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Pluribus Episode 6: HDP

See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here

Episode 5 cliffhanger revealed: Carol turned vlogger and documented the frozen, shrink-wrapped body parts that fuel the Others' Human-Derived Protein drink. The cannibalism is explained by the body, mouth, but not the brain, of John Cena.

Diabaté returns in a glorious scene. He informs Carol that she is not in the private chat.

Motivated by Carol’s video, Manousos in Paraguay sets off to find her, but runs into “Mom.”

Gilligan served the obvious while shrugging it off. No narrative-changing reveals, just practical explanations of the Hive’s moral code. He provides plot answers, leaving us with bigger philosophical questions.

Watch it.

pluribus

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Stranger Things Season 5, Part 1 Netflix

The Stranger Things franchise is a hot mess. Bloated, convoluted plot, a chorus of characters to track, and the stars are now adults playing teens. But by the fourth episode of Part 1, I was back in.

The epic Boss Battle of Part 1 is the best action sequence I’ve watched all year. The Sorcerer twist was a solid payoff of nine years of loyalty and character development.

The show is a crockpot stew of nerd nostalgia, 80s revivalism, and theme-park thrills. That flavor remains even as the show expands, both in the story and its megawatt popularity.

Finish it

Part 1

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Pluribus Episode 5: Got Milk

See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here

Being yourself is lonely. After Carol's interrogation of Zosia backfired, making the whole world hive-mind cry, the Others are giving her the silent treatment. They convoy out of Albuquerque and rely solely on recorded updates and drone interactions. Her only social outlet is video messages to the other twelve soloists. 

Sparked by moments of action and levity with her co-opted police car, Carol's solitude, with help from a pack of canines, lets her grieve Helen.

Carol becomes Agatha Christie as a series of clues eventually leads to an abandoned dog food factory and a classic episodic TV cliffhanger.

Watch it.

Milk

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Pluribus Episode 4: Please Carol

See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here

Carol can’t help herself as she amps up her war on the Uni-Consciousness. Fun with chemistry turns disastrous as she concocts new ways to hurt Zosia et al.

Watching television crafted by Vince Gilligan is like being in the hands of an artisan who makes beautiful things. As much as the Big Ideas of Pluribus are a philosophy class, the small moments like Carol setting up her camera (has a memory card ever been so cinematic?) or the Paraguayan’s existence in his bunker, communicate vividly.

Some might view Pluribus as a bold defense of individualism; I am not so sure.

Rhea Seehorn as Carol in Pluribus Season 1, Episode 4, “Please, Carol.” Photo credit: AppleTV

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Pluribus, Episode 3: Grenade

See review of the first two episodes here

In the aftermath of almost 100% of humanity entering the singularity, our cranky protagonist, Carol, is refusing to deal. But when even a grocery run to Sprouts typifies the emptiness of having every need met, avoidance is futile.

Gilligan humanizes AI slop through Carol's keeper, Zosia. She is a hive mind Amelia Bedelia, glitches at emotion, and one sip of vodka is enough to chat out random Wikipedia entries.

By Grenade's end, Carol understands the crowd-sourced charm offensive she's experiencing and the power both she and they hold. Carol now enters a race to protect her individualism.

Keep watching it.

Grenade

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The Eternaut, Netflix (2025)

Prepare for a dark, dystopian acid trip of a show, mashing up sci-fi allegories and wink-wink nods to a universe of science fiction stories. Based on the Argentinian comic El Eternauta, which debuted in 1957, it was deemed so subversive by the Argentine military leadership that the author, Héctor Germán Oesterheld, and four of his daughters “disappeared.” 

The series updates the plot to modern times. The anti-authoritarian rhetoric with a scrappy resistance is as relevant now as it was throughout the twentieth century. 

Covertly, also a celebration of middle-aged wisdom and long friendships, adding to the emotional weight. Binge it.

Eternaut

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Pluribus: First Two Episodes Apple TV

They avoided me, I avoided them. The hype cycles, that is. I knew diddly-squat about this show other than showrunner Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad/X-Files) and lead actor Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul). 

If you entered unspoiled, I love that for us! Instant canon for prestige TV debut episodes. Hit me like the Lost, Mr. Robot, or Mad Men premieres did. 

Gilligan is a craft master. Seehorn holds the pluralities of the lead into a singular force. Mystery boxes are quickly discarded, and these episodes establish a hub of infinite possibilities. 

I held my breath through these two. Watch It.

Pluribus

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Slow Horses Season 5 2025 Apple TV

Key Step: Use disruptive incidents, such as bombings and mass shootings, to create chaos and attract media attention. This and similar MI5 Country Destabilizations are played back to the British Empire by Libyan Freedom Fighters. 

The Park needs Slough House to bumble their way to saving England. Pepper in Mundane White Man syndrome, Hoe stuck in a honeypot, and spy-craft. 

Most fun season since debut. Lamb is at his meanest, funniest, and most vulnerable. Coe establishes himself as the third-best member of Slough House. 

Watch it.

Jackson Lamb's feet

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