Apple TV+’s Pluribus is easily one of the best new shows of 2025. From Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, comes this story of Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a cynical writer who becomes one of the last people on Earth after a virus turns everyone else into a single, peaceful, and happy collective consciousness. Because she’s immune to this transformation – referred to as the Others – Carol tries to avoid joining them while also desperately searching for a way to reverse the process. The first season ended with a surprising twist, but it was actually added quite late in production. Be warned: spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Pluribus follow from here.
As the first season of Pluribus ended, Carol found herself in a domestic situation with Zosia, one of the ‘Others,’ and they embarked on a two-week trip around the world. This happened after Manousos, another person immune to the condition affecting most of humanity, experimented on an Other in an attempt to reverse it. However, when Zosia revealed the Others had found a way to force Carol into their collective consciousness against her will, Carol decided to rejoin the human side. She returned to Albuquerque and teamed up with Manousos to try and save the world, but with a shocking development: she’d acquired a nuclear bomb from the Others earlier in the season. The season ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, leaving viewers wondering what Carol’s next move would be and how far she’d go to protect humanity. Interestingly, the show’s creators only decided to include the nuclear bomb plotline while they were actually filming the episode.
Carol and Her Bomb Was a Late Addition — And The Studio Got Involved
In an interview with Variety, creator Vince Gilligan and executive producer Alison Tatlock revealed that Carol’s decision to detonate the nuclear bomb became central to the finale’s conclusion just a couple of days into filming. They had initially planned a different ending, but the studio requested a more impactful one.
Gilligan explained that they initially had a perfectly acceptable ending to the show, one that would have been decent. However, they received feedback from executives at Apple and Sony – a common occurrence, he noted – asking if they could make the ending even stronger. He was grateful for that suggestion, as it ultimately led to a more satisfying conclusion.
Tatlock explained that while they’d hinted at a future storyline in Episode 3, they hadn’t initially planned for it to unfold this way. However, the current situation presented a perfect chance to follow through on that earlier hint.
Carol’s Nuke Makes for a Wild Cliffhanger (And Perfect Leverage)
Episode 3 revealed the Others would fulfill any request Carol made, and she tested this by asking for an atomic bomb – which they confirmed they’d provide, as they couldn’t deny her anything. The finale confirms Carol receives the bomb, but more importantly, it gives her something she’s lacked until now: a position of power.
Although the Others function like a single, powerful intelligence, they’re still made up of individual human bodies. This means they’re vulnerable to the same dangers and injuries, even when connected as a hive mind. Nothing poses a greater threat than a nuclear explosion, and the Others would likely want to avoid that at all costs. However, a single nuclear weapon wouldn’t wipe out all of humanity, suggesting Carol’s plan might not be fully developed.
Even though Carol possessing the bomb creates new problems and questions, it’s a more compelling storyline than what we initially envisioned. According to Gordon Smith, a director, writer, and executive producer for Pluribus, the current direction is similar to the original plan, but with a more nuanced approach.
Smith explained that the recent development mirrored a previous one, but was handled with more nuance. Carol has quietly made a deal with Manousos, passing him a message and potentially becoming a double agent. Unlike before, there wasn’t a clear, definitive rejection of any connection with the Others – it wasn’t as obvious that she was ending that relationship.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/list/5-tv-shows-to-watch-if-you-love-apple-tvs-pluribus/embed/#
Read More
- Ashes of Creation Rogue Guide for Beginners
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Meet the cast of Mighty Nein: Every Critical Role character explained
- Eldegarde, formerly Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, launches January 21, 2026
- Fishing Guide in Where Winds Meet
- Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 Will Likely Follow the First Season’s Most Controversial Plot
- Bitcoin’s Wild Ride: Yen’s Surprise Twist 🌪️💰
- Avatar Fire and Ash Composer Simon Franglen Reveals The Secrets Of Making The Score As Immersive As The Visual Effects [Exclusive]
- Becca Kufrin Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2 With Thomas Jacobs
- Ella McCay Bombed At The Box Office, But There’s One Thing About It That Still Resonated With Me
2025-12-25 01:10