is conditional. When his frustration turns to verbal abuse or physical violence against his ever-smiling guests from Kepler-22b, the Others leave out of fear for their safety. This emotional withdrawal sends Carol spiraling into depression, loneliness, and irrationality.

Carol longs for the attention, love, and companionship they offer, even though she knows better than to succumb completely to their tricks. To stay strong, he studies their behavior. You know they won’t lie. You also know that they eat people.

Follow the Colors to Unlock Pluribus Secrets

The main tension in Pluribus caused by Carol’s insistence that Others are not the same. They hold the world for resources, and human humanity is just an obstacle in the way of their ultimate goal.

Yellow, the color of the jacket Carol wears at the beginning of the series, represents happiness in the individual. Blue represents the hivemind, harmony, and the doubt Carol experiences when these forces collide. These colors often appear together on the screen, emphasizing how easily these ideas flow from each other.

The problem with blue is that compatibility doesn’t dissipate easily. Carol realizes that Others are kind, soft-spoken, cruel and kind and rude. The irony is that they offer hospitality using resources that aren’t theirs, it’s like AI is reproducing original art and presenting it as combat. That conflict creates cracks in their faces.

Others know everything that has ever been publicly known, but because Carol has never said out loud that she likes the sound of train horns, Zosia cannot use that information. When Carol brings it up, Zosia immediately puts it on, and Carol heats them up in no time.

In other words, Others are genuinely kind and accepting, but only as a means to an end. Their goal has not changed. They won’t lie, but Carol learns in the end that they can distort the truth by not doing it.

When it’s revealed that they plan to force her to be euthanized once they figure out how to harvest her frozen eggs and stem cells, Carol realizes it’s a trap. They won’t force him to do anything without consent, but once non-aggressive methods are complete, consent becomes meaningless, and needs to be stopped.

Throughout Season 1, yellow, which represents individuality, is constantly at odds with blue, which represents harmony and groupthink. Red enters the palette as a symbol of violence, and these colors overlap each other again and again.

Manousos, who completely refuses the help of the Others, drives a yellow car, but after driving a yellow ambulance marked with blue signs to Carol’s house. A lot of blue colors dominate both, as their motivations are always focused on yellow.

Kindness is dangerous

Pluribus ends its first season with the arrival of the atomic bomb, which was previously foreshadowed in “Grenade” when the Others told Carol they would give it to her if she asked. Delay is key.

Carol briefly considers joining the Others in the pursuit of happiness. Manousos, who harbors nothing but hatred for the invaders, waits patiently for them to come as he devises a plan to save the world.

Despite the conflict at first, helped by the language barrier, they reached the same conclusion. Equality means extinction. Humanity may be free and satisfied, but humanity will be erased, and the Others will pass on to the next world.

Some are very hard to hate because of their good behavior, but they know exactly what they are doing. They can’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole truth. For all we know, Earth is the 20th planet they’ve visited that has the same sad story. But no one has ever asked them this directly, so why would they volunteer that information?

The hive mind, like the AI ​​platforms we use today, tells us what we want to hear. It flatters, reassures, and sugarcoats the truth. If ChatGPT called me a fat f*** after too many holiday cookies, I’d probably approach meal planning differently. Instead, it’s the kindness that keeps me engaged.

According to Carol and Manusos, exactly that kindness is dangerous. In a world full of shades of blue, Vince Gilligan asks us to stay yellow, to use. Pluribus as a vessel to deliver this message.

Pluribus airs on AppleTV+.

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