Pluribus Episode 8 included some key information about the Others that may reveal how to undo the effects of the alien virus. The Apple TV+ series starring Rhea Seehorn is a slow-burn sci-fi mystery, following life on Earth after an invisible epidemic turns all humans on Earth into a united, happy hive mind. The mission of Seehorn's Carol Sturka, who was one of the few unaffected by the virus, has been to find a way to undo the event known as "the Joining".
Carol, who was a prolific author before the Joining, has steadily been uncovering clues about the Others, such as a dark secret about their food consumption, which was revealed earlier in Pluribus' season. In Episode 8, Carol made some breakthroughs that have Pluribus fans thinking there may be an obvious way to reverse the Joining.
Pluribus, created by Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan, began streaming on Apple TV+ on November 7, 2025. The series stars Seehorn as Carol, Karolina Wydra as Zosia, and Carlos-Manuel Vesga as Manousos. The Season 1 finale of Pluribus will be released on December 24.
Pluribus Episode 8 Contains Key Clues About the Hive Mind
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Pluribus Episode 8.
Episode 8 of Pluribus, titled "Charm Offensive", saw the Others return to Albuquerque after their self-imposed exile of Carol. After being struck with loneliness, Carol welcomed the Others back and adopted a different tactic to learn more about them.
Where in previous episodes Carol had been angry and demanding in trying to get answers about the Others and reversing the Joining (even resorting to poisoning Zosia with truth serum), in Episode 8 of Pluribus, Carol took some time to be nice to them and get to know them better.
After forming a bond with Zosia, which the hive sent to Carol because they believed she would be the most appealing companion, Carol made some seemingly legitimate breakthroughs. During their interactions, Carol asked Zosia to use "I" and "me" instead of the "we/us" pronouns of the hive mind:
Zosia: "We’ll have one if it pleases you."
Carol: " 'We.' 'We think.' 'We want.' Would it kill you to say 'I'? Would it?"
Zosia: "Of course not. We… I… find it odd, semantically, but, of course, she could… We..."
Carol: "Wow. All the brains in the world, and you can’t navigate a f**king pronoun."
This moment of struggle with Zosia's pronouns reveals a weakness in the hive mind, as it appears to be unable to comprehend individuality. As the episode continues, Carol continues to ask Zosia things about herself, demanding answers from Zosia as an individual rather than the hive mind. This results in Zosia confessing things about her past self, like her love for mango ice cream and her upbringing in Gdańsk.
It's in some of these moments that glimpses of Zosia's personality appear to break through, hinting that there may be a way to break the hive mind's control.
Another telling moment is that Zosia slips into an unresponsive state shortly after recounting her memories to Carol. When she re-emerges, it's with news that Carol will be getting a visitor (which is likely Manousos, who has been making his way across continents to reach her). This is information she could only have received from the hive, and her quick change back to her Others-like self seems to have been a result of the hive mind reaching out to reclaim her.
Can Individuality Set the World Free in Pluribus?
Following the premiere of Episode 8, Pluribus fans have been flooding the internet with theories based on the episode's reveals.
While the Others confirmed that the Joining is not permanent, the key to unplugging someone from the hive mind has never been made clear. However, Carol's interactions with Zosia in Episode 8 may have provided the answer.
A common theory among Pluribus sleuths is that Zosia's personality changes in Episode 8, which resulted from Carol's prompting, were evidence of her regaining individuality and may have been a step toward disentangling her from the hive. While Zosia was still very much one of the Others by the end of Episode 8, her small moments of individuality are a hint that it may be possible to remove someone from the hive.
Carol has yet to figure out how to break Zosia free fully, but this definitely seems like a strong tactic for her going forward. If she's successful, and can find a way to replicate her method at on a worldwide scale, it could be the key to returning humanity back to its original state.
