Pluribus review: Apple TV’s latest sci-fi series luxuriates in mystery

Towards the end of the first episode For manyCarol (Rhea Seehorn), a woman caught in a bizarre and impossible scenario, asks a very simple question: “What the hell is going on?” This is something you'll probably be asking yourself often while watching. Of course I did. But this constant sense of mystery and the measured pace with which For many reveals itself is one of the best parts new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. I can't tell you much about For many not yet – but I can tell you that confusion is part of the appeal.

Okay, so what can I tell you? Carol is a successful writer of fantasy novels—sorry, “speculative historical romance”—and she hates both her job and her audience. She wants to do something more meaningful, but the money she makes from her books makes the transition difficult. Despite being rich and successful, and having a caring partner who doubles as her very capable manager (Miriam Shor), Carol is mostly unhappy, although largely able to fake it in public.

But everything changes when… something happens. I don't want to get too deep into spoilers before the series premiere (the first two episodes air on November 7), but vanity For many is that after a global event that is almost apocalyptic in nature, almost every person on Earth receives a dose of unshakable happiness. They become peaceful and cooperative and cannot harm any living creature. Carol remains indifferent – but not for lack of trying. At first, when she is outside the hospital, which looks like a war zone, the “others” – as I will now call these happy people – try to win her over to their side. When that doesn't work and she's horrified, they all say in unison, “We just want to help, Carol!”

This is extremely creepy and puts Carol in a difficult situation. Usually she just complains about everything wrong with the world, but now she's practically the only person who can actually save him. Certainly, How she talks about it and it's not so easy to understand. One person against several billion puts her at a serious disadvantage. The thing is, while the others want Carol to be part of their group, they are also willing to do anything to make her happy. It's part of their nature; in fact, when Carol gets really upset or angry, it actually causes them physical harm. This creates a thrilling tension as she has to control her emotions while going through an unimaginably stressful situation.

There's a lot going on, and the first two episodes mostly focus on Carol trying to cope with a strange situation. And that's good because it gives the audience time to figure it out. Bye For many has some of the energy of a post-apocalyptic story, but in many ways it's completely unlike them. Because does this world really need saving? No one in The Walking Dead wants to be a flesh-eating zombie. But to turn into a constantly cheerful person? Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing. As one of the others said, the day the change happened was “the greatest day in the history of mankind,” and it's not hard to see why some might agree, even if Carol certainly doesn't.

For many really gets into the nitty gritty details of how this new and very unique world works and isn't afraid to take the time to do so. Gilligan and his team put a certain level of trust into the structure of the show. “The older I get, the more confident I become, not in terms of my abilities, but in terms of the wisdom of the audience,” Gilligan told me before the premiere. “The shows we create attract really smart viewers.”

This is why there are long, often dialogue-free sequences depicting, say, a woman boarding a plane and flying halfway around the world. At first, you don't know why she's even doing this or even who she is, but the series rewards your patience. The same goes for seemingly boring practical details, such as how food production works in a world where most of humanity is incapable of harming any living being. These aspects of the story provide some of the most impressive – and sometimes disturbing – revelations. For many has a strange premise, but the show's creators also think it through to its logical conclusion (at least initially, that's true; I haven't seen the whole season yet).

This slow drip of revelation and information is exciting because For many such a well produced show. This is especially true when it comes to Seehorn's performance, which is the foundation of it all. Carol is not your typical heroic character; she's a pathetic and often frustrating character, and yet it's hard to look away from Seehorn, who makes you laugh, cry, and want to wring her neck, often at the same time.

This means that while these “What the hell?” the moments are ordinary, they are not upsetting like in similar shows. (Sorry, Lost.) Revelations are not moments. For many it is not a puzzle box to be solved. This is a story that has a lot of strange and complex things to share with you – and it's more than comfortable to spend time on it.

_{First two episodes For many will air on Apple TV on November 7th.}