A new theory suggests that Carol may actually be to blame for Helen's death in the Pluribus pilot. Pluribus Episode 1 had a lot to tackle. The first chapter in Vince Gilligan's chilling sci-fi-infused Apple TV series had the tall task of convincingly introducing audiences to its characters, world, and (of course) the central alien virus that leaves Earth's population feeling nothing but joy.
However, one of the episode's most vital missions was getting viewers to buy into the plight of Rhea Seehorn's curmudgeonly fantasy author, Carol. Carol becomes the central avatar through which the series presents its X-Files-esque story, as she is one of the few members of humanity not to be infected with the show's joy-inducing virus. Her story gets off to a rocky start, as Gilligan and his creative team kill her romantic partner, Helen, just as the story is getting rolling.
One of the key symptoms of the Pluribus virus is that it causes those afflicted with it to undergo a short, almost bodily reboot. This means that as it hits the immune system, it shuts the body down for a brief moment, no matter what the person was doing or where they are.
This causes all sorts of chaos in the sci-fi series' opening episode as planes crash, cities burn, and (for a fleeting moment) humanity ceases to exist. However, this hits close to home for Carol, as she watches Helen outside an Albuquerque collapse become infected and crumple to the concrete. This fall would eventually lead Helen to her outright death.
It is not made explicitly clear how Helen dies, though. Was it the virus? Was it the fall? Or (as a new theory surrounding the show suggests) was it all Carol's fault?
Pluribus continues with new episodes dropping every Friday on Apple TV (aside from an exciting change for Thanksgiving). The new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan follows Rhea Seehorn's Carol, a 'just trying to get by' New Mexico woman, as she awakens to a world infected with a globe-spanning virus that causes the body to feel nothing but joy.
How Carol May Have Accidentally Killed Helen in Pluribus
When Helen falls to the ground in Pluribus Episode 1, she immediately loses consciousness as the show's alien virus takers hold her body. However, while others infected pop back to life after a short bodily reset, Helen does not.
Some speculated that this could actually be due to actions taken by Seehorn's character, Carol, and not related to the virus itself. When Helen's time comes, and her body completely shuts down, she falls headfirst straight onto the concrete.
While some had thought the head trauma incurred from the fall could have been responsible for the character's death, that may not be the case.
A large contingent of the Pluribus fan base has speculated that Helen's fall is not high enough to have killed her right there and then. Instead, it would have likely just caused significant head trauma.
Judging from Helen's shaking on the ground, as everyone else hit with the Pluribus virus (read more about the Pluribus virus here), one can assume she was still alive after hitting the ground.
Instead, it may be Carol's reaction to her partner's collapse that ultimately leads to the character's demise. Carol is not right next to Helen when the virus hits her. Instead, she is standing kitty-corner to her after seeing someone else get hit by the virus and crash his mid-00s pickup.
Seeing Helen hit the pavement, Carol rushes over in a panic. Unsure whether Helen is alive or dead, Carol's plan of action is to get Helen into the car to take her to the hospital. That is her first mistake.
It is common knowledge that someone suffering from head trauma should not be moved, especially in the violent manner in which Carol moves Helen.
Because she cannot just pick Helen off the ground, she slips her onto a nearby sandwich board and slips her into the back of the red truck she was trying to help the driver of. It is here that Helen is likely to die.
According to standard medical practices, it is vital that someone with the head trauma of a person like Helen not be moved unless necessary. This is mainly because trauma to the skull can shift vertebrae. Moving the victim can cause further shifting of these vertebrae, potentially pinching a nerve and causing more permanent damage like paralysis, or (in Helen's case) death.
A hit to the head like the one Helen sustains also has the potential to fracture the skull, potentially leading to internal bleeding of the head. If that were the case, then moving her body could have caused hemorrhaging of the brain, which, if not promptly treated, can be fatal.
So, had Carol just left Helen there on the ground for a few more minutes, she would have likely woken up, albeit as a part of the virus' happy-go-lucky hivemind. Instead, Helen dies, as Carol panics, not knowing what to do after she cannot get in touch with 911.
