Last week one of my big questions about For many was whether our reluctant heroine Carol (Rhea Seehorn) would find someone to help her save the world from the scourge of happiness. In episode 4, I got my answer—sort of. We've clearly been introduced to a character who thinks like her, but how they actually communicate is still a big question mark.
Welcome to our weekly discussion about Apple TV's latest sci-fi series For manywhich comes through Breaking Bad creator (and former X-Files writer) Vince Gilligan. In the series, most of humanity has become part of a hive mind that seems capable of only positive emotions, and the perpetually unhappy Carol is one of a handful of “survivors” as well as someone who desperately wants to return the world to the way it was. Each week I share some of my biggest questions about the latest episode, and Edge Followers can use comments to respond, ask their own questions, and come up with other theories and ideas. Naturally, spoilers ahead for the first four episodes For many.
This week's episode started out again with a slow paced episode, mostly devoid of dialogue. This time we saw Manousos (Carlos Manuel Vesga) – especially the sole survivor who seems to hate the hive as much, if not more, than Carol – leading a miserable existence inside the vault. He refuses any help or even contact with the hive, so he has to eat old sugar packets and cans of dog food to survive. He seems to be very committed to his principles. More importantly, his hatred of the hive makes him the perfect companion for Carol. Except, of course, that they live on different sides of the world and do not speak the same language.
Meanwhile, now that Carol seems to have realized the reality of the situation, she spent most of the episode trying to learn as much as she could about the hive. The biggest takeaway is that they can't lie to her directly, but they Maybe Avoid telling her the truth. Unfortunately, this led to Carol creating some kind of truth serum, which is also incredibly dangerous. Poor Zosia (Carolina Otter). Anyway, here are my three biggest questions right now:
How are Carol and Manousos going to communicate?
It seems inevitable. But in this new world, there are so many logistical challenges getting from Peru to the US that it's hard to imagine how it will happen. The problems are only compounded by the fact that Manousos will not accept any help from the hive. And even if they meet, how are they going to communicate?
Will Carol be able to find out the real truth?
By this I mean is it possible to undo the “connection” as it is called and return the world to the way it was. The hive's reluctance to tell her anyway suggests that it is indeed possible, but Carol is also up against several billion people who are working together to stop her from “fixing” the situation. The truth serum was a good idea, but it didn't fully work… and may have created an even bigger problem.
How long will the hive tolerate Carol?
Even though it is sometimes unintentional, Carol continues to harm the hive, and you would think that at some point they would get fed up and their self-preservation instincts would kick in. Especially considering that Carol is actively working to break their connection. Again, they are determined to make her happy at any cost (pomegranate, anyone?). These two elements are in direct conflict and it will be interesting to see how they clash.
