Pluribus Episode 7 saw Manousos (Carlos Manuel Vesga) embark on a long-distance journey that was quickly derailed by a rogue chunga palm tree. The sci-fi drama series, created by Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan, explores the aftermath of a happiness virus that turns all humans on Earth into a hivemind - except for a rare few. Led by Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka, Manousos has been a background character for much of the Apple TV+ series, but he finally had his time to shine in Episode 7.
Manousos, one of the 12 unaffected survivors of the virus in Pluribus, had barricaded himself away from the Others and refused to trust them or accept their help. After receiving a tape from Carol, Manousos became determined to seek out another survivor like himself and embarked on a huge road trip from Paraguay to the USA in Episode 7.
Manousos took the trip solo and entirely by car, refusing the help of the Others who tried to offer him gasoline and supplies, or even to fly him directly to Carol. While Manousos declined them, the Others told him he needed only to wave at the sky if he wanted their assistance.
The determined Paraguayan made it all the way to the Darién Gap in Panama, until he reached an obstacle that broke his stride: a spine-filled chunga palm.
Are Pluribus' Chunga Palm Tree Spikes Real?
Manousos' venture into the Darién Gap is perilous, which the Others attempt to warn him about before he proceeds. As Manousos reaches as far as he can go on the trail with his car, he's forced to continue on foot, but is stopped by a group of Others who tell him the hot climate and deadly jungle will very likely kill him.
The Others also warn him about the chunga palms, a real-life palm species native to Central and South America, that is covered in spines and could result in a "fatal infection":
Others: "Then there are the chunga palms. The spines can grow up to 20 centimetres long, and they're covered in bacteria. Even the smallest cut could lead to a fatal infection."
Manousos still refuses to listen to the Others (who have been proven to have some questionable practices) and presses forward into the jungle. It isn't long until the Others' warning comes to pass, as Manousos soon encounters the spiky chunga palms. He does his best to avoid them until he trips and falls backward right onto the spiky bed of a chunga palm tree.
As the Others warned, the real-life chunga palm does possess spines of up to 20 centimetres long, which help to protect the fruit that grows further up the trunk of the tree. As Manousos falls directly onto the outstretched spikes of the chunga palm, the damage he receives is significant.
The Chunga Palm Puts a Spike in Manousos’ Plans
Even after being wounded by the chunga palm, Manousos refuses to call on the Others for help. Instead, he uses the heated blade of his machete to cauterize the wounds.
The following day, Manousos tries to continue his journey, but he is significantly weakened and struggles. This could be due to several factors, such as heat, dehydration, and the pain of his wounds, but it seems likely that the Others' warning about the bacteria coating the chunga palms' spines has come to pass, and he is struck down with an infection from the spikes.
Manousos eventually passes out on the jungle floor and, in a daze, notices a helicopter above him. In his delirious state, Manousos raises his arm to the helicopter, essentially waving at the sky, which signals the Others to come and rescue him.
While the Others will no doubt save Manousos' life, the infection he received from the chunga palm was a massive spike in the road for the character, as he was forced to seek help from the hive mind that he was so adamantly against. Now, it's unclear where audiences will find Manousos when Episode 8 of Pluribus picks up, but it seems likely he and Carol Sturka are on a collision course to meet before the series ends.
