Like Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) diligently recording everything she learns about the hive mind, we watch each new episode of the series. For many for clues about the mystery of the sci-fi series. But as the season one finale brings the story to a close (for now), we've learned a stunningly bleak new detail that forces us to question every interaction between the hivemind and surviving humanity.
[Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for Pluribus episode 9.]
We previously learned that the hivemind was looking for ways to bring in stragglers like Carol, who have immunity. Carol categorically says no. However, some of the other immunes seem more willing to be consumed, including Kushimayu (Darinka Arones), a young woman from Peru.
In the first scene many In the season one finale, we see Kushimaya and the rest of her people in her small mountain village, spending their day tending to animals and living their lives as if they weren't one giant. Borg. A plane flies overhead containing her own version of the virus. When he arrives, all the villagers gather and prepare for Kushimayu to join them. They play instruments and sing, evoking the feeling of a religious festival. The hivemind piloting Kushimayu's family assures her that it won't hurt. As she trembles and shakes, the village continues to sing, and although we don't get a translation of what the hive mind is saying, it seems as haunting as Gregorian chant.
As soon as Kushimayu passes by, she stands up with that same scary smile that the hivemind always does. Immediately everyone in town begins to pack up and move on. Previously, we watched as the villagers of Kushimayu lived their old lives. They mended clothes, raised goats, built fences, and prepared Kushimai's favorite food. However, once Kushimayu becomes part of the hive mind, reality sinks in: every moment was an act aimed at making one woman happy. We don't know where these people are going, but I have to assume it's something similar to the recreation center Carol visited in episode 8, where, to save resources and space, dozens of hives sleep on the floor, side by side.
What's scary about this scene is that it shows how little the hive mind cares about anything that doesn't serve the cause. their goals spreading the virus and maintaining life on Earth. Kushimayu came from a specific culture, and since the hivemind was not technically part of any community other than its own, she was the last person of her culture to exist. With its inclusion, the hive mind discards this culture, like throwing a pair of dirty socks into a laundry basket. They released the animals (the poor goat), tore down the fences and left behind most of their belongings. It ceases to exist outside the collective memory of the collective mind, since it does not serve the purposes of the collective mind.
It's not that the collective mind is incapable of caring about culture or the arts; they showed appreciation for the Earth and its people. The point is that they have no reason to do this. In episode 8, when Zosia (Caroline Otter) comments on the O'Keeffe painting at Carol's house, Carol's lie about her fears that animals would ruin it if left unattended in the museum surprises them. They have never once thought about this possibility because, although they are very empathetic creatures, they are (apparently) incapable of having thoughts and ideas of their own. They cannot think passionately about anything or express opinions beyond blind adoration, and because of this, culture fades into the background.
The scene in Peru also shows how far the hive mind will go to make Carol and the rest of the immunes comfortable and happy. While I don't doubt the hivemind's intentions to make the Others happy, they continue to balance between manipulative and sincere. We've seen this since Koumba Diabate (“Our flag means the samba-schutte of death”), which uses the hive mind to fulfill fantasies of power. Even Carol herself, whose relationship with Zosia ended in a strange romance, is not immune to the affections of the hivemind. Their romancealthough compelling, it seems to have a lot to do with Carol wanting companionship after 40 days of isolation.
Ultimately, we know that the hive mind will not stop until it transmits the virus to everyone on Earth and beyond – regardless of consent. As Zosia explains, this is their biological imperative. Their intentions may not be inherently malicious, but they are essentially like conversion camp counselors who Carol compared them to in episode 4 – smiling as they pretend and take away what makes you you.
For many Episodes 1–9 are currently streaming on Apple TV.
