This episode felt a little indulgent. The same amount of narrative and character development could have been done with half the runtime, imo, and we didn’t learn anything new. I’m enjoying the show overall, but I hope the remaining couple of episodes pick up the pace a bit.
Definitely a Bravo Vince episode but take a look at that last scene again and I think there is some foreshadowing there. Also
::: spoiler spoiler
Manousos may end up being the first big bad of the show rather than the hive. He seems way more unhappy with the plurb than Carol ever was. He'd rather destroy his things than see the plurbs get them. Also Vince may not be able to resist turning the characters from Latin America into murderers. I also swear he did the yellow filter shit again but I'm too seepy to re-watch the episode right now.
Edit: He did not do a straight yellow filter like in BrBa but he did play with the color grading to emphasize oranges vs blues. Carol at dinner is very yellow/orange while the sky and background is blue (the mid ground is kinda green tinted). Then when Manny is driving through the mountains and the mountain town, everyone, plus the foreground buildings are very orange. The sky/background is very blue. Some extras are wearing very blue outfits.
:::
9
sexywheat [none/use name] - 22hr
Hard agree.
::: spoiler spoiler
I thought this episode was like 90% filler, not unlike episode 5. The journey through SudAmerica was cool to watch even though nothing was really happening most of the time. But it kind of reminded me of some of the mid-season Walking Dead episodes where there was just long scenes of silence for no apparent reason other than to just convey how SAD and BORED they are. Which, fine, whatever, it just doesn't make for a very good television episode that's all.
EDIT: Ok, I revise the 90% amount, you're probably closer with 50%. I read a bunch of other commentary on the episode and there was some maybe obvious character development / juxtaposition that kinda went over my head. In retrospect, I think this was an episode preparing us for the likely Carole / Manousos meetup. After everything that he's been through, I think he'll just view Carole as a complete sellout.
:::
Prediction spoiler:
::: spoiler spoiler
I think Manousos is going to murder Zosia. I know this is a ways out, but that's the way I see this going at this point.
:::
7
EnsignRedshirt [he/him] - 9hr
::: spoiler spoiler
I like where they're going with it, I just think they could have done more with the runtime. I like that they showed how far Manousos was willing to go to avoid getting help from the plurbs, and I'm glad they gave us some time to appreciate how far he was going, but it just stretched out. He's collecting rain water, he's fishing in a creek, there are two separate scenes where he's siphoning gas for his car. Two! Beautiful shots and great character development, but you have to let something land on the editing room floor.
Same with Carol. Do we need 20+ minutes to reaffirm that she is, in fact, lonely and sad? They could easily have carved 5-7 minutes out of this episode to give us a C plot or additional scene about one of the other survivors, give us some more clues as to what's going on, shown us a bit of this weird universe they've established.
The comparison to TWD is apt, although TWD had 16-episode seasons, plus the pressure of being on linear TV and having to occasionally work in filler episodes for budget reasons to meet the episode quota. There's no excuse for that on these streaming shows.
I do think they've set us up well for a meeting between Carol and Manousos. Hard to tell what's going to happen, but your prediction is as good as any. It would save Carol from being the bad guy on the show.
:::
6
CliffordBigRedDog [he/him] - 23hr
I dont mind the slower pace but it would suck for all this to get cancelled before it gets resolved
7
hello_hello [comrade/them] - 1day
Pluribussin.
8
hello_hello [comrade/them] - 11hr
::: spoiler episode discussion (CW: self-harm, mental health deterioration, isolation)
When I (carol) am in the, "who is the most mentally unwell and unhappy individual on earth" and my opponent is Manousos
I'm glad I knew enough about latam geography and migration corridors to know that nobody gets past the jungle to Panama so I was patiently waiting for him to get folded and taken in by the pluribus. The cinematography and sound design was a treat to go through and I'll probably revisit that part of the episode just for the vibes. Really unwise of Manousos to not take a boat but I guess he didn't have enough money for it and spent it all on paying nobody for gas (and then destroyed the car that he could've used to "trade" for the boat). But like what to expect from a tipo from paraguay?
