Pluribus Season 2: Carol’s Dilemma with the Atom Bomb

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The first season of Pluribus ended with Carol almost giving up on her plan to undo the merging of almost everyone on Earth. However, a surprising discovery quickly renewed her determination. After spending over a month alone and constantly being told by Diabaté and Laxmi that she was the cause of the problem, Carol finally gave in to their suggestions.

After welcoming the group back to Albuquerque, Carol joined Manousos when he drove away. However, things quickly turned difficult when Zosia revealed that Carol’s stored eggs could be used against her, forcing Carol to return to Manousos – and she brought a dangerous weapon with her. Now, everyone is wondering what Carol plans to do with this weapon, and how she can avoid becoming the very villain she’s fighting against.

For Now, Carol Should Use The Atom Bomb As Protection

Carol realizes the process can be undone, and Manousos’s research—particularly his radio wave experiments—appears to be promising, as it again led to the evacuation of Albuquerque. However, they still need to do a lot more work before they fully understand what’s happening or can put their ideas into action. As they get closer to a solution, the others will probably become more impatient.

Despite seeming generally harmless, the virus is causing the others to act strangely. So far, their reactions have been mostly defensive – they’ve either withdrawn or pleaded with Carol – but it’s still unclear how far they’ll go to protect and spread the virus.

If Carol and Manousos get close to reversing the process, the others will probably try to stop them. Threatening to detonate the bomb is a good way to ensure they aren’t interrupted. Carol and Manousos seem capable of following through with such a threat, and giving them the bomb in the first place already made everyone uneasy.

The problem with this plan is that the others have absolutely no sense of self-preservation – beyond surviving the virus, that is. They freed all the captive animals, even the dangerous ones that attacked them. Not only did they give Carol an atom bomb, but they also insisted on giving her a hand grenade she didn’t ask for, and Zosia actually jumped on it to protect Carol. They’d rather die of starvation than grow food.

While threatening violence likely won’t work, it highlights how much the others value Carol and the other survivors’ well-being. If Carol and Manousos credibly threatened self-sacrifice to protect their mission, it could be enough to ensure they’re left alone to find a solution for humanity.

When Carol Is Ready, It Should Be A Decoy

Carol and Manousos might be able to continue benefiting from the others’ tendency to avoid danger. These individuals will retreat when their health is at risk, but don’t seem to have much self-preservation beyond that. They kept delivering Carol’s research videos and even pleaded to be led directly to her.

During her first talk with them, they surprisingly confessed they’d hand her a nuclear bomb if she requested it, suggesting they wouldn’t interfere even if she decided to destroy the world. They’d rather risk global annihilation than undo the merging. Carol should use this knowledge and make that request.

The moment Kusimayu joined the hive mind in the season one finale was deeply unsettling. It marked the loss of her individual identity and her entire culture. Beyond the emotional impact, the scene also explained how the virus spreads: it uses each survivor’s stem cells to create a unique gas that infects anyone who breathes it in.

It’s likely they could undo the joining process the same way it was done. If Carol and Manousos manage to do that, they might be able to convince the others to accept it, using a little deception.

If Carol and Manousos announced they believed the world was beyond saving and preferred to die rather than conform, and expressed a desire for others to bid them farewell, many people would probably come. People are often willing to endure hardship or discomfort just to make others happy and fulfill their wishes.

Then, Carol and Manousos would unleash not a bomb, but a solution – a cure. Even if they couldn’t reach everyone, it would dramatically improve their odds, making it much easier to find the remaining people they needed.

This idea might seem far-fetched, but it challenges a common storytelling principle known as ‘Chekhov’s gun.’ Usually, if something is introduced – like an atom bomb in the first season of Pluribus – it’s expected to be used later. However, this theory suggests that the bomb doesn’t necessarily need to explode in season 2.

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2026-01-09 04:28