#203 - Pluribus 1.01 to 1.03 - "We Is Us" - "Pirate Lady" - "Grenade"

Preston & Todd review the first three episodes of "Pluribus," one of their favorite shows of the previous season. The world is hit with an alien virus that turns humanity into a hive mind. Fantasy romance author Carol Sturka is one of very few humans, barely over a dozen, in the whole world unaffected and still maintaining individuality and free thought. Episode 1, "We Is Us," is about the horror show that occurs when the virus first hits, including the death of Carol's wife Helen, and Carol's discovery of what is going on and why (vaguely) she is somehow unique. Episode 2, "Pirate Lady," is about the aftermath of the virus being unleashed, the hive assigning a beautiful "chaperone" named Zosia for the rebellious & stubborn Carol, and Carol's insistence in meeting others unaffected by the virus. The meeting takes place in Spain, only includes others who speak English, and reveals that Carol is the only one who seems to have a problem with the results of the virus. Episode 3, "Grenade," shows a flashback of Carol and her wife visiting an ice hotel after Carol had her eggs frozen. In the present, Carol tests the hive with certain demands & requests to see just how far the hive is willing to go to try to please her. Listen now as Preston & Todd explore the motivations & methods of the hive mind, the distribution of the virus, the show's religious allegories & numerology, the relevance of Carol Sturka as LGBT, the "families" of the remaining unaffected being hive but still pretending to be family members, the similarities between Zosia and Helen, the virus's comparison to AI, an unexpected Winston-Salem reference in a throwaway line of dialogue, and much, much more. Note: There is a spoiler section at the end for discussion about references to the remaining six "Pluribus" episodes. Preston & Todd plan to review those episodes as well. Please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can leave comments on individual episodes on the Spotify and GoodPods apps. Our e-mail address is [email protected]. Royalty-free music in this episode comes from Pixabay.com.