Carol still an unhappy traumatized alcoholic queer woman as ever. But now she's basically been stripped away from any belief she can live without the plurb. It'll be interesting to see Carol go through a reversal of her ideals from the beginning of the pluribus event to now (it hasn't even been like 2 weeks right?)
Also, based on the last episode, if the pluribus have discovered a way to bypass the immunity via stem cells, that must mean that some of the unaffected have willingly joined the plurb? I feel like this show isn't a multi-season thing then since it seems like it should be wrapping up.
I also agree with @thefunkycomitatus@hexbear.net that Manousos will probably be the villain or antagonist figure since it's chekov gunned' that the unaffected can still hurt each other and there's not much the plurb can do to stop it. I wonder if Manousos figures out that he can disable the plurb through outbursts and just keeps doing that to one plurb'd node and Carol would have to stop him. If this plot ends up happening I'd be disappointed because I just came up with it in 30 seconds.
Chad Koumba "Let me re-enact some epic james bond scenes for shits and giggles" Diabate vs the virgin Carol "I need ICE COLD FRUIT PUNCH gatorade, also let me blow myself up with fireworks" Sturka.
:::
We don't have any rhea seahorn emojis
8
sexywheat [none/use name] - 8hr
I dunno I think that
::: spoiler spoiler
The jury is still out on whether or not this will be multi-season or not. I went into this kinda assuming it would just be a one-off, but based on how slowly this plot is progressing I can't help but think that this is going to go on for at least a couple of seasons. There's so much more they could do with this and I feel like the story is just getting started. I mean, Manousos could get a nuclear weapon if he wanted to for chrissake, if he wouldn't be such a stubborn bastard.
:::
3
HarryLime [any] - 8hr
::: spoiler spoiler
I read a quote from Vince Gilligan saying he had as many as four seasons planned out but it could go as long as five.
:::
4
sexywheat [none/use name] - 3hr
Splendid
3
KuroXppi [they/them] - 1day
Plurb not for who the bell plurbs, it plurbs for we
8
vegeta1 [he/him] - 17hr
That mouse saved from the trap
I think the hive mentioned something about mice being one of the few creatures they could infect. Maybe...
7
supdawg813 [comrade/them] - 51min
I don't recall the scene you're mentioning but patient zero was literally a rat so it's not a very far jump to mice
1
Lemmyglad [none/use name] - 1day
Leo DiCaprio is clearly taking up high bandwidth.
7
mendiCAN [none/use name] - 1day
i dunno if i like the premise but Gilligan's delivered twice and the dramatic beats are there. I'm having enough fun and've stopped trying to guess where this thing might be going.
It's been 12-13 days since P-day. It feels like we've seen a longer time span than that but really it's been a very short time overall. Carol's big lash-out wasn't even a week into it.
6
JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them] - 18hr
Her blood lust must have been intense.
6
segfault11 [she/her, any] - 18hr
it’s symbolized by her craving for red gatorade, bravo vince
7
JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them] - 18hr
Oh fuck!
6
HarryLime [any] - 1day
Can't wait for more Plurb
7
HarryLime [any] - 8hr
Love Manousos
::: spoiler spoiler
That last scene was creepy as hell. Zosia stands expectantly, waiting for Carol to come over, saying nothing, her face giving away nothing, and only smiles once Carol falls apart in her arms. Really seals for me that the hive does obey the rules the show has laid out, but it's still incredibly manipulative.
:::
2
JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them] - 5hr
::: spoiler spoiler
If somebody drugged my ass and almost killed me they should consider themselves lucky if I were to limit my contact with them.
:::
2
HarryLime [any] - 5hr
::: spoiler spoiler
I see your point, but I'd be more mad at the alien hive mind that forcefully assimilated me into itself without my consent, assuming I ever get my individuality back. Bad as it is to drug and almost kill someone, Carol is trying to save the human race.
:::
2
JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them] - 5hr
::: spoiler spoiler
Everything we've been led to believe is that the hive mind is honest and that the members enjoy being a part of it.
I get that doing a hive mind story is gonna lead to obvious parallels with communism but there are so many that I can't help but wonder if the whole thing isn't meant to be a metaphor for a revolution. They're even throwing threat of a famine out on the horizon of the centrally planned economy. This just screams 'sure what we have now sucks, but the alternative is worse,' imo.
