My Cultural Diet

After an unusual alien invasion converts the vast majority of humanity into a hive mind, Earth is now at peace with everyone living in a perpetual state of bliss. Everyone, that is, except for a handful of survivors that includes romantasy author Carol Sturka, who