Commentary: It’s Okay That ‘Pluribus’ Is Stupid
by Frank Martin
TV series tend to want to write smart characters. When they consistently do dumb things in order to move the plot along, it can turn off audiences who get frustrated by idiotic decisions. But these decisions sometimes need to happen for the premise to work. If characters were acting smartly or rationally, then the storyline would either slow down or cease entirely. In the case of Pluribus, many dumb character decisions are made so the premise can be executed, but the show is entertaining enough that periodic stupidity can be overlooked.
The story focuses on novelist Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) as an interstellar hivemind takes over all of humanity on Earth. There are only about a dozen individuals on the entire planet who are immune,; Carol being one of them. The hive initially came to Earth when a group of scientists found a signal in space. Unsure what the signal actually meant, they tried multiple ways of interpreting it. One such experiment involved sequencing a genome and injecting it into mice. This activated the hivemind and allowed it to quickly spread from person to person.
This scene began smart as the experiments were conducted in a highly controlled scientific setting. However, in order to properly get a pulse, one of the scientists took off their protective equipment, allowing the mouse to bite her. In a moment of panic, her partner took her out of the clean room, violating protocols and allowing the hivemind to spread. The entire point of the clean room was to keep any possible contamination contained.
These protocols are in place for a reason, and the entire show hinges upon one scientist breaking procedure without a second thought. This is just one stupid moment in a show filled with them. An yet, it is fascinating to watch the hivemind in action. So some questionable character choices shouldn’t prevent audiences from otherwise enjoying the show’s better moments.
Pluribus is now streaming on AppleTV.