:::
2
HarryLime [any] - 5hr
::: spoiler spoiler
If you enjoy something because an alien virus makes you enjoy it, is that really genuine?
I get that doing a hive mind story is gonna lead to obvious parallels with communism but there are so many that I can't help but wonder if the whole thing isn't meant to be a metaphor for a revolution. They're even throwing threat of a famine out on the horizon of the centrally planned economy. This just screams 'sure what we have now sucks, but the alternative is worse,' imo.
::: spoiler spoiler
I'd say a virus that puts you in a hive mind is a far more genuine experience than watching a show/movie and letting Hollywood play our emotions like a piano.
I'm not arguing about whether it is communism or not, I'm pointing towards the message the show is selling and saying it's looking awfully and Carol with, or maybe now just, Manousous is looking to be the champion of that message.
:::
thefunkycomitatus in movies
Pluribus S01E07 - "The Gap" Discussion Thread
Episode drops in a few hours (9pm EST) if you're in the western hemisphere. It drops tomorrow at 2am GMT elsewhere.
Episode description: Manousos begins a dangerous trek to meet Carol. Returning home from Las Vegas, Carol gets creative with her rebellion.
Use spoiler tags for spoilers.
I'm gonnnna plurrb
this was a really long gatorade ad
It's plurbin' time
You can watch it early here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWMGd_rzRdY
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
plurbongus
This episode felt a little indulgent. The same amount of narrative and character development could have been done with half the runtime, imo, and we didn’t learn anything new. I’m enjoying the show overall, but I hope the remaining couple of episodes pick up the pace a bit.
Definitely a Bravo Vince episode but take a look at that last scene again and I think there is some foreshadowing there. Also
::: spoiler spoiler Manousos may end up being the first big bad of the show rather than the hive. He seems way more unhappy with the plurb than Carol ever was. He'd rather destroy his things than see the plurbs get them. Also Vince may not be able to resist turning the characters from Latin America into murderers. I also swear he did the yellow filter shit again but I'm too seepy to re-watch the episode right now.
Edit: He did not do a straight yellow filter like in BrBa but he did play with the color grading to emphasize oranges vs blues. Carol at dinner is very yellow/orange while the sky and background is blue (the mid ground is kinda green tinted). Then when Manny is driving through the mountains and the mountain town, everyone, plus the foreground buildings are very orange. The sky/background is very blue. Some extras are wearing very blue outfits. :::
Hard agree.
::: spoiler spoiler I thought this episode was like 90% filler, not unlike episode 5. The journey through SudAmerica was cool to watch even though nothing was really happening most of the time. But it kind of reminded me of some of the mid-season Walking Dead episodes where there was just long scenes of silence for no apparent reason other than to just convey how SAD and BORED they are. Which, fine, whatever, it just doesn't make for a very good television episode that's all.
EDIT: Ok, I revise the 90% amount, you're probably closer with 50%. I read a bunch of other commentary on the episode and there was some maybe obvious character development / juxtaposition that kinda went over my head. In retrospect, I think this was an episode preparing us for the likely Carole / Manousos meetup. After everything that he's been through, I think he'll just view Carole as a complete sellout. :::
Prediction spoiler:
::: spoiler spoiler I think Manousos is going to murder Zosia. I know this is a ways out, but that's the way I see this going at this point. :::
::: spoiler spoiler I like where they're going with it, I just think they could have done more with the runtime. I like that they showed how far Manousos was willing to go to avoid getting help from the plurbs, and I'm glad they gave us some time to appreciate how far he was going, but it just stretched out. He's collecting rain water, he's fishing in a creek, there are two separate scenes where he's siphoning gas for his car. Two! Beautiful shots and great character development, but you have to let something land on the editing room floor.
Same with Carol. Do we need 20+ minutes to reaffirm that she is, in fact, lonely and sad? They could easily have carved 5-7 minutes out of this episode to give us a C plot or additional scene about one of the other survivors, give us some more clues as to what's going on, shown us a bit of this weird universe they've established.
