Pluribus review: Apple TV’s latest sci-fi series is packed with mystery

At the end of the first episode of For manyCarol (Rhea Seehorn), a woman placed in a strange and impossible scenario, asks a very direct question: “What the hell is going on?” It’s something you’ll probably ask yourself a lot while watching. I certainly did. But it’s this constant sense of mystery, and the calculated pace at which it’s done For many He reveals himself, which is one of the best parts The new series of Very bad Creator Vince Gilligan. I can’t tell you much about him For many So far – but I can tell you that feeling confused is part of the appeal.

Well, what can I tell you? Carol is a successful writer of fantasy novels—pardon me, “speculative historical romance”—and she hates her job and her audience. She wants to do something more meaningful, but the money she makes from her books makes it difficult to make the switch. Although she is rich and successful, and has an interested partner in the role of her able boss (Miriam Shor), Carol is mostly miserable, though she is largely able to fake it publicly.

But that all changes when… something happens. I don’t want to go into deep spoilers before the series premiere (the first two episodes will air on November 7), but Vanity For many is that in the wake of a global event that is almost apocalyptic in nature, almost every person on Earth is struck with an inexhaustible dose of happiness. They become peaceful, cooperative and unable to harm any living being. Carol remains unimpressed, but not for lack of trying. Early on, when she’s outside a hospital that looks like a war zone, the “others”—what I’ll call these happy people now—try to bring her over to their side. When it doesn’t work and you get scared, they all say in unison: “We just want to help, Carol!”

It’s very scary and puts Carol in a difficult position. She usually just complains about everything that’s wrong with the world, but now she’s the only person who can actually save him. naturally, how She talks about it not being easy to spot. One person for a few billion puts it at a huge disadvantage. The thing is, while others want Carol to be part of their group, they’re also willing to do seemingly anything to make her happy. It is part of their nature; In fact, when Carol gets really upset or angry, it physically hurts her. This creates wonderful tension as she has to regulate her emotions while going through an unimaginably stressful situation.

There’s a lot going on, and the first two episodes are mostly about Carol’s ability to deal with a strange situation. And that’s a good thing, because it gives viewers time to process it, too. while For many It has some of the energy of a post-apocalyptic story, and is also very different from it in many ways. Because does this world really need saving? No one in The walking dead He wants to be a cannibal zombie. But to always be cheerful? Well, this might not be so bad. As one of the others said early on, the day the change happened was “the greatest day in human history,” and it’s not impossible to understand why some might agree, even if Carol certainly doesn’t.

For many He really delves into the nitty-gritty of how this new and very unique world works, and he’s not afraid to take his time doing so. There’s a level of trust that Gilligan and his team put into the structure of the show. “The older I get, the more confident I become, not in my abilities but in the wisdom of the crowd.” Gilligan told me before the premiere. “The kind of shows we create attract really smart viewers.”

That’s why there are long scenes, often devoid of dialogue, depicting, for example, a woman getting on a plane and flying halfway around the world. You don’t know why she does it to begin with, or even who she is, but the show rewards your patience. The same goes for seemingly boring practical details like how food production works in a world where most of humanity is incapable of harming any living being. These aspects of the story provide some of the most poignant—and sometimes disturbing—revelations. For many It has a weird premise, but the show’s creators also think it through to its logical conclusion (at least that’s true early on; I haven’t watched the entire season yet).

This slow drip of revelation and information sucks because For many It is a well-executed show. This is especially true when it comes to Seehorn’s performance, which anchors the whole thing. Carol is not a typical heroic character. She’s a miserable and often frustrating character, yet it’s hard to keep your eyes off Seehorn, who makes you laugh, cry and want to wring her neck, often at the same time.

Which means that while those “what the fuck?” Moments are common, they’re not as frustrating as they can be in similar shows. (Sorry, lost.) Discoveries are not gotcha moments. For many It’s not a puzzle box meant to be solved. It’s a story with a lot of weird and complicated things to share with you – and it’s very comforting that you take your time doing so.

_{The first two episodes of For many It will stream on Apple TV on November 7.}