"Out of many, one" is the definition of the Latin phrase, 'E pluribus unum', the unofficial motto of the United States, engraved on the Great Seal and found on official documents such as passports and government documents. It's also been used by Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan for his new Apple TV show, Pluribus, which takes the sci-fi genre and turns it on its head.
When a virus spreads across the world, it links all its inhabitants to form an alien hivemind and turns them into robot-like beings who are incapable of feeling anything but happiness. The virus, described as a "psychic glue capable of binding us all together," affects all but a handful of humans, who are immune to it. This includes our heroine, Carol, a cynical, unsatisfied best-selling author of smutty historical romantasy novels, who describes her work as "mindless crap" and her readers as "a bunch of dummies". Brilliantly played by Rhea Seehorn, who previously worked with Gilligan on Better Call Saul, Carol lives in a big house in an affluent cul-de-sac in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the city where both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are set - a nice easter egg for fans of the hit neo-Western crime drama and its equally popular spin-off.
But when the virus spreads, Carol suffers the heartrending loss of her partner and manager Helen (Miriam Shor), who doesn't survive the outbreak, leaving our protagonist far from happy and lonelier than ever. Surrounded by creepily joyous and helpful people, who promise she'll eventually be able to join them, Carol refuses to accept her new reality and demands to meet any other English-speaking people immune to the virus. More questions arise as this slow-paced series continues, including why Carol's outbursts of rage result in a system-wide glitch in the hivemind and inadvertently kills millions of people each time.
This enigmatic and unpredictable nine-parter blends the typical sci-fi trope of an alien invasion with timely social commentary on individualism, what it means to be happy and the dangers of artificial intelligence, although creator Gilligan said he "really wasn't thinking about AI" when he wrote the show between eight and ten years ago.
Amidst the chilling and genuinely heartbreaking moments of the first episode, there are some darkly funny lines, excellently delivered by Seehorn, who offers both wit and emotional depth to her performance and will have you wondering what exactly you would do if you found yourself in this impossible situation.
While Pluribus is not your typical gripping, fast-paced drama, the premise is intriguing and thought-provoking, with tonal shifts to keep your attention throughout. The stand-out star is undoubtedly Seehorn, who perfectly balances comedy and drama, and showcases her incredible range in this slow-burn show.
Pluribus is available to stream on Apple TV, with a new episode added every Friday.
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