TV Series review: Pluribus ep 6

Episode 6 is one of the strongest in the series so far. It answers long-standing mysteries, introduces new ones and reshapes the entire narrative landscape. It is both a revelation-heavy instalment and a reset of the series’ foundations.

The episode opens by resolving the cliffhanger from episode 5. Carol, trapped inside a packaging plant, uncovers a horrifying secret hidden in its vast freezer. Fans predicted human remains, and the episode confirms this immediately. Carol finds body parts wrapped neatly for storage, including a human head she flippantly compares to a Butterball turkey. The shock remains unsettling even after weeks of speculation.

Rather than send this discovery to the other twelve unjoined individuals, Carol drives to Las Vegas to confront Mr Diabate, the enigmatic character introduced in episode 2. Before she arrives, we see how he lives within the new world order. His environment is a carefully constructed illusion. Hundreds of Joined simulate a luxurious casino evening so that he can relive a world that no longer exists. Everything is fabricated to maintain his sense of importance and success. His acceptance of this make-believe reality is both unsettling and revealing.

When Carol finally meets him, she learns that he has already received all her previous recordings. The other eleven have seen them as well. Then the episode delivers one of its most shocking twists. Mr Diabate already knows that the Joined consume human remains. His calm acceptance of this fact heightens the horror.

The Joined explain their food system in a surreal, comedic instructional video narrated by John Cena. They outline their restrictions. They cannot harm any life, which includes animals and plants. Their food sources are windfall produce and pre-Event processed food, neither of which can sustain seven billion people. As a result, they turn naturally deceased humans into a refined protein substance called HDP, Human Derived Protein. It is a solution that is both logical and disturbing, pushing the series into darker territory.

Further revelations expose even more cracks in the new world. Even with HDP, the Joined estimate only ten years of viable food supply. Carol also discovers that the other unjoined individuals have been meeting privately twice a week, deliberately excluding her. This moment powerfully reinforces her loneliness and the emotional strain she carries.

Another significant discovery is that the Joined cannot convert humans without consent. The process requires a personal biological sample from each individual, and they refuse to take one without permission. This revelation reframes the power dynamics of the series and deepens the mystery around the nature and purpose of the virus.

Episode 6 successfully expands the mythology while grounding the story in personal conflict. Carol now faces a clear objective. She must reverse the joining before the Joined create a sustainable long-term food supply. The imbalance of power is staggering. Carol is alone, lacks medical expertise and stands against a unified global collective.

The episode concludes with a shift to Paraguay, where Manouso watches one of Carol’s old recordings about reversing the joining. Motivated by this revelation, he prepares to meet her. His chaperone, revealed to be his mother, adds an intriguing emotional complication for future episodes.

Episode 6 excels as a narrative reset. It clarifies the logic of the world, expands its limitations and raises the stakes for Carol’s journey. It is the most memorable episode of the series so far.