But are you part of the United States?Well, New Mexico, actually, but we honestly get that a lot.
Spoilers Vince Gilligan's Pluribus starring Rhea Seehorn
- Thread starter The Nth Doctor
- Start date
I can think of a few directions it could go. Is it possible that some of the Others' immune systems might fight off the virus, separating them from the hive? Of course if that were to happen whilst you get more independent characters you have to address the issue that if the Hive do know how to reverse the virus then why wouldn't a severed former member know? Unless you only have access to the hive mind when part of the hive?
It's always possible that whoever sent the transmission shows up (I doubt it, but you never know)
I can't remember but did they say what happened to people on board submarines or in the Antarctic? I remember them talking about the ISS (how the hell'd they get the virus up there?)
I still doubt there's only 13 immune people. One way or other any show that lasts more than a season tends to have a way of introducing new characters (take the Talies in Lost)
Based on Gilligan's interviews about the show and just the general sense of the show, I would be very surprised if we ever see whoever sent the transmission. Hell, I would be surprised if we learn even basic facts about them.
I don't think submariners were addressed but I seem to recall some mention of Antarctic early on. As for how the ISS get the virus, I'm sure it was the same way the most of the world got it: Telecommunications. The same would be true for submariners...unless they were operating on radio silence...
I agree. We only have the Others' word on who is actually immune. I can't recall if Carol directly asked that question.
And I think I may have stumbled on where we might get new characters, although it raises the question if such submariners have some means of blocking the transmission if they were surface (which they would have to do eventually).
Knowing it can be cured and being able to implement a cure are two completely different buckets of fish.
Yup. That said, I think we will learn more about the nature of the virus and even where it came from, but only through implication, e.g from the behavior of the Joined themselves. If, say, they're all building giant radio transmitters that will imply something about the state of Kepler-22b's inhabitants.
I thought the virus was distributed via contaminated food and drink, kissing and aerosol not radio waves?
Good point.
Actually, you're right. I was conflating the original radio signal that transmitted the RNA sequence with the way the virus spread. What I think I was confusing is how the virus was spread on a global scale, thinking it was done through people's mobile devices but it was actually done by aerial dispersal of aerosols.
...but that still raises the question of submariners and the ISS. I imagine for the latter, a shuttlecraft was sent up. However, that's not so easy for submarines, especially if they're operating in radio silence.
Yeah presumably the virus was sent up to the ISS as part of a regular supply run (just imagine the nightmare if one of them resisted the virus! 
)
There's an interesting prequel I guess because presumably people did figure out what was happening and tried to stop it/warn people but failed in their attempt. We see the initial infection, but obviously after this the story skips forward a month (I think) to when the mass infection starts. We're effectively seeing the Invasion of the Body Snatchers after the Body Snatchers have already won, but likely there are multiple stories in the intervening weeks (which all ended badly for the protagonists in that presumably they were infected).
I'm guessing once the virus was aerosolised it was game over. I'm assuming it's just in the air now so even if you were in a sealed bunker or submarine the moment you cracked a hatch open you're gone.
I am reminded of this...
)There's an interesting prequel I guess because presumably people did figure out what was happening and tried to stop it/warn people but failed in their attempt. We see the initial infection, but obviously after this the story skips forward a month (I think) to when the mass infection starts. We're effectively seeing the Invasion of the Body Snatchers after the Body Snatchers have already won, but likely there are multiple stories in the intervening weeks (which all ended badly for the protagonists in that presumably they were infected).
I'm guessing once the virus was aerosolised it was game over. I'm assuming it's just in the air now so even if you were in a sealed bunker or submarine the moment you cracked a hatch open you're gone.
I am reminded of this...
