Pluribus Episode 9 Ending: Carol’s Return & Manousos’ 8613 Discovery

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The first season of Pluribus concludes by offering fascinating insights into the mysterious “Others” and showing that Carol is, at last, heading in a positive direction.

As a big fan of the show, I noticed something really interesting about Carol. Leading up to Manousos’ arrival in the finale, she just seemed to…settle. Her loneliness really got to her, and she started longing for Zosia again. It was a shock, then, to see her side with the Others in the final episode! It felt like she abandoned her earlier, strong feelings against them and even agreed with Manousos’ way of thinking, which was totally unexpected.

She breaks off her relationship with Manousos, convinced she has a better grasp on the Others than he does. But after getting to know Zosia in private, she discovers she misjudged the Others all along.

Why Carol Returns To Manousos In Pluribus’ Ending

Manousos made a long journey from Paraguay to see Carol, hoping she would support him. However, he was upset to discover Carol’s feelings had changed regarding the Others before he even arrived. He also found out about her relationship with Zosia and understood that Carol was in love with her.

At first, Carol refuses to accept the situation. But when she has to choose between Zosia and Manousos, she picks Zosia. After that, they spend a lot of time together, and Carol finally starts to feel happy again.

She was quickly disappointed to learn that Zosia and her team had discovered a way to use her previously frozen eggs to control her.

I remember being strangely comforted by what the Others told me – that to infect me, they’d need to get my DNA from a bone marrow extraction. It was a really invasive procedure, and they made it clear they couldn’t do it without my permission. So, in a weird way, that’s what made me feel relatively safe around them for a while.

Once Carol spoke with Zosia, she understood they’d figured out a way to infect her. This made her realize the Others are completely focused on spreading the infection – it’s their only goal.

Realizing Zosia’s affection wasn’t genuine – that Zosia only pretended to care to get her on board with their plans – Carol finally breaks free from her daze and decides to work with Manousos again.

Why Carol Returns With An Atom Bomb

Early in the third episode of Pluribus, Carol playfully asks one of the Others if they’d consider giving her an atom bomb. Surprisingly, they say they would. This reveals that the Others prioritize something beyond just individual survival. Their priorities seem to be focused on something else entirely, likely in this order:

  • Spreading the infection.
  • Pleasing the immune individuals.
  • Ensuring their own individual survival.

The final episode of Pluribus brilliantly connects back to Carol’s earlier conversation about an atom bomb, as she returns home with one. This moment reveals her realization that the Others aren’t truly human. They don’t possess the capacity for love, nor do they have the natural instinct to survive. Driven solely by a compulsion to spread their unique ability, they lack the fundamental qualities that define humanity.

Their kindness isn’t genuine; it’s just a tactic to trick those who haven’t been infected into trusting them. Once Carol understands this, she finally sees that Manousos was right: it would have been better to eliminate them completely than risk the spread of their infection.

The 8613.0 kHz Radio Frequency Explained: How Manousos Uses It Against The “Others”

Even early in the Apple TV sci-fi show created by Vince Gilligan, Manousos demonstrated his foresight by scanning all radio frequencies. He discovered an active signal on 8613.0 kHz. While he doesn’t understand what the signal means, he correctly suspects it’s related to the unfolding “invasion.”

While Pluribus doesn’t explain the radio signal in detail, it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that it’s connected to maintaining the infected individuals’ hive-like mentality.

The virus featured in the first episode of Pluribus, which spreads through saliva, isn’t the core of what connects the Others. It appears to be simply the biological component. After the virus enters someone’s system, a radio signal acts like the programming, linking their mind to the Others’ shared consciousness – essentially, a hivemind.

The radio signal Manousos finds on 8613.0 kHz is what controls and unites the Others. Because of this, loud or unexpected noises, like Manousos’s yell, briefly break their connection to whatever is controlling them.

How Carol & Manousos Can Reverse The Happiness Apocalypse

Manousos makes a smart discovery about what controls the collective consciousness. Later in the season, though, he has trouble understanding radio signals and how to investigate them further. We already know Carol is a creative writer with a vivid imagination, and when she attempted to find a solution for the “Others,” she nearly uncovered the truth about stopping the pandemic from Zosia.

Okay, so now that I’ve made a deal with Manousos and I’m racing against the clock – the Others are trying to get to me, and I need to figure things out before they succeed – I’m finally going to really use my brain. It’s about time, honestly. I’ve got a lot to think through, and not a lot of time to do it!

The characters will soon discover that the radio signal is connected to the hivemind. Once they do, they’ll need to find and stop the signal, which is probably being sent from somewhere on Earth since a radio picked it up. Cutting off the signal could destroy the software controlling the hivemind.

In the world of Severance, the team needs to find a way to help the ‘Others’ break free from the signal that’s controlling them, essentially waking them up.

How Pluribus Season 1 Sets Up Season 2

The first season of Pluribus only hints at the larger story it intends to tell. It mainly focuses on Carol’s emotional journey as she adjusts to a strange new reality and slowly uncovers the disturbing truth about the Others – they aren’t human. The show unfolds at a deliberate pace, carefully building its characters and making the audience question who to support, before ultimately establishing Carol and Manousos as the protagonists.

Carol is now aware that the Others are trying to infect her, so she’s urgently searching for a cure. Diabaté will likely discover the Others’ true nature and team up with Carol and Manousos. Because the Others in Pluribus share a single consciousness, they might devise a way to stop the heroes in season 2 without resorting to physical violence.

Hopefully, after season 1’s gripping ending, Pluribus season 2 will not take long to arrive.

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2025-12-24 13:10