Pluribus, the new sci-fi drama from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, has quickly become a major topic of discussion. The show stars Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka, a fantasy romance writer who finds herself as one of the few people immune to a global pandemic. This alien virus binds humanity into a single, happy hive mind, leaving Carol to navigate a world where everyone is the same person. After its premiere on November 7, fans have been busy developing theories about the show’s mysteries. Here are 11 of the wildest fan theories about Pluribus.
The Aliens Are Perfecting Their Virus on Earth
A popular theory suggests the hive mind’s goal is not just expansion, but improvement. The aliens are using Earth’s population as test subjects to refine their RNA sequence. The hive mind is intensely interested in the few immune individuals like Carol, not just to absorb them, but to understand what makes them resistant. The belief is that by studying them, the aliens can create a more effective virus to use on the next unsuspecting planet.
“I don’t think it’s just about expanding numbers. I think it’s about improving the strain itself,” one Reddit theorizer wrote.
This would mean humanity is part of a larger, more terrifying galactic experiment.
The Virus Might Be Completely Irreversible
Carol’s main drive is to reverse the effects of the virus and return everyone to normal. However, some fans think this might be an impossible mission. The show has already shown that when the virus fails to take hold, as with Carol’s partner Helen, the result is death. This has led to speculation that the process is a one-way street.
If a person were disconnected from the collective, their brain might be completely non-functional, as the original consciousness could have been permanently overwritten. There is no proof that the “Joining” can be undone, making Carol’s quest potentially tragic from the start.
Carol Could Be Hiding a Dark Secret
Carol is the hero of the story, but some fans predict a dark twist in her past. This theory speculates that future flashbacks will reveal she committed a “horrific unmoral act” involving her late partner, Helen. Her intense hostility toward the hive mind, especially when it uses Helen’s memories, might stem from this guilt.
The theory suggests the hive mind already knows this secret, which is why Carol feels so vulnerable and haunted around them. This would completely reframe her character and motivations, demanding a second viewing of the early episodes once the truth is revealed.
The Hive Mind’s True Goal Is Deeply Sinister
On the surface, the hive mind is peaceful and happy. But a deeper theory proposes that its biological imperative to expand is its true threat. Once an entire planet is assimilated, the collective’s next step is to share its “gift” with other worlds, no matter the cost.
The scientist in the first episode noted the original alien signal required a transmitter “the size of Africa” to send. This theory suggests the hive mind will eventually consume all of Earth’s resources to build a similar transmitter, dooming humanity to spread the virus across the stars. The species that sent the signal likely did the same, making the virus a benevolent-seeming cosmic parasite.
Carol’s Anger Might Actually Be Freeing People
When Carol has an emotional outburst, it causes the entire hive mind to convulse, reportedly killing millions each time. However, one theory questions this narrative. What if the seizures are not causing death, but release?
It is possible that each global episode frees some people from the collective. The theory gained traction when it was noted that a new immune person was discovered in Paraguay after Carol’s first major confrontation with the hive. This could mean her unique ability is not destruction, but liberation.
The Aliens Are Not Coming to Invade
While the virus came from space, fans doubt we will see alien spaceships. The signal originated 600 light-years away, meaning the sending species might not even know Earth exists. By the time they could receive a response or travel here, thousands of years would have passed.
“The aliens won’t know that the Hive Mind has taken over Earth for another 600 years… if they did want to travel to Earth… they won’t arrive for at least 1200 years,” one fan proposed.
This makes the story a uniquely silent and long-distance invasion.
Carol Is Like a Wasp in a Beehive
This clever theory uses insect allegory to predict Carol’s role. The hive mind behaves like a bee colony, and the immune individuals might be destined to become its queens. However, Carol is different. She is compared to a wasp—a natural predator of bees.
This is subtly hinted at through her clothing; she wears a yellow jacket in the first episode, mirroring the show’s yellow promotional art. Her rebellious nature might not make her a queen for the hive, but a deadly threat to its very existence.
The Hive Mind Is Doomed to Fail
An eagle-eyed fan discovered a hidden detail that hints at the hive’s fallibility. The registration numbers on the two planes shown in the premiere are tied to real-life aircraft that crashed due to pilot error in similar conditions.
The database used to find this information is called CAROL. This is seen as intentional foreshadowing from the detail-oriented Vince Gilligan. Despite its appearance of perfect competence, the hive mind is still fundamentally human and capable of critical errors, especially when facing new problems that require original thought.
The Hive Mind Genuinely Loves Carol
In contrast to more sinister ideas, some believe the hive mind’s affection for Carol is real. They chose a representative, Zosia, who Carol would likely be attracted to. They cater to her needs as a romance writer. Most importantly, they experienced Carol’s profound love for Helen in her final moments.
By absorbing Helen’s death, the collective may have experienced human love for the first time. This theory suggests that love could be the ancient hive mind’s one weakness, a concept it has no defense against.
Humanity Is Just a Tool for Replication
This theory strips away any benevolence, suggesting the virus is a purely biological weapon. The aliens may have no awareness of Earth at all. The signal could be a mindless, self-replicating pattern broadcast across the universe.
Any intelligent species that decodes and builds the virus simply becomes a new host, ensuring the pattern’s endless replication. In this view, humanity is not a target of invasion, but an accidental host to a cosmic disease.
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The Show Is an Allegory for Toxic Positivity
Many viewers see clear parallels beyond sci-fi. The show’s conflict is interpreted as a critique of toxic positivity—the cultural insistence on constant happiness that suppresses negative emotions and individuality.
Carol, a self-described miserable person, represents the necessary and authentic human emotions that the hive mind seeks to erase. The theory suggests the only way to fight the hive is to make the collective experience the same negative emotions it tries to destroy.
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