‘Pluribus’ Episode 4 Finally Explains What the Others Really Do

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Please be warned: this article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 4 of Pluribus, titled “Please, Carol,” and discusses themes of drug use. Pluribus on Apple TV+ marks Vince Gilligan’s return to science fiction after The X-Files, and like that show, he reveals details about the world gradually. Episode 4, “Please, Carol,” shows that the members of the Joining know more than they’ve let on, though they still don’t have all the answers. Throughout the series, one major mystery has remained unsolved, but this episode provides the most significant clue yet.

The strange event called the Joining, which has dramatically changed the world, appears to have come from somewhere outside of Earth. However, the source of the genetic code behind it remains a mystery. The show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, seems content to leave the origins of the Joining unexplained, choosing instead to focus on its impact on the characters and the world around them. This approach aligns with his previous work, most notably Breaking Bad, which prioritized character development. Despite this, Gilligan is slowly revealing more about the Joining throughout the first season, weaving its unusual premise into the ongoing narrative.

“Please, Carol” Builds Upon What the Others Do When Not Interacting With Unjoined Individuals


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The all-encompassing hivemind in Pluribus is genuinely unsettling. The show’s writers have cleverly made world peace feel frightening, which highlights how strong the writing has been so far. Those connected to the Joining – known as Others – are now essentially a single consciousness after a massive exchange of memories and a constant psychic link. Basically, when Carol (Rhea Seehorn) talks to one member of the Joining, she’s talking to them all. While the idea of the Joining is fairly straightforward for a sci-fi story, it raises a key question: What do the Others actually do when they aren’t interacting with people who aren’t part of the hivemind, like Carol?

The first two episodes of Pluribus showed us what the Joining is focused on initially: dealing with the aftermath of the psychic phenomenon’s fast spread, which sadly killed a lot of people. We’ve seen glimpses of the Others clearing wreckage and burying those who didn’t make it through the transition to becoming part of the hive mind. While it’s a huge job, it does have an end. The world should be back to normal soon, maybe even already, and thankfully, the episode ‘Please, Carol’ hints that the Joining is also working on something else in the background.

Carol pretends she needs heroin, but she’s actually looking for a drug to make people tell the truth. One of the hospital staff tries to dissuade her, pointing out that many patients are struggling with addiction and might not survive. This reveals that some members of the Joining are still dealing with the physical effects of drug use, and others are helping them recover.

Overcoming physical addiction takes time, meaning those who are recovering will likely need support from healthier members of the community for quite a while. It’s also probable that more people are seeking treatment in hospitals, increasing the overall need for care. Given the community’s stance on drug use, as outlined in “Please, Carol,” it’s logical they would work to eliminate narcotic dependence planet-wide, with those unaffected helping to oversee the recovery process.

‘Pluribus’ Physical Addiction Reveal Doesn’t Fully Explain What the Others Do Most of the Time


Apple TV

Now that the initial disruption has likely settled, it makes sense that Pluribus would find something new to keep everyone occupied. Without a clear purpose, it’s hard to imagine what the rest of the world’s population would be doing, especially since they weren’t focused on Carol. However, there simply aren’t enough people recovering from the Joining to fill everyone’s time. While cleaning up after the spread was a big task, with so many people helping, it probably wouldn’t have taken long to complete.

The Others are usually seen subtly helping people who haven’t yet joined the collective consciousness, offering support and a sense of normalcy. Now that most people share the same mind, it’s hard to picture what meaningful activities they could pursue. Since everyone essentially has the same memories and experiences, the desire to live individual lives seems to have faded.

It’s even unclear what the creators plan for the Joining, even if they manage to make the hive mind truly universal. If Carol and the others join, verbal communication might become unnecessary, as everyone would already know what everyone else is thinking or about to say. This isn’t a criticism of the show’s worldbuilding – the creator, Gilligan, likely has a larger plan in mind – but it’s hard to predict how this will all play out. You can stream Pluribus on Apple TV.

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2025-11-21 06:33