Pluribus, Apple TV’s exclusive sci-fi TV show from Vince Gilligan, adopts a “show, don’t tell” technique where the show loves to just have its characters do things without needing to explain them. This is best exemplified in an early scene in the first episode, where Carol gestures to a bookstand and has her agent rearrange the book display in Pluribus. Here’s what it all means.
Why Carol Wanted Helen to Rearrange the Books in Pluribus
The short answer is that Carol wanted to make sure that her book, the latest entry in the Wycaro series, would stand out the most at the bookstand, which would hopefully help drive sales in Pluribus.
When Carol and Helen land in Albuquerque, they walk past a bookstand and Carol notices that her books are displayed on the lowest shelf. She stops, gestures to the bookstand, and Helen gets the hint immediately. Helen says she’s going to get some gum, then walks over to the stand and rearranges the books, placing Carol’s books on the top shelf instead.
This is a very fascinating character moment for Carol because up to this point, she’s put on airs of superiority. Wycaro is a series of historical fiction romance books, written to cater to women in their late 30s and 40s, where she writes about dreamy pirate men romancing the main female character. She describes her books as “mindless crap” and clearly believes that she’s above it all, especially when she and Helen are reading the comments from her adoring fans.
Despite feeling like she’s above it all, however, Carol clearly still cares about her fan appeal. Despite thinking she’s writing “mindless crap”, she wants her fans to continue loving her books, and she wants to drive her sales. After all, this is her livelihood and she needs to do whatever she can to make a living. This scene shows us that even though she thinks she’s capable of so much more, she’s still tied to whatever generates the most mass appeal, and she’s eventually stuck with Wycaro, her main moneymaker.
Hopefully that clears up why Carol wanted Helen to rearrange the books in Pluribus, and also provides some insight into Carol herself as a character.
