We, the Hivemind Examine Vince Gilligan's "Plur1bus"

[an0maly]

I am glad lots of folks seemed to enjoy the show. I read this thread, a couple of online articles, and a couple of Reddit threads and it seems my understanding of the themes in the show are consistent with others’ and the commentary from those in the production. I do not understand the love for the show.

I am highly sympathetic to your view (S1-7 was weak, as I wrote above), even though with the the next one, and the finale I really do like it. As I say, it is quite a bizarre notion for a TV show, and I guess this points back to the fact that Gilligan was massively inspired by Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. Some of the episodes of that show remain --60 years later-- some of the finest television that has ever been done. I think Gilligan is trying something as new as that was in 1960, but time will tell if it comes close to anything like that.

I want to like it. I even rewatched a few parts of a couple of episodes to try to appreciate moments that lots of viewers found interesting and profound. None of it moved the needle for me. I think the show has too much “The Fly” episode and not enough meat on the bone. By the third episode I was doing the 5 sec fast forward through dozens of on going walk abouts and lengthy Carol scowls.

When I rewatch I will probably surf though all her walking, driving, and being on the couch drunk scenes as well. This is flat out Gilligan's style, he will not stop it.

I really liked “The Fly” but it was a one off and unexpected. Very little in this show has left me surprised, awed, or pointedly curious which are reasons I enjoy sci fi.

There are actually great metaphorical ideas here, especially about A I, but too many things so far are unexplained, and we don't know what to think. Possibly intended to this point.

I also struggle with Rhea Seehorn. I am apparently in a huge minority here but she does not convey convincing depth to me. I look at her filmography and it aligns with my opinion of her as an actor including what I thought was one of the weakest links in Better Call Saul.

Rhea Seehorn has been given a really tough acting task so far, generally going in a range from annoyed, to snide, to raging angry. I think she is doing really well, but this character is intentionally just someone hard to like.

 

[an0maly]

Why didn't Carol demand they destroy the eggs?

Case of horse out, too late to close the barn door. Before Helen died, she was joined to the hivemind, so it knew about the eggs right then, and given their goal to "fix it" with Carol, probably went after them as soon as possible. Carol only realized this in horror in the conversation at the ski lodge, partly realized from the hivemind knowing about the sensor in the liquor cabinet.

 

[an0maly]

An interesting point that we probably all share.

Me personally, I get a lot from the things I read, in addition to the show.

But I get it, I've found myself in that boat recently with a movie that was being discussed on the movie thread. I tried to watch but gave up half way, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I have so much respect for the knowledge of our resident film critics that I find myself questioning why they like it and I don't. But ultimately it's just personal taste.

My wife and kids wouldn't finish one episode of Pluribus, I'm sure.

Our Vin diagrams have small intersections.

It's interesting, the extreme variance of what TV shows can do, from something as simple as possible (say The Brady Bunch) to something as complex as possible (like DEVS, or Dark, the German show from 2017-20). I loved both of those, the former staggeringly brilliant, but in no way are they for average viewers. I do think Pluribus is supposed to reach a far bigger and more diverse audience, but it is a tough go so far, at least, for some. I guess it is the biggest hit ever for Apple. So it's doing something right so far.

 

[UNCatTech]

I would think a decent human would wonder what the current state of that person is and that should limit their ability to just use their bodies for his pleasure.

I also clarification that I wasn't only referring to sex. What about the ski trip, is it ok to have them fly my to the Alps for a week of skiing?

Plus as mentioned, I don't believe these are the actual people trapped in their bodies, they are changed.

 

[UNCatTech]

It's interesting, the extreme variance of what TV shows can do, from something as simple as possible (say The Brady Bunch) to something as complex as possible (like DEVS, or Dark, the German show from 2017-20). I loved both of those, the former staggeringly brilliant, but in no way are they for average viewers. I do think Pluribus is supposed to reach a far bigger and more diverse audience, but it is a tough go so far, at least, for some. I guess it is the biggest hit ever for Apple. So it's doing something right so far.

I really liked Dark, but it seemed to move a little faster and, I believe, have more clues as to what was happening.

 

[an0maly]

Surprised about the lack of discussion on this show, which is grabbing awards. For those interested, and only if you've seen the whole season, a good video:

 

[pspsps]

I hate to generalize my experience because bias and all. But are we sure this is a great show? I mean Shakespeare in Love won best picture. I use rotten tomatoes as much as the next old guy and see the critical score and audience score is very different.

Looking at the watching experience in hindsight leaves me liking it less and less.

 

[UNCatTech]

I hate to generalize my experience because bias and all. But are we sure this is a great show? I mean Shakespeare in Love won best picture. I use rotten tomatoes as much as the next old guy and see the critical score and audience score is very different.

Looking at the watching experience in hindsight leaves me liking it less and less.

I believe the concept and the thought of a hivemind society is intriguing, but the episodes were up and down for me.

 

[nycfan]

So, my husband and I just finished season one last night. Bumping to circle back to this thread after avoiding it for spoiler risk for months.

 

[Gmonet]

I really liked it. We'll see if it holds together, hope they have a vision and don't try to play it out too long. But then I am fascinated by narratives about collectives - Echopraxia, A Fire Upon the Deep, MAGA, etc.

 

[an0maly]

I hate to generalize my experience because bias and all. But are we sure this is a great show? I mean Shakespeare in Love won best picture. I use rotten tomatoes as much as the next old guy and see the critical score and audience score is very different.

Looking at the watching experience in hindsight leaves me liking it less and less.

Well, I certainly do think the jury is still out on whether this can become a great series. As I detailed above, I am sympathetic to people who are not responding positively in whatever way to the show so far. I've had some issues during this season, while thinking the ending was dynamite (should I say atomic).

Gilligan is possibly exercising his justly won creative power (from his past huge successes) to do what he wants, regardless of how strange. It is extraordinarily strange, in a lot of ways, but mostly in what I'd call a laconic narrative, if I could use that word. Like David Chase, he really loves the kind of visual storytelling and cinematic content Kubrick created. That means what people say in words is not how the deeper meanings are delivered, but it's in colors, camera angles and movement, character behaviors and expressions, and objects in the frame. Gilligan is working more with colors than anyone within television work, and even approaching what Wes Anderson does in film.

There are viewers tuned into these kinds of things, and people who more respond to conventional dialogue --and more "action" perhaps -- to deliver story and meanings (The Pitt is a good example). It depends on what you're accustomed and familiar with in some ways.

Also, there's the degree to which one wants to contemplate the philosophical ideas of a hivemind, the moral peculiar conundrums of being forced into it, or volunteering to be in it, and how that relates to the society we do have. This is the larger importance as metaphor: the interplay of A.I. and catastrophic damages of social media making many people think alike regardless if that thinking is connected to actual reality.

Anyway, season 2 has a huge burden to follow up on all of this effectively. It could go wrong in a lot of ways, or could be brilliant.