Pluribus Season 1 Ending EXPLAINED: Does Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka Save Humanity From Alien Virus?

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Vince Gilligan's new show, Pluribus, a romance writer named Carol Sturka was one of the few people left on Earth not turned by an alien virus. Played by Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn, Carol is one of 12 people on the planet who have not joined the entire human race as one joint entity. The American is deemed the most miserable person in the world and holds the key to possibly saving humanity. What could go wrong? The first season finale of Pluribus ended on Christmas Eve, December 24, and we examine the fates of its main characters and look ahead to Season 2. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

All about Carol and Zosia

After the death of her partner Helen (Miriam Shor), Carol goes through all the stages of grief as she collects information about the Others. She jots things down on a whiteboard, including tidbits like the Others can't lie, and the Others eat people, and finally, the fact that they are building a giant antenna to send the signal out into the universe. Throughout this, Carol is given a representative or suitable chaperone named Zosia (Karolina Wydra) to please her. However, Carol keeps pushing the Others for answers, and when Zosia's being is risked, they all retreat away from her for some space.

After about 40 days of loneliness, she caves and calls back Zosia and technically the Others. Once back, the prickly Carol treats Zosia like an individual and forms a deep bond with her. After the two sleep together, Carol even starts writing again on her new novel. Everything seems hunky-dory, that is, until Manousos (Carlos Manuel Vesga) arrives at her home.

Manousos' mission

The self-storage manager from Paraguay, Manousos, is on a mission after he receives Carol's videotape. The principled man is not afraid to go at it alone and resists any kind of contact from the Others. He nearly kills himself, driving all the way from Paraguay to New Mexico to Carol's house. His and Carol's first meeting does not go well, as both are distrustful of each other.

Carol is also protective of Zosia meeting Manousos and asks the Others to send someone else to deal with him. Manousos tries out his experiments with the audio frequencies with him, and the Others go into a trance once more. Naturally, they want to move away from Carol and Manousos due to this threat. It pushes Carol to get closer to Zosia and make her final decision.

Kusimayu joins the hivemind

Meanwhile, in Peru, at the village of Kusimayu (Darinka Arones), one of the remaining people not affected by the virus, the Others have convinced her to join them. A canister is flown in and driven to the remote village, where the remaining villagers and relatives perform a ceremony to welcome her in. Once she joins them, the village completely disbands, leaving behind everything, including the animals. A baby goat that Kusimayu had lovingly tended to before runs after her, but she walks away with an eerie smile on her face. The Others have found ways to turn the remaining survivors, and they will not stop until all have joined them.

What does Carol decide?

Manousos asks Carol in the finale, "Do you want to save the world or get the girl?" It really is the question of the day. Carol takes off on an extended holiday with Zosia and seems to be at peace with herself. But she learns a horrific answer about the Others' mission. To convert her, they would need her stem cells, which she doesn't consent to give. However, they have found another way to obtain it. She had her eggs frozen while she was with Helen and hoping to get pregnant.

They will use her eggs to complete her mission. A heartbroken Carol realises then, that nothing has changed and she must try to reverse this virus on humanity. Throughout the episode, the Others use all their tricks on Carol to sway her, even recreating a diner memory from her past. But Carol knows what she must do. The final scene of Pluribus sees Carol returning home by helicopter; a concerned Zosia drops off a big crate, and she reunites with Manousos. When he asks what's in the box, she wryly replies, "An atom bomb."What will happen in Pluribus Season 2? Will Carol and Manousos use the bomb to wipe out the hivemind so they can stop spreading the infection around the universe? These two will have some plan or another for sure. Hopefully, we don't have to wait years to find out.