Pluribus’ Carol branded “Karen” but Breaking Bad fans are clapping back

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Similar to what happened with Breaking Bad, there’s a pattern emerging with Vince Gilligan’s new show, Pluribus. The main character, Carol (played by Rhea Seehorn), is now being labeled a “Karen” by some viewers.

Okay, so Apple TV+ just dropped another awesome show called Pluribus. It’s giving me serious Severance vibes, and the premise is wild: a weird virus turns everyone into this overly-friendly, connected groupthink. It’s definitely a strange one, but I’m hooked!

Carol is a writer with a pessimistic outlook, and she’s one of the few people who hasn’t gotten sick from the virus. Not surprisingly, she’s finding it difficult to cope with everything that’s happening.

But not everyone online is sympathetic. On social media, many people are calling Carol a “Karen,” and some are even saying she’s one of the most annoying lead characters on television. Does that ring a bell?

Pluribus viewers defend Carol amid “Karen” backlash 

The recent discussion about Pluribus is echoing the negative reaction Skyler White from Breaking Bad faced when the show was popular, but now viewers are defending Pluribus against the criticism.

Someone shared on the show’s Reddit page that they’re really enjoying the series, but are surprised by how much negativity there is towards the character Carol.

I discovered the show on TikTok and was immediately hooked by the short clips. Someone described it perfectly as being about a self-absorbed influencer who falls from grace when aliens take over the world and she loses all her followers.

You know, when I first heard the term ‘Karen,’ I always pictured someone using their power to make things awful for people just trying to do their jobs, especially people of color. But honestly, it feels like now it just means any woman who doesn’t seem happy enough, which is a total letdown. It’s lost a lot of its original meaning, in my opinion.

Carol often comes across as negative and puts herself down, and she tends to undermine her own efforts. However, she’s also deeply caring and feels things strongly. Ultimately, she’s driven by a desire to protect and save others.

The Reddit user then detailed moments from the first three episodes, such as assisting the driver of a wrecked car, rescuing a baby at the hospital, and experiencing intense guilt and physical reaction when she understood her actions had unintentionally caused deaths through the hive mind event.

I think most viewers will understand what’s happening, but a small, frustrating group just doesn’t want to accept that Carol is understandably upset by everything.

I saw this really interesting discussion online about The Last of Us. Someone pointed out how people used to unfairly criticize Skyler White from Breaking Bad, and they think the same thing is happening now with Carol. Another person then wondered if people would react differently to Carol if she were a male character – it really made me think!

Someone else pointed out that while many viewers get invested in characters and choose sides, compelling stories need flawed characters and conflict – and Vince Gilligan, the creator, excels at that, as seen with characters like Walter White and Saul Goodman.

Characters need a clear path of development. For example, Jesse Pinkman’s growth wouldn’t have resonated if he hadn’t begun as a drug-dealing addict.

Someone rightly noted that it’s easy to forget how incredibly difficult her situation is – it’s completely chaotic, and she’s going through it all by herself. She’s lost the person she relied on most, witnessed a terrible tragedy, and is now dealing with overwhelming grief.

It’s only been a few days, so I understand why she’s trying to keep things as normal as possible, even if it’s just something small like buying Stouffers at the grocery store.

Criticism compared to Breaking Bad’s Skyler White discourse

Before Friday’s show aired, Cris, a TikTok creator who focuses on TV and movies, posted a video explaining the situation, drawing a comparison to Skyler White’s storyline.

She expressed disbelief that people were already debating whether Pluribus’s character was unlikeable, after only two episodes of the show.

I had a feeling something like this would happen. There’s a pretty large group of Breaking Bad fans who, for years, really disliked Skyler White and even took it out on Anna Gunn, the actress who played her. Honestly, I was hoping they’d just let this go, but I guess not.

Cris then explained the difficulties Carol is currently going through, mentioning that she recently lost her partner in a very traumatic way. He also pointed out that people often focus on whether female characters are ‘likeable,’ a standard not always applied to men.

You know, it’s funny – nobody ever really complains about Tony Soprano being a good character, even though he’s definitely not always likeable. For me, that’s the point! Whether I personally like him isn’t important. What is important is that he’s a really well-written, complex guy, and totally captivating to watch. That’s what makes a great character, right?

I noticed someone point out that Carol’s sadness is showing up as anger, and that’s why people are reacting so negatively to it. It makes sense – when grief looks like rage, it’s much harder for others to understand and be sympathetic.

Someone commented, expressing confusion over the criticism of the woman. They pointed out that if a man were in the same upsetting situation, people would likely sympathize with him, but she’s being labeled negatively instead.

One person commented that Skyler received unfair criticism, and another pointed out that the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, had expressed excitement about writing a genuinely good character again, something fans seemed to have overlooked.

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2025-11-17 16:20