The only surprising thing about Carol's pseudo-undercover recon mission to pump more information out of Zosia is that Carol kept up the act as long as she did before freaking out again. I imagine some of that was because of her abject loneliness since the mass exodus blinded her about the greater issues. She was initially okay with Zosia just casually mentioning information that she would only know because of Helen or another people who knew Carol and it's curious how Carol didn't call Zosia out on breaking that rule. In the end, all it took to snap her out of that state was the recreation of her beloved burned down café.*
Even with Carol coming back to the full reality of the situation and confronting Zosia once again, I wasn't surprised that Carol was then drawn into her physical attraction for Zosia and has seemingly made peace with it again. Perhaps Carol thinks she's still being manipulated by the Others and in turn is using Zosia to satisfy her loneliness and desires (which, ironically, wouldn't make so different from Koumba). I guess we'll find out the truth when Manousos finally reaches Albuquerque.
Speaking of whom, I wondered if the Others would tell Carol about his impending arrival. I guess they deemed it unnecessary until he got closer. And, of course, he would refuse further treatment and demand a bill as soon as he regained consciousness. I have to know where his sense of morality and ethics is coming from. If I know Gilligan, there's definitely a story behind that and I look forward to seeing it.
*When exactly did the Others do that? That's not something they can easily rebuilt at a drop of a dime, regardless of the amount of manpower, skills, and resources available. Something like that takes a lot of time. Did they built it before the exodus, waiting for a moment to bring it to Carol's attention when the time was right? If so, that certainly suggests that Carol's accusations that the Others are trying to distract her aren't entirely paranoid.
The virus hasn't expanded to dogs (or apparently any pets) and that suggests it hasn't expanded to any other animal, although that's not explicitly stated and should be only treated as assumption until proven otherwise. But that appears to be Gilligan's intention, which makes sense, honestly, since he's clearly more interested in the human element, specifically on the psychological aspect than anything else.
Additionally, we now know the Kepler-22b is covered by a vast ocean. Which makes me wonder if we can extrapolate anything about the beings that transmitted the virus. It's important to realize that Kepler-22b isn't necessarily where the virus originated from, only that it's where Earth received the RNA signal from. But if we can assume that's where the virus originated from, can we guess how the virus was developed? Was it manufactured or did it develop organically...as a result of that massive ocean? Of course, as we already discussed, Gilligan is most likely not interested in exploring those questions so I'm probably digging in the weeds on this point, but it is curious how the show gave us these few nuggets of information.
Lastly, we learned, and I really should've seen this coming, the Others' big goal is to create a giant transmitter so they can "pay it forward." Spread the good news. How cultish. I'm sure that's deliberate on Gilligan's part.
Drone on the Streetlight watch: It was still hanging there! Or...it was for the first half the episode but I think it was missing during the neighborhood clean-up in the latter half. Fingers crossed they missed it and it indeed remains there like Pizza Box on the Roof.
Even with Carol coming back to the full reality of the situation and confronting Zosia once again, I wasn't surprised that Carol was then drawn into her physical attraction for Zosia and has seemingly made peace with it again. Perhaps Carol thinks she's still being manipulated by the Others and in turn is using Zosia to satisfy her loneliness and desires (which, ironically, wouldn't make so different from Koumba). I guess we'll find out the truth when Manousos finally reaches Albuquerque.
Speaking of whom, I wondered if the Others would tell Carol about his impending arrival. I guess they deemed it unnecessary until he got closer. And, of course, he would refuse further treatment and demand a bill as soon as he regained consciousness. I have to know where his sense of morality and ethics is coming from. If I know Gilligan, there's definitely a story behind that and I look forward to seeing it.
*When exactly did the Others do that? That's not something they can easily rebuilt at a drop of a dime, regardless of the amount of manpower, skills, and resources available. Something like that takes a lot of time. Did they built it before the exodus, waiting for a moment to bring it to Carol's attention when the time was right? If so, that certainly suggests that Carol's accusations that the Others are trying to distract her aren't entirely paranoid.
In fact, we learned several things about them.
The virus hasn't expanded to dogs (or apparently any pets) and that suggests it hasn't expanded to any other animal, although that's not explicitly stated and should be only treated as assumption until proven otherwise. But that appears to be Gilligan's intention, which makes sense, honestly, since he's clearly more interested in the human element, specifically on the psychological aspect than anything else.