The comparison to TWD is apt, although TWD had 16-episode seasons, plus the pressure of being on linear TV and having to occasionally work in filler episodes for budget reasons to meet the episode quota. There's no excuse for that on these streaming shows.
I do think they've set us up well for a meeting between Carol and Manousos. Hard to tell what's going to happen, but your prediction is as good as any. It would save Carol from being the bad guy on the show. :::
I dont mind the slower pace but it would suck for all this to get cancelled before it gets resolved
Pluribussin.
::: spoiler episode discussion (CW: self-harm, mental health deterioration, isolation)
Chad Koumba "Let me re-enact some epic james bond scenes for shits and giggles" Diabate vs the virgin Carol "I need ICE COLD FRUIT PUNCH gatorade, also let me blow myself up with fireworks" Sturka. :::
We don't have any rhea seahorn emojis
I dunno I think that
::: spoiler spoiler The jury is still out on whether or not this will be multi-season or not. I went into this kinda assuming it would just be a one-off, but based on how slowly this plot is progressing I can't help but think that this is going to go on for at least a couple of seasons. There's so much more they could do with this and I feel like the story is just getting started. I mean, Manousos could get a nuclear weapon if he wanted to for chrissake, if he wouldn't be such a stubborn bastard. :::
::: spoiler spoiler I read a quote from Vince Gilligan saying he had as many as four seasons planned out but it could go as long as five. :::
Splendid
Plurb not for who the bell plurbs, it plurbs for we
That mouse saved from the trap
I think the hive mentioned something about mice being one of the few creatures they could infect. Maybe...
I don't recall the scene you're mentioning but patient zero was literally a rat so it's not a very far jump to mice
Leo DiCaprio is clearly taking up high bandwidth.
i dunno if i like the premise but Gilligan's delivered twice and the dramatic beats are there. I'm having enough fun and've stopped trying to guess where this thing might be going.
::: spoiler spoiler Carol loves her plurb. :::
::: spoiler spoiler How many days has it been since Carol triggered a mass death event, she must have been fiending.
These pushover hive minds. They didn't even make her apologize. :::
It's been 12-13 days since P-day. It feels like we've seen a longer time span than that but really it's been a very short time overall. Carol's big lash-out wasn't even a week into it.
Her blood lust must have been intense.
it’s symbolized by her craving for red gatorade, bravo vince
Oh fuck!
Can't wait for more Plurb
Love Manousos
::: spoiler spoiler That last scene was creepy as hell. Zosia stands expectantly, waiting for Carol to come over, saying nothing, her face giving away nothing, and only smiles once Carol falls apart in her arms. Really seals for me that the hive does obey the rules the show has laid out, but it's still incredibly manipulative. :::
::: spoiler spoiler If somebody drugged my ass and almost killed me they should consider themselves lucky if I were to limit my contact with them. :::
::: spoiler spoiler I see your point, but I'd be more mad at the alien hive mind that forcefully assimilated me into itself without my consent, assuming I ever get my individuality back. Bad as it is to drug and almost kill someone, Carol is trying to save the human race. :::
::: spoiler spoiler Everything we've been led to believe is that the hive mind is honest and that the members enjoy being a part of it.
I get that doing a hive mind story is gonna lead to obvious parallels with communism but there are so many that I can't help but wonder if the whole thing isn't meant to be a metaphor for a revolution. They're even throwing threat of a famine out on the horizon of the centrally planned economy. This just screams 'sure what we have now sucks, but the alternative is worse,' imo. :::
::: spoiler spoiler If you enjoy something because an alien virus makes you enjoy it, is that really genuine?
I read a tweet that argued against the "hive mind = communism" thing very well: "The Pluribus mind hive has realized communism as an abstract universal in which every individual is a mere predicte of the universal mind, but fails to realize communism as a concrete universal in which the self-development of each individual enriches and unfolds humanity." :::
::: spoiler spoiler I'd say a virus that puts you in a hive mind is a far more genuine experience than watching a show/movie and letting Hollywood play our emotions like a piano.
I'm not arguing about whether it is communism or not, I'm pointing towards the message the show is selling and saying it's looking awfully
and Carol with, or maybe now just, Manousous is looking to be the champion of that message.
:::