Pluribus gets even more lonely — and dangerous — in episode 5 | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Pluribus gets even more lonely — and dangerous — in episode 5Comments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingPluribus gets even more lonely — and dangerous — in episode 5Another spoiler-filled discussion of Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV series.Another spoiler-filled discussion of Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV series.by Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterNov 27, 2025, 1:00 PM UTCLinkShareImage: AppleAndrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.After the last two episodes of Pluribus — in which Carol (Rhea Seehorn) was involved with an exploding hand grenade and an ill-advised truth serum — I couldn’t help but wonder just how long the hive mind would tolerate her destructive ways. Well, here we are in episode 5, and I have an answer. “We just need a little space,” the hive tells her over a recorded message.Welcome to our weekly Verge-subscriber discussion of Pluribus, the new sci-fi series on Apple TV from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. The show follows Carol as one of the few “survivors” on Earth after a virus of unknown origins turns the rest of the world into a connected hive mind, one seemingly unable to handle any negative emotions. This creates a huge conflict with Carol who is a pretty miserable human being. Each week, I present a handful of questions from the latest episode to get things started, so feel free to chime away in the comments with your own thoughts, theories, and questions. Obviously, spoilers follow for the first five episodes of Pluribus.RelatedPluribus’ Vince Gilligan on making shows that ‘attract really smart viewers’Pluribus: all the latest on Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV seriesThere are two major developments in this episode, dubbed “Got Milk.” The first is that the hive has finally become sick and tired of Carol. Her exploits and outbursts have caused a whole lot of pain and death among the hive, and so when Carol takes a nap in a hospital, they all silently abandon the city of Albuquerque. Carol is on her own, though she can still talk with the hive, albeit indirectly. She’s able to leave them phone messages so they can deliver her things and take out her trash, which they do via drone in order to avoid further conflict. It’s a passive-aggressive form of avoidance, which seems to be all the hive are capable of, given their aversion to causing direct harm.The other big thing that happened is related to Carol’s continued research into the hive. She discovered that they get their sustenance from a strange yellow liquid, and some sleuthing leads her first to a dairy plant, and later to a dog food factory. In the episode’s very last moment she sees… something in a refrigerated storage room that completely freaks her out.Image: AppleWhat are the hive drinking?The most obvious question this week is just what the hell did Carol see? It obviously disturbed her, so it must be something gross. But it’s not exactly obvious what could be hidden under that tarp, especially when you consider that we already know the hive are incapable of killing or causing harm of any kind. It’s certainly an effective cliffhanger.Are the hive and Carol just on a break?By separating themselves from Carol, the hive are doing what they need to for continued survival. But they can’t fully stay away; part of their biological imperative is also to keep her happy. So seeing the hive tiptoe around that balance should be pretty fun to watch play out. Maybe the hive are simply planning to keep their distance until they can figure out how to “cure” Carol and bring her into their fold. Also interesting: Carol is now able to weaponize her bad moods, and use them as a threat to get what she wants.What other dangers will Carol face on her own?There may be no crime or murder in this new version of Earth, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t dangers for Carol. Seemingly as soon as the hive moved out of town, a pack of wolves moved in, and they instantly targeted the grave Carol dug in her backyard. It’s an incredibly frightening situation. She’s already completely isolated, and now she has to worry about fending off dangerous predators. I have to imagine that’s just the start, and other perils I haven’t even thought about will start to appear now that she’s rolling solo.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterAppleCloseApplePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AppleEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechTV ShowsCloseTV ShowsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TV ShowsMore in: Pluribus: all the latest on Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV seriesA nice little Thanksgiving treat.Andrew WebsterNov 24Carol seeks the truth (serum) in Pluribus episode 4Andrew WebsterNov 22Pluribus’ third episode throws a bomb into thingsAndrew WebsterNov 15Most PopularMost PopularWyze’s new security camera watches your yard from inside your homeYou can play classic Nintendo games on these custom SNES-inspired Nike sneakersI’m officially done with YouTube KidsYou’re buying a Frame TV? 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In episode 5 of *Pluribus*, Vince Gilligan continues to meticulously craft a disquieting and increasingly lonely narrative centered around Carol’s struggle within the hive mind. The episode largely pivots on the hive’s escalating frustration with Carol’s destructive behavior and her subsequent isolation as they abandon Albuquerque, leaving her completely alone. This separation, however, does not stifle the hive’s continued connection to her, allowing them to deliver her belongings and handle her trash via a discreet drone. This passive-aggressive arrangement highlights the core conflict: Carol’s ingrained negativity and desire for control are actively being resisted by a collective that seeks only to avoid causing harm.

A significant development is revealed through Carol’s research. She discovers that the hive sustains itself through a strange, yellow liquid, leading her to investigate dairy plants and subsequently dog food factories. The episode culminates in a terrifying and deliberately ambiguous moment—Carol’s glimpse into a refrigerated storage room—a detail that immediately unsettles her. This emphasizes the fundamentally unsettling nature of the hive and hints at a dark, potentially horrifying, source of sustenance.

The episode cleverly employs isolation to amplify the tension. Immediately following the hive’s departure, a pack of wolves descends upon Carol’s backyard, digging up the grave she’d recently excavated. This sudden, primal threat underscores her vulnerability and further heightens the sense of peril. Carol is now completely cut off, facing not only the passive resistance of the hive but also the raw, untamed dangers of a world irrevocably altered by the virus.

Notably, the episode demonstrates a shift in Carol’s capabilities. Having become accustomed to her bad moods, she begins to weaponize them, using her frustration as a tool to manipulate the hive for her own benefit. This illustrates a potential evolution for Carol, moving from a simple survivor to an actively scheming player within the new order – an evolution explored through the meticulous lens of Vince Gilligan’s storytelling. The episode's focus on unsettling details and ambiguous imagery—particularly that final, chilling glimpse—suggests that the true horrors of *Pluribus* lie not in overt violence, but in the slow, insidious corruption and the profound, inescapable loneliness at its heart.