7 Ways Pluribus Is NOT Going To End

With its first few episodes, "Pluribus" established itself as one of the most exciting TV shows of 2025, as it follows a hive mind taking over most of humanity save for a few stragglers, including the perpetually grumpy Carol (Rhea Seehorn). Looper gave "Pluribus" a perfect 10/10 score in our review, and a big part of the show's appeal is how it lends itself to theorizing just where exactly this bizarrely wonderful series will go next. We can't say for sure how "Pluribus" will end, but we have a few ideas on how it can't end. You can check out our explainer video to see these theories in more detail. 

We can rule out a few possibilities based on a key line Carol says in "Pluribus" Episode 2: "We've all seen this movie, and we know it does not end well." Series creator Vince Gilligan, who previously made "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," has proven himself to be a great screenwriter and director. He probably knows we, as the audience, are pretty smart and can come up with all sorts of wild scenarios for how the show's premise can play out. Therefore, it's safe to say he's going to upend our expectations at every turn and not conclude "Pluribus" in the same way that most alien invasion/hive mind movies end.

Unlike 1956's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," one of the best alien movies of all time, Carol can't block a few roads to prevent the spread since it's already everywhere. Unlike 1998's "The Faculty," there's seemingly no queen to kill and break the spell everyone's under. And unlike 2013's "The World's End," Carol can't just annoy the hive mind into leaving Earth. For even more ways that "Pluribus" can't end, check out the above video.

In a darkly funny moment, Carol asks the hive mind if it would give her a nuclear bomb if she asked. Up to this point, the entity has been incredibly accommodating toward her, even providing her a grenade when she sarcastically asked, and by all accounts, they would give her a nuke if she really wanted one. The problem with Carol seemingly having the world at her disposal is that this isn't an alien threat she can just kill. They're inside all of humanity. Carol already managed to kill 11 million individuals when her freakout caused the hive mind to seize. It reacts horrifically to negative emotions, and Carol already considers herself a mass murderer, albeit by accident. 

There's no way to fight this head-on without killing a bunch of people, which would negate trying to set humanity right in the first place. The entity initially refers to itself as a "virus" before instead calling it a "psychic glue." One might assume Carol could disrupt the signal that came from outer space, but even if Carol could somehow send a nuke to its origin, the damage is likely already done. Carol doesn't have special powers at her disposal to stop it, and the hive mind is well aware of her immunity, so she can't just attempt to blend in. 

It's possible not even Vince Gilligan knows how "Pluribus" will end. After all, he didn't know what to do with that machine gun during the final season of "Breaking Bad," so he and his team could be winging this one, too. Regardless, we'll be there every week to see what clues materialize for how Carol can beat the hive mind.