Pluribus Recap: Saving the World

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A comic panel from Matt Bors’s “Mister Gotcha,” originally published in September 2016, has become a popular meme used in political discussions. The meme highlights the idea of pointing out inconsistencies in people’s behavior – like criticizing Apple’s labor practices while using an iPhone, or advocating for seat belts while driving a car. The punchline comes from the final panel, where a medieval peasant suggests improving society, only to be interrupted by the smug character, Mister Gotcha, who pops up and sarcastically points out their participation in the very society they critique, proclaiming his own intelligence.

I was just thinking about this funny meme while watching the latest episode of “Pluribus.” It ends with Carol finally giving in – after a long fight – with the Others. They’ve been avoiding her ever since that grenade went off and she kept pushing Zosia for answers about reversing the ‘joining’ process. Honestly, throughout the show, we’ve seen Carol really stand against the Others, trying to protect humanity – and especially her partner, Helen, since Helen’s mind is now part of the collective, and her body… well, it’s buried in the backyard. It hasn’t been easy for her. She’s pretty much refused all the easy comforts Diabaté accepted, and she’s even managed to push away the other people on Earth who didn’t get infected by the virus. It’s all taking a huge toll on her, that’s for sure.

Despite wanting to make things better, she still participates in a system that caters to her every need. She enjoys cooking, so she accepts the convenience of a fully stocked grocery store just for her. She wants to avoid problems, so she uses services like drone trash removal. In one instance, while driving between Las Vegas and Albuquerque, she calls a special service to have gas pumped for her. She even orders a red Gatorade, specifically requesting it be ice cold, and then complains when it’s not cold enough. Her minor annoyance over the drink highlights a sense of entitlement and suggests she expects perfection, despite benefiting from the system.

The problem is that Carol is already being manipulated by “the Others,” and this episode makes that painfully clear. She immediately noticed Zosia resembled the woman she’d envisioned in her books and found her very attractive. While Carol corrected Diabaté about John Cena not being John Cena, she treats Zosia differently, even though Zosia embodies the same paradoxical qualities. The Others are cleverly using Zosia as a long-term strategy to win Carol over, and it’s working. They aren’t just representative of humanity; they’ve perfected it, each member being the most intelligent and empathetic version of themselves. Given her deep loneliness, how could Carol possibly resist? She’s becoming part of the radically new society they’ve created.

Manousos isn’t showing any signs of needing help, at least not yet. The show cleverly contrasts Carol’s quiet life in Albuquerque with the difficult and independent journey Manousos is making from Paraguay to New Mexico, where he consistently rejects any offers of assistance. Carol enjoys simple pleasures like golfing and relaxing at the hot springs (a nod to Werner Ziegler’s fate). She even indulges in luxuries, like trading her old car for a Rolls-Royce. Manousos has always resisted outside help, demonstrated by the increasingly unappetizing food he stockpiled while hiding. Now, he’s taking even bigger risks, and his determination remains unchanged.

It’s significant that Manousos refuses water, echoing the earlier event where Carol poured bottled water onto the ground, even after being told exactly where and when it was sourced. This refusal might mark the start of his own internal struggle, but he’s resolved to endure for as long as he can. As he travels north through the challenging South American landscape, encountering villagers who offer unsettlingly synchronized greetings, Manousos avoids asking anyone to activate the gas station pump. Instead, he carries a can, siphons gas when possible, and always leaves money under each window. Though humanity has largely been overcome, these small acts demonstrate his touching dedication to preserving some semblance of civilization.

I’m really struck by how dedicated Manousos is, especially since everyone else who survived the immunity challenge seems to have turned their back on Carol. She has no idea he’s coming, and it’s amazing considering. He’s even teaching himself English, listening to tapes over and over – I’m secretly hoping he gets to use that phrase about the coats somehow! But honestly, it was his journey through the Darién Gap that really showed me who he is. The show hasn’t given us much of Manousos, and he doesn’t say a lot, so when they tried to convince him not to take that incredibly dangerous 100-kilometer hike, it was incredibly powerful. It really highlighted his commitment and how much he believes in what he’s doing.

He tells the group, simply, that they own nothing – nothing at all. He argues they can’t offer him anything because everything they have was taken from someone else, and they don’t truly belong in this place. The speech is especially impactful coming from Manousos, who rarely speaks at length, and he delivers it in the Darién Gap, surrounded by the discarded possessions of migrants making the dangerous journey from South to Central America. He identifies with these desperate, determined people and refuses to take the easy path. Though the group warns him of dangers like the Chunga palm, and it seems likely he’ll eventually be forced to submit, he repeatedly states his purpose: “My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.” It’s a defiant mantra throughout their arduous trek.

It looks like our hero has given up, at least for now. Thinking back, the Others’ request for distance from Carol seems less like a real rejection and more like a trick. Being isolated is difficult, and despite Carol’s tendency to push back against Zosia and the Others, that conflict actually gave her a sense of connection. Without it, she’s clearly struggling. Whether meeting Manuosos will inspire her, as he’s her only potential ally, or force her to make unwanted concessions remains to be seen. She might not be able to save the world, but this episode shows just how vulnerable and human she is, and that’s what makes her so relatable.

Mizzenmasts

What is the end of the world, really, but an opportunity for some personal reflection? Carol’s solitary singing acts as her only conversation in this vast, isolating experience.

Carol and Manousos share a quiet connection through small gestures. He always pays for gas by leaving money under someone’s windshield wiper, while she consistently adds a coin to the ‘take a penny, leave a penny’ tray at gas stations.

This episode cleverly uses timestamps to highlight how quickly Carol formed a connection with Zosia – less than 12 days, 20 hours, 42 minutes, and 53 seconds! Before reaching out to the Others for help, she spends over a month – 48 days, 16 hours, 57 minutes, and 13 seconds – completely on her own.

Fans of Breaking Bad might recognize the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, a significant location in Jesse and Jane’s relationship. The couple talks about O’Keeffe’s “My Last Door” series, where she repeatedly painted abstract versions of a black door from her house. However, Carol prefers a different painting, Bella Donna, which she finds simply beautiful and enjoys displaying in her home, unlike the darker implications of the door series.

On a personal note, I grew up with an old player piano that I absolutely loved. Even before I learned to read, I knew which music roll would play my favorite songs, like “The Entertainer” or “Tie a Yellow Ribbon.” It felt like magic watching the rolls make the piano keys move. But seeing that charming, old machine replaced by a tablet playing “I Will Survive” just feels… disappointing.

• In the time between these recaps, please remember to stay hydrated, folks.

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2025-12-12 08:55