Picture yourself as Carol Sturka, who overcame a harsh childhood under parents who forced her into a conversion therapy camp named “Freedom Falls” after they discovered she was gay. As an adult, she has invested herself into writing beloved romantic fantasy novels, creating a popular series that resonates with many. Additionally, she has found joy and understanding in a life partner, a rare and cherished achievement.

Now imagine being approached by an omnipotent alien hive mind, asking how they might make you happy. The irony is, everything that once brought fulfillment has been stripped away by their integration, known as the Joining. The members of the Joined, with their relentless positivity and attentiveness, uncomfortably remind Carol of her days at the oppressive camp, making her situation feel both desperate and surreal.

This week’s episode of Pluribus, entitled “Please, Carol,” delves deeply into Carol’s resilience. Two scenes stand out for their powerful portrayal of Carol’s inner conflict and desires. In one, Carol hesitates before erasing her whiteboard, which is filled with ideas for her next book. In another, after self-administering a dose of sodium thiopental, a truth serum, she reads from her book, contemplating its potential as a film.

In Carol’s new reality, the prospects of publishing another novel or seeing her work adapted into film seem bleak. The Joined show no interest in human creative expressions. This realization is a profound blow to Carol, whose identity and purpose are deeply intertwined with her writing.

An especially moving yet quirky scene features Carol seeking opinions about her novels from a Joined individual, Lawrence J. Cless—Larry to those close to him (played by Jeff Hiller). Larry’s initial feedback is disappointingly vague and absurdly equates the Wycaro series with Shakespeare. However, he strikes a chord when he mentions Moira, a devoted fan, highlighting the impact Carol’s work had on her life.

Carol then makes a dramatic request for the Joined to retrieve and share Helen’s genuine thoughts about her books from her memories. The feedback is underwhelming—Helen found the books “harmless” and never finished Carol’s passion project, Bitter Chrysalis, merely encouraging its publication to make Carol happy.

The narrative construction of “Please, Carol” is expertly handled by screenwriter Alison Tatlock and director Zetna Fuentes, blending dialogue-heavy scenes with quiet moments that allow viewers to engage deeply with Carol’s thought processes—a technique reminiscent of Vince Gilligan’s work on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Carol’s inquiry into the opinions about her books reveals not only her vulnerability but also provides her with crucial information about the Joined’s inability to lie, which she notes under “What I Know About Them.”

The episode escalates into a thrilling narrative as Carol concocts a plan to leverage the Joined’s honesty. She first tries to find out if the formula that caused the Joining can be reversed. Following a dead end, she cleverly secures sodium thiopental from a hospital while misleading a doctor about her intentions with heroin.

The sequences that follow blend humor and tension as Carol tests the truth serum on herself, revealing truths about her feelings and desires in a hilariously altered state. The plan progresses to administering the serum to Zosia in an attempt to discover the anti-Joining formula, leading to a dramatic and unsettling climax where the collective repeatedly intones “Please, Carol,” as Zosia suffers a medical emergency.

Before this, Carol’s interaction with Zosia underscores the existential threat posed by the Joining, emphasizing the urgency of Carol’s actions not just for her immediate survival but for the preservation of her life’s work.

Stray observations

• • The episode opens with a signature Gilligan-style sequence featuring a surly Paraguayan storage manager, slowly unveiling his struggles against the Joined’s influence, hinting at his continued importance in the narrative.
• • The episode is peppered with moments of the Joined’s excessive friendliness, with highlights including a humorous police car theft and Carol’s sarcastic drug requests, leading to a cheeky interaction when she returns to the hospital.
• • The portrayal of the Joined occasionally parallels modern AI, particularly in their interactions with Carol, reminiscent of AI assistants from commercials, offering eerily perfect customer service.
• • A reflection on individuality within the Joined suggests a potential strategy for reversing the Joining, hinting at future developments in this complex narrative.

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