Is Pluribus canceled? Debunking viral post after smart fridge ad controversy

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After reports of a woman being hospitalized after seeing a disturbing ad for Pluribus, rumors are circulating that the Apple TV series has been canceled. But is this actually the case?

Honestly, the marketing for Vince Gilligan’s new show is amazing. It totally matches the show’s vibe – super mysterious and kinda weird. They’ve been doing these in-universe jokes, like a real phone number you can call that leads to this crazy, interactive experience. It’s like they’re breaking the fourth wall, and it’s awesome!

One advertisement caused a stir after the release of Pluribus Episode 6. Displayed on a yellow background reminiscent of the show, the ad simply said, “We’re sorry we upset you, Carol.”

A woman named Carol, who has schizophrenia, reportedly saw something on her smart fridge that caused her to believe she was having a psychotic episode and seek emergency medical attention. Now, there are claims that Pluribus is being discontinued.

Is Pluribus canceled?

The reports that Pluribus has been canceled are untrue, even though the show gained a lot of attention online. In fact, Apple TV has ordered a second season, so fans can expect at least one more season after the current one ends.

‘PLURIBUS’ has been cancelled by Apple TV+ after 1 season.

— flanthippe (@flanthippe) December 7, 2025

The claim that Apple TV+ had cancelled “Pluribus” after just one season originated with X user @flanthippe on December 7th, shortly after news about the smart fridge issue became public.

The post has gone viral, with over 1.3 million views, thousands of likes, and hundreds of comments. People reacted with questions like, “Is this really true?” Others commented, “They did well,” and “It was excellent!”

Honestly, a lot of people immediately called out that claim as false. One person put it perfectly: “That’s totally made up – the show got picked up for two seasons before anyone even saw the first episode!”

Someone else pointed out that the claim isn’t true, explaining that a savvy fan had actually pre-ordered two seasons of the show before it even began airing.

After the post was published, a community note was added to it clarifying that ‘Pluribus’ hasn’t been cancelled. The show is still running, with its first season available on Apple TV and new episodes continuing to be released. There has been no official announcement of cancellation.

Pluribus smart fridge ad controversy explained 

We previously shared that someone reportedly believed they were experiencing a mental health crisis after using Pluribus.

A targeted advertisement on a Samsung smart refrigerator caused a woman in the UK to experience a psychotic episode, requiring hospitalization. She interpreted the ad, which read “We’re sorry we upset you, Carol,” as a personal message meant for her.

— TopMob (@TopMob) December 6, 2025

A woman’s sister shared on Reddit that she had voluntarily admitted herself to the hospital, believing she was experiencing a psychotic episode. She thought someone was trying to contact her through her refrigerator.

It was actually an advertisement displayed on a large LED screen. The incident happened in the UK, and someone questioned whether the ad violated any laws.

I’m looking for some guidance. She struggles to manage her own life and recently spent two days under observation. This isn’t an isolated incident; she’s experienced similar psychotic episodes roughly every two years.

Her medications were changed during this period. She also called me, reporting that she believed someone was trying to contact her through her refrigerator. As a result, she arranged for a taxi to take her to the emergency room.

I recently got my mother, Carol, home after a few days away. Today, I was surprised to see a Facebook ad for a smart fridge that apologized to her, saying ‘We’re sorry we upset you, Carol.’

The image had a disturbing yellow background and felt very threatening. When I looked closer, I realized it was an ad for a TV show. And the name on the ad? It was my sister’s – Carol. I sent her a picture of it and asked if she’d seen it before, and she said she had.

A disturbing advertisement appearing in an unexpected location led to a woman being hospitalized and a check of whether her antipsychotic medication is working properly.

Is it even lawful to show ads like that in the UK? Specifically, displaying them on a smart fridge without knowing who might have viewed them seems problematic.

The post sparked a lot of discussion, and many commenters pointed out that the ad likely didn’t violate any UK advertising rules because users can disable smart features on their devices. Still, several people suggested the woman could file a complaint with the advertising standards authority.

Some people pointed out that this situation shows how ads are increasingly appearing everywhere in our daily lives, raising concerns about their pervasive influence.

As a fan, I’m really happy to see people talking about ad hygiene! Honestly, seeing ads on everyday things like appliances feels super dystopian – like something out of a bad future – and it’s clearly not good for anyone seeing them. It just feels wrong, you know?

Is the smart fridge claim real?

After the original poster of the smart fridge photo commented on the post, some people are now saying the image isn’t real.

Pluribus ad on smart fridge sends schizophrenic woman named Carol to psychiatric ward (an example of the ad in the second image)
byu/_psyguy inAdblock

The person who originally posted the ‘Carol AD’ image a month ago clarified that they are a man from the United States and not named Carol. They added that they still dislike advertisements, and then shared links to the relevant online discussions.

Someone commented on the original post, suggesting it was likely a fabrication. They illustrated this by saying, ‘Picture this: your name is Carol, you’re experiencing a psychotic episode, and you see this message on your refrigerator…’

I think this comment probably sparked a story on Reddit. The person who made that post created their account just four days ago and hasn’t responded to any of the supportive comments. Just to be clear, I didn’t write the second post. Thanks for understanding!

Someone else pointed out that the story isn’t true. They said the picture of the fridge originally appeared on a subreddit like r/mildlyinfuriating or r/assholedesign and became very popular, even reaching the top of r/all.

The most popular comment basically said, ‘If you’re named Carol and have schizophrenia, this must be a really strange thing to see.’

Just a few days later, a post appeared on the r/LegalAdviceUK subreddit detailing how the same advertisement, displayed on a smart fridge, allegedly triggered a psychotic episode in a woman named Carol who has schizophrenia.

Right now, this is all just rumor, as nothing has been confirmed yet. However, we do know the show isn’t being taken off the air.

Pluribus could continue for three or more seasons

Vince Gilligan has expressed optimism that Pluribus might last longer than its initial two-season order. He previously told Polygon that he’d ideally like to see three seasons, saying he “would hope for three seasons” if pressed.

He explained that he originally thought Breaking Bad should only last three seasons. When people asked him about it early on, he said that’s what he envisioned. Ultimately, the show ran for six seasons, which he was very happy about.

I discovered there was a lot more to the story than I initially imagined. Perhaps the same will be true this time, or maybe not. I simply don’t know what to expect.

Vince Gilligan told Variety they have a solid plan for how the story should conclude, but he’s open to changes. He emphasized the importance of being flexible in the writers’ room and being willing to adopt better ideas as they emerge.

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2025-12-08 23:21