Pluribus Episode 3 was released on Apple TV and its ending raises a big question about The Joining and Carol’s attempts to undo it.
Titled ‘Grenade’, the latest entry in the sci-fi drama is quite explosive in more ways than one. However, it is the final scene of the episode that reveals something significant about The Others, also known as the humans who succumbed to the mysterious viral entity in Pluribus‘Premiere of two episodes. And, above all, how could Carol stop him.
The final scene of the episode sees Carol sitting in a hospital waiting room while waiting for news about Zosia. The latter is in surgery after being injured by Carol’s shrapnel while accidentally preparing a grenade, one that Zosia ‘gifted’ her earlier in the episode ‘Grenade’, which explodes seconds later.
Fortunately, Zosia will recover after an anonymous DHL delivery driver performs successful surgery on her. Remember, The Others are held together by “psychic glue”, so they collectively share each member’s knowledge and experience. You can read more about all that in my Pluribus‘The article explained about Union.
Anyway, after said delivery driver informs Carol that Zosia will survive, the conversation quickly turns to Carol asking why The Others would give her a hand grenade. After all, she was being sarcastic when she asked for it earlier in the latest episode of Apple TV Original. However, while the Others knew she might be joking about receiving one, they weren’t 100% sure Carol was being sarcastic, hence why Zosia gave her one.
As the conversation progresses, Carol begins to ask progressive questions to see what the Others would be willing to give her if she asked. Items on your shopping list include an RPG launcher, a tank, and a nuclear weapon. It is not until she asks for the latter that her interlocutor does not immediately say “yes”; the DHL employee instead hesitated before asking “…why would you want one?”
The long and short of the talk that follows is, ultimately, that The Others would grant Carol’s request and give her an atomic bomb. Sure, they would weigh the positives and negatives of doing so, and they wouldn’t feel good about handing Carol a weapon that would end the world. But in the end, they wouldn’t be able to pronounce one of the simplest words in any language: “no.” As the DHL driver says “we would move heaven and earth to make you happy, Carol.”
This could have huge implications for the Apple TV series’ plot moving forward. If The Others can’t say no to The Old Schoolers (FYI, that’s the term creator Vince Gilligan uses to describe the 13 humans who are immune to the virus), what’s stopping Carol from asking them to find a way to reverse its effects? It’s not within the Other’s viral programming to refuse their requests, so if Carol realizes she has the power to force them to find a way to disguise The Joining, they would have to grant her request.
That said, I’d be furious if that was the answer to addressing the biggest mystery at the heart of one of Apple TV’s best shows. Not only would it be an easy narrative cop-out, but it’s also too early to undo The Joining.
Considering we’re only three episodes in Pluribus‘ two seasons (Gilligan thinks it could last up to four seasons, but Apple only ordered two to begin with), there’s simply no way for Carol to negate The Joining’s effect on humanity. Given the numerous twists and turns in Gilligan’s other critically acclaimed shows in Breaking Bad and Better call SaulI’m sure it will take more than Carol asking The Others to find a cure to permanently reverse The Union.
I have put all my faith in that to be the case, Mr. Gilligan, now don’t let me down.
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