Why is the Darién Gap so dangerous? Inside Pluribus Episode 7 location

by

In the seventh episode of Pluribus, titled ‘The Gap’, Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) travels to see Carol (Rhea Seehorn), facing a difficult and perilous journey that takes him through the dangerous Darién Gap.

Carol has been working alone to find a cure for the virus. It seems the other immune people aren’t interested in fixing things – they’re content with their current situation, as we saw in Episode 6 when they met online without her.

Okay, so things are getting really interesting in the show! This guy Manousos has become Carol’s only shot at getting out of this mess. It turns out we think the same way about this whole hive mind thing – we both want nothing to do with it. He’s been pretty quiet up until now, but Episode 7 finally starts to reveal who he is and what he’s about.

He starts a dangerous trip from Paraguay to New Mexico, amazingly driving an MG Midget. Ignoring warnings from mysterious figures known as The Others, he bravely continues on foot, completely by himself, into the treacherous Darién Gap.

Why is the Darién Gap so dangerous?

The Darién Gap is notorious as one of the world’s most hazardous journeys. Its dangerous environment includes wild animals, rough terrain, harsh weather, and the risk of encountering dangerous people. This dense jungle is full of swamps, rivers, and mountains, meaning there are no roads, clear paths, or help available in emergencies.

The Darién Gap is a 66-mile stretch of dense jungle between Colombia and Panama, blocking the path of the Pan-American Highway. While planes and boats can cross it, a man named Manousos deliberately destroys his car and attempts to traverse the dangerous jungle on foot, as depicted in Pluribus.

He’s refusing help from the group known as The Others. They did offer assistance, warning him at the start that the Darién Gap is extremely dangerous – over 100 kilometers of unmarked, treacherous terrain to reach Panama.

On top of everything else, the weather that week is expected to be extremely hot – over 38 degrees – with very high humidity. Clean water is also scarce. And if that wasn’t enough to worry about, the area is home to dangerously venomous snakes, spiders, and insects.

What really worries Manousos are the chunga palms – plants covered in dangerous, flattened black spines that can grow up to 20 centimeters long. These spines are full of bacteria, and his team warns that even a small cut could become life-threatening.

Manousos lost his footing and fell onto the cactus spines. To prevent infection, he sterilized his machete with fire and cauterized the wounds. But the combination of the burns, his injuries, and dehydration caused him to collapse. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a rescue helicopter approaching.

Manousos’ landing on the Chunga palm and his subsequent flight to Carol was truly amazing. His incredible determination reminded me of Tom Hanks’ character in Cast Away. Carlos-Manuel Vesga delivered a fantastic performance! #Pluribus

— Movie Files (@MovieFilesLive) December 12, 2025

Okay, so the show doesn’t really cover how dangerous it is out there beyond just the natural stuff. There are armed groups, smugglers, and just straight-up criminals operating in that area, making everything way more complicated. Even for experienced hikers like me, getting through is tough – you can easily get hurt, dehydrated, or totally lost. But for people actually migrating through, the risks are so much higher, it’s scary to think about.

As a huge fan of exploring wild places, I can tell you this area is seriously challenging! One minute you’re on a trail, and the next, heavy rain turns everything into slippery mud. Plus, the dense trees block out GPS, so it’s easy to get lost. Honestly, it’s been pretty much left alone because building roads or anything like that would be incredibly difficult, expensive, and stir up a lot of trouble. It’s ended up being a place where it feels like nobody really goes, which is both exciting and a little intimidating!

The real story behind the Darién Gap

Manousos decides to brave the dangerous Darién Gap in search of Carol, but he’s far from alone. Every year, thousands of migrants undertake the same perilous journey, risking—and sometimes losing—their lives in pursuit of a safer future.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 258 people died while crossing the dangerous Darién Gap between 2018 and 2023. Panama’s official reports indicate that roughly 220 of those who died remain unidentified.

According to Jose Vicente Pachar, the director of the institute, they have around 220 sets of human remains buried in cemeteries – nearly complete bodies, as he told Newsroom Panama.

He also mentioned that many more bodies – likely hundreds – will probably never be found because the area is too difficult to reach.

People choose this dangerous path for a variety of reasons, including failing economies, political instability, and violence. Often, it’s not just one problem, but a combination of crises that leaves them with no safe or legal options, forcing them to risk the journey through the Darién Gap.

Kate Forbes, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), recently visited the dangerous Darien Gap in Panama. She observed the work of the IFRC and the Panama Red Cross in helping migrants and refugees passing through the area. Forbes described the situation as a stark example of the difficult issues surrounding migration, not just in the Americas but globally.

— IFRC (@ifrc) July 5, 2024

The experiences were captured in the book Echoes From the Jungle, which showcases photos taken by New York Times photojournalist Federico Rios during his 2022-2023 travels through the Darién Gap. It also includes images from staff members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Red Cross.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) described the difficult journey through the Darién jungle, highlighting the struggles of migrants, including mothers carrying their children. They noted the intense heat and humidity contribute to the extreme exhaustion experienced by everyone traveling through the area.

Traveling across this area can take a long time – anywhere from days to weeks, depending on the season. People can quickly become exhausted, and finding safe drinking water is a challenge, so they have to bring all the water they need with them.

Zidane, a talented Colombian filmmaker, is a true multi-hyphenate – he’s a Red Bull athlete, freestyle rapper, hairdresser, baker, and one of the many people who made the challenging journey.

He explained to the IFRC that he left his home country due to difficult economic circumstances – there were no opportunities and very little money. His creative organization had run its course, and he felt it was time to leave. However, lacking a passport, he and his companions were forced to make the dangerous journey through the Darién jungle.

A woman explained she made the dangerous journey for her son, Dylan. “The Darién Gap is incredibly difficult, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” she said.

Honestly, the wildlife isn’t what worries me in this game. It’s running into other players who are just jerks – the ones who attack you, loot everything you’ve worked for, and generally make things awful. It’s way more dangerous dealing with them than any monster.

In 2023, the Red Cross continued to help migrants, providing over 29.7 million liters of safe drinking water and essential healthcare. This included more than 20,000 general health sessions, 2,000 first aid treatments, and 24,500 services specifically for mothers and children.

The organization also helped arrange over 33,000 international calls, allowing migrants to stay in touch with their families. Once migrants emerge from the jungle, they receive support at camps, where they can access services to help them continue their journey as safely as possible.

Want to learn more about Pluribus? You can read about the woman who needed hospital treatment after seeing a Pluribus advertisement, a fan theory about how Carol’s story could end, and why the show likely won’t have a surprising, Shyamalan-esque twist.

Read More

2025-12-15 19:25