Just finished the third episode. Early comments were that it was a show about a “woke mind virus” or regular Burgerlander anti-communism, but I’m not so sure now.
spoiler
Protagonist had her drunk rant about “why are you so special, you think you’re all so great, knowing everything about everyone all the time, the amalgamation of all human knowledge and understanding SO WHAT” etc etc. Paraphrasing obviously.
I’m starting to think that this whole thing might be a big rant from Gilligan about AI. In the sense that it attempts to amalgamate all human knowledge and experience into one giant blob that we all share from together, but at the cost what makes us all unique as human beings.
I could be wrong - it’s still early in the show, but that’s the vibe I get at this point and it definitely strikes the nerve that Gilligan seems to be feeling at the moment.
They did put a “This show was made by humans” disclaimer at the very beginning, after all.
I haven’t completely organized my thoughts on this but
spoiler
The show’s title is literally pluribus, as in “e pluribus, unum” or w/e the american motto is
Out of all other immune people, she is the only american and the only one that has a problem with the new world
Carol’s tantrums kill millions of people and she’s the only one that does it
This show seems like it’s exploring the many contradictions of american thought/ideology and the psychosis it imparts on its subjects. I’d say it’s just like Breaking Bad and BCS in that way. As you said with the grenade convo, Carol is dumbfounded that the hivemind would be so willing to give her dangerous weapons, but what was the status quo in america before if not that? Maybe not as extreme as handing over a nuclear weapon (not that she’d realistically be able to use it even if she did have one), but I see that as a contradiction. In that same episode, the hive mind points out Carol donated to environmental causes, yet she’s set off by the city lights being turned off to conserve power and resources. There’s a lot of things americans say they want for the world and themselves, but once it’s realized in any form they have nothing but criticisms and complaints, as if they seek unhappiness as much as Carol herself does.
All that to say, I can not see this being about AI (and Gilligan has already said it’s not himself as well).
I’d also say it’s not anti-communist - in fact, a friend pointed out to me this is one of the only shows that is engaging with the ideas of socialism/communism and offering some nuanced ideas/critiques on what a world like that can look like. Capitalist critique shows are a dime a dozen at this point, but Pluribus is unique in this way.
a hivemind is not communism though. a hivemind is the caricature that USians think communism is (no individuality, brainwashed etc.). the show is not actually engaging with what communism would look like. i feel like if a show regurgitates shit about stalin personally killing a bazillion people without pushback, its very fair to say its anticommunist
That would be part or the critique - taking the stereotypical American idea of communism to its extreme and then asking “what’s so wrong with this, even if what you believe about it is even true?”
Again, part of the critique - Carol is the chauvinistic American in this story, these are the things Americans believe.
thats not critique, thats just making things up.
it is never given a counter in the episode. it is not critique, it is just what the show believes to be true
Yeah, I think whoever wants to name a mass murderer and comes out with any name except Hitler is 100% a fash. Or a dumb American.
That’s the point. It’s a line Carol, the dumb American, says.