7 Other Questions for Pluribus Season Two

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Spoilers follow for the first season of Pluribus through the season finale, “La Chica o El Mundo.”

Watching Pluribus is initially confusing – it’s hard to figure out what the show is truly about. Then, you start to notice Rhea Seehorn’s incredible range of emotions, and you wonder how many different ways she can express longing and disgust. Finally, you’re left wondering where the story about Carol Sturka and the Others is headed. While the cliffhanger bomb from the first season finale creates a lot of mystery, even bigger questions emerge when thinking about the second season – questions about the powerful entity that gave Carol the weapon and what its motives are.

The first season unfolds at a deliberate pace, covering roughly three months of story time. Although a second season is planned, its release date is still unknown, leaving fans to speculate about the mysterious “Joined” and what it means for the larger story. While Zosia assures Carol that clarity and relief are coming, we haven’t reached that point yet. Here are seven questions to ponder about the Others – their methods, and what they hope to achieve with their plans for global control.

1.
What does love mean to them?

Throughout the season, a central question lingers: what are the Others’ intentions? This is especially apparent in Carol’s journey, as she initially seeks answers from them and later realizes she must ask herself. When Carol encounters Koumba and observes his relationships with Joined women, she harshly criticizes him. Zosia explains that the Others are receptive to intimacy, and when Carol questions whether she’s being treated as an object, Zosia implies the Others willingly engage with Koumba. It’s also demonstrated that the Others can protect themselves and leave harmful situations, as seen when they abandon Albuquerque, Carol, and eventually Manousos.

The situation raises troubling questions about consent and personal freedom, as the Others never asked for or agreed to the Joining. We don’t know if they genuinely experience sexual pleasure or act of their own free will. It’s also possible Zosia pursued a relationship with Carol to manipulate her, either to distract her or to convince her that the Others’ use of her stem cells is acceptable. It’s unclear if the Others even value emotional connection, given that romantic love doesn’t seem to serve their primary goal of reproduction – a process they handle separately from sex. When Zosia claims they love Carol as much as they love Manousos, it suggests romantic love holds no special significance for them. While it’s difficult to believe Zosia intentionally exploited Carol’s loneliness to draw her into the Joining, if the Others are willing to do anything to please those outside their group, is Carol now doing the same thing to Zosia that she previously criticized Koumba for? Their behavior feels less like genuine affection and more like a calculated attempt to win people over, a tactic that comes across as manipulative rather than romantic.

2.
What do they consider “happiness,” exactly?

Throughout the season, Zosia and the Others repeatedly tell Carol they prioritize her happiness, going to extreme lengths to fulfill her wishes, even if it puts them at risk – they’ve offered her everything from hand grenades to atomic bombs. Robert Bailey Jr.’s delivery driver even states they’d do anything to make her happy. If Carol even hints at wanting something, they immediately insist on giving it to her, which is reminiscent of the Iranian custom of taarof – a highly polite practice where someone will practically force a gift upon you after you compliment it. (Like leaving an Iranian dinner with all the leftovers and anything you admired, slipped into your bag!) But is this behavior genuine happiness, or simply a desire to avoid conflict? How do the Others actually feel, and what’s happening chemically within them? Does happiness even feel the same for them as it does for humans? Zosia explains the roles of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in boosting mood, but after the Joining, do these chemicals still function the same way, or are the Others biologically altered? Exploring the nature of “happiness” – as a physical and psychological process – and how it differs between the Others and humans is a key question.

3.
Can they create anything of their own?

At the start of Pluribus, Carol is annoyed with her fans and the success of her Wycaro series—which has grown to four books. She’s especially frustrated by the intense fan obsession with the character Raban, whom she initially considered making female. She isn’t passionate about her work when the ‘Joining’ happens. However, the Others—a collective consciousness—adore her writing, comparing it to Shakespeare and eagerly awaiting the fifth book. Zosia also enthusiastically praises a new chapter Carol writes after their intimate encounter. While the Wycaro books are valid romance novels, a question arises: if the Others share all thoughts and ideas, are they capable of original thought, and is that why they rely on Carol to continue the story? Over the first few months of the show, we learn very little about the Others’ culture, their daily lives, or whether they create art. It’s unclear what they value beyond survival and unity, especially as they attempt to transform Carol into one of them. Because our view of the Others is limited, it’s hard to understand their true priorities.

4.
We need an Others departure episode, right?

Beyond just explaining what’s already happened, it would be really interesting to see what life is like for a Joined person – how they experience the world. We got a small taste with Zosia, who seemed to have a unique and important role as Carol’s caretaker. This raises questions about whether there’s a ranking system among the Others, and if they all think alike. Are some of them struggling with the Joined mindset, like we saw with Manousos and Rick at the end of the season? We’d love to learn more – it could help make sense of everything.

5.
Where is everyone?

Okay, so the show reveals almost nine hundred million people died during the Joining, but billions are still out there, nearly a million just in Albuquerque! And where are they? It’s a huge question the show doesn’t really answer. We get glimpses – people crammed into the Rio Rancho Events Center, a mass exodus of cars leaving the city when the Others move on – but it feels…empty. I kept waiting to see someone, anyone, when Carol goes back to Albuquerque or even on her little trips with Zosia, especially after she starts to accept the Others. We see tiny groups here and there – the Others playing out a Bond fantasy, villagers going about their lives – but the sheer number of missing people is jarring. Where did everyone go? What are they doing besides trying to reach Kepler-22b? It’s all very vague. And honestly, the show loses points for the casually abandoned animals. Seeing Kusimayu, newly Joined, just walk away from that bleating goat was genuinely heartbreaking and felt needlessly cruel.

6.
What other celebrities are in there?

It’s been revealed that John Cena is now one of the Others, and the show mentions a few other celebrities who apparently became Others before him. These include George Clooney, who Carol used as a cover story for her inspiration, and Rick Steves, the travel expert known for budget-friendly adventures. (The fact that Carol dislikes the always-cheerful Steves really highlights how grumpy she is.) It makes you wonder if they’re all right. With the president gone, who else is out there living a normal life as an Other, like the mayor of Albuquerque? I hope the show doesn’t get too crowded with celebrity cameos like The Bear, but it would be neat to see some surprising faces doing whatever it is the Others do. Perhaps Vince Gilligan could reach out to a former Breaking Bad actor, Jesse Plemons?

7.
What’s the importance of radio waves?

Okay, let’s be honest, I’m terrible at science on Jeopardy!. But thinking about the show, if radio waves were how the Others first contacted Earth, could they also be the key to undoing the Joining? It definitely feels like that’s where things are heading. All the focus on Manousos and his research – the books, the notes on circuits – it’s all starting to feel incredibly important. Yes, Carol has a bomb, but I’m starting to think Manousos’s theories about the Others might actually be the more powerful weapon in this season.

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2025-12-24 09:00