Additionally, we now know the Kepler-22b is covered by a vast ocean. Which makes me wonder if we can extrapolate anything about the beings that transmitted the virus. It's important to realize that Kepler-22b isn't necessarily where the virus originated from, only that it's where Earth received the RNA signal from. But if we can assume that's where the virus originated from, can we guess how the virus was developed? Was it manufactured or did it develop organically...as a result of that massive ocean? Of course, as we already discussed, Gilligan is most likely not interested in exploring those questions so I'm probably digging in the weeds on this point, but it is curious how the show gave us these few nuggets of information.
Lastly, we learned, and I really should've seen this coming, the Others' big goal is to create a giant transmitter so they can "pay it forward." Spread the good news. How cultish. I'm sure that's deliberate on Gilligan's part.
Drone on the Streetlight watch: It was still hanging there! Or...it was for the first half the episode but I think it was missing during the neighborhood clean-up in the latter half. Fingers crossed they missed it and it indeed remains there like Pizza Box on the Roof.
Not to toot my own horn too hard, but I totally called it.
I got the distinct impression that brining up Manousos may have been a cover for Carol having emotionally affected Zoshia the individual. That would be very threatening for the hive mind.
By all means, brag. You called it, complete with your analogy. Bravo.Not to toot my own horn too hard, but I totally called it.
Perhaps so. I could see it going either way (or theory or my own) or another direction and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't get answer to this particular question in the finale (which is next week!).
I should mention I enjoyed the hell out out of this episode. If they're going to do a slow burn character study, it's much more effective to have two characters talking and interacting and challenging each other. It's actually, you know, fun to watch.
There's a writing rule that good dialogue should always challenge and defend; Carol and Zosia's ostensible cordiality was a cover for trying to probe weaknesses and wear down defenses, on both sides. So even the "nice" moments were fraught with subtext. Good, good stuff. Thumbs up.
There's a writing rule that good dialogue should always challenge and defend; Carol and Zosia's ostensible cordiality was a cover for trying to probe weaknesses and wear down defenses, on both sides. So even the "nice" moments were fraught with subtext. Good, good stuff. Thumbs up.
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The mind virus could have been bouncing around the galaxy for millennia. We have no way of knowing. I just doubt humans are the first race taken over. It probably originated a long time ago and far away.
The purpose is more nebulous. It could be a purposeful gift of joining. Or it might be a clever way to stop hostile races from leaving their own world and infesting the universe. Since the virus doesn't ask any being if it wants to join in the takeover stage I lean toward the latter.
The purpose is more nebulous. It could be a purposeful gift of joining. Or it might be a clever way to stop hostile races from leaving their own world and infesting the universe. Since the virus doesn't ask any being if it wants to join in the takeover stage I lean toward the latter.
We don't actually. Zosia says they they think the planet may be an enormous ocean but that's an assumption, they don't actually know anything for sure except that's where the signal they got originated.
Personally I think there has to be land and a civilization that evolved on land because it's very unlikely that aquatic life would ever develop technology that can transmit a signal into space. Water absorbs radio waves which limited how useful they are, so an aquatic species would have significantly less use for them even if they had the technology, so they'd more likely use something else.
And to direct and strengthen the signal for deep space communication you need a dish. While radio waves do travel through space naturally they would never reach another planet without a dish, where would an aquatic species on an ocean world put it?
I'm leaning towards believing the virus has been a very long time, too. I just wondered if Kepler-22b was the originating planet, then what could speculate about the virus based on it.
That would only work if the virus was manufactured but I suspect it developed organically. Another form of life in the universe. A terrifying one, for certain, but life nonetheless.
I feel the same thing about pod people and this virus doesn't seem much different.
You're right. I was so busy stressing the point of not assuming on other ideas that I overlooked my own assumption there. Thank you for pointing that out.
I think you're right about that. My thought process behind that speculation is the virus originated in the ocean but then moved to an intelligent land lifeform that could transmit to space.
Or, alternatively, did form in the ocean and then eventually became a land lifeform. After all, that's how life on this planet developed.
