By Bill Cushing
After a virus turns most of humanity into a hive mind, novelist Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), who is immune to the virus, must now deal with being isolated and alone among an eerie and endlessly positive population who have been joined together as one. That is how AppleTV’s new series ‘Pluribus’ unfolds and it is my recommendation for this month.
Carol has just returned home to Albuquerque after a book tour when the world suddenly and seemingly totally shifts. A mysterious event has triggered a strange reaction in virtually every other human being Carol can find, turning them into contented, gracious, and frankly creepy foot soldiers in some kind of larger purpose that Carol doesn’t understand.
While the source of the virus is extra-terrestrial, this is no invasion by beings from another world and although most of humanity remains profoundly changed by this viral outbreak, they are not mindless, violent zombies.
Quite the opposite.
They are profoundly against hurting any living thing, especially Carol. The virus has made the earth’s population all share the same memories, expertise, thought processes and emotions. And with this comes sudden, blissful enlightenment. It has turned the world into an instant Utopia. But Carol wonders what the catch is.
As the dust begins to settle, Carol learns a little more about what’s happened by talking to a government official through her TV. She is also visited by a woman, Zosia (Karolina Wydra), who will become her guide and main point of contact in this new world.
Zosia informs Carol that she is not the only one on the planet who was unaffected by the virus. There are 13 others.
‘Pluribus’ comes from the brilliant mind of Vince Gilligan, the creator of two of the best drama series ever created, ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul.’ But here he returns to his sci-fi roots, which is where he got his start, writing for ‘The X-Files.’ Gilligan shows that he hasn’t lost anything off his fastball.
He is still at the top of his game.
Gilligan has said that he wrote Carol specifically for Seehorn, and she doesn’t disappoint. She delivers one of the years must see performances. But while she undeniably commands the screen on her own, her scenes with Karolina Wydra are amazing.
Carol’s relationship with her guide Zosia is one of the series’ many highlights. Carol’s shell is impossible to crack, yet Zosia , like all of the infected people on earth, is persistent. She always smiles, and the softness with which she speaks never grows cold despite Carol’s increasing paranoia and verbal abuse.
The back and forth between them is fascinating to watch, and slowly, it becomes clear that although Zosia represents everything Carol is supposed to hate, there’s something about the woman that feels familiar, as if a piece of the old world can still exist within this new one.
Desperate to understand what makes her and a select few different from the rest of the world, Carol starts scouring the city for clues about anything outside the new normal in which she’s found herself and ‘Pluribus’ quickly shapes up to be one of this year’s most complicated and thrilling television series. This could be TV’s next great show and you shouldn’t miss it.
‘Pluribus’ has already been renewed for a second season and is available to stream on AppleTV.
If you have any questions about TV you can email me at BillsTVTalk@gmail.com. I will answer all your questions and will feature some of the questions I receive in a future Mailbag column.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @BillsTVTalk and on Facebook at BillsTVTalk for daily up-to-the-minute TV news and discussion. ◊