This article contains spoilers for Pluribus Season 1 episode 7, The Gap.
“My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.”
In a time where it’s cool to be jaded and cynical and write your protagonists as flawed anti-heroes who do questionable things for the greater good, Pluribus flips the switch and goes in the completely opposite direction with its seventh episode, The Gap. Here, we have a study of what makes us human, and a glimpse of what we can be capable of when pushed to our limits.
What We’re Capable Of
Manousos, the man from Paraguay, has largely taken a backseat in Pluribus so far. What little we know of him, however, is very telling. Here is man who is so anti-hive that he would rather starve and eat dog food than even touch the thoughtfully prepared meals the plurbs leave at his doorstep. Here is a man who takes the time to write an apologetic note to his clients before breaking into their storage units to forage for food. Prior to The Gap, all we know is that Manousos hates the hive and wants nothing to do with them, even more so than Carol herself.
When he finally learns that there are other survivors out there who are looking to save humanity, however, Manousos is spurred into action. And the actions he takes in The Gap are genuinely moving, presented through a classically stylish Vince Gilligan montage.
Determined to meet up with Carol to help save the world, Manousos hops into his car and plans an insane roadtrip from Paraguay all the way to New Mexico. Backed by beautiful instrumentals, Manousos self-learns the English language through casette tapes while driving through nature, ignoring the plurbs’ kind offers to give him food and resources, and to fly him straight to Albuquerque. Along the way, he siphons gas out of abandoned cars and leaves money on the windshield.
Manousos has hope that humanity can be saved and the world can be restored to what it once was. He holds on to his principles so steadfastly that by the time he reaches the Darien Gap and the plurbs attempt to reason with him once more, he doesn’t even flinch as he ventures forth to begin an incredibly dangerous hike. “Nothing on this planet is yours,” Manousos says, as he lights a piece of fabric on fire with his lighter. “You cannot give me anything, because all that you have is stolen. You don’t belong here.” He sets his car on fire and pushes past the plurbs.
The hive people, who have been so verbose up to this point, always eager to offer an explanation or reasoning for anything, don’t have a response. It’s because they know he’s right, and they don’t have a rebuttal.
When Manousos ventures into the Darien Gap, he continues practicing his English. “My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.” The Gap is a sterling example of how incredible human willpower can be. Despite the odds being stacked against him in all aspects, Manousos is uncompromising. It’s a truly moving sequence that cements the character’s purity and, if I’m being honest, may have propelled him way past Mike Ehrmantraut in terms of badassery, and that’s saying something.
What We Crave
Manousos is just one side of the coin in The Gap, though. Whereas his story is the depiction of willpower and determination, Carol’s story is one of desperation.
After her short-lived relief about her newfound virus knowledge wears off, Carol begins to grapple with her existential dread in solitude. A whole month passes after the plurbs leave Albuquerque and we see the toll it takes on her. Before she knows it, Carol becomes increasingly reckless in her free time and nearly loses her life in one of her nighttime firework extravaganzas. This is her breaking point as she realizes she’s no longer able to stand the loneliness.
When she finally gives in and asks the hive to come back, she collapses into Zosia’s arms in a heartbreaking sob. While Carol may have almost matched Manousos in his determination to live without the hive previously, all that falls away when she’s faced with a whole month of nothing but her own thoughts.
Ironically, as Manousos goes on his dangerous trek to Albuquerque, I get the feeling we’re not going to receive any catharsis when he and Carol finally meet. On one hand, Manousos has been resolute in not accepting anything the hive offers him. Even before her solitude, Carol had no issues making use of the hive when she needed to, and now that she’s regressed and begged them to come back, their interests no longer align and may set up a potential conflict later on.
What We Need
Pluribus has been a fascinating character study and topic of philosophical debate so far, but its thesis has never been clearer than in The Gap.
Despite Manousos’ fierce independence, even sheer willpower alone isn’t enough to help him survive the Darien Gap. He eventually falls victim to the chunga palms and the hive arrives in a helicopter to rescue him. Carol’s defiance isn’t enough to help her endure her solitude either, as she eventually succumbs to her need for connection, even if the hive is her only option left.
It’s not lost on me that the two most isolated characters in Pluribus have ended up being the ones that need the hive the most. Humans are social creatures after all. No man is an island and all that. Despite how much we may think we’re better than everyone else, we still need each other. Carol may think her Wycaro fans are braindead fangirls, but she still needs their approval and support to survive. Manousos still needs help to survive the Darien Gap. Carol still needs help to get through her solitude.
What does this all mean when we end up having to rely on a terrifying alien organism to have our social needs met, however? How much will we end up compromising? And what will be left of our humanity when we give in to what we need?
Pluribus is now available for streaming on Apple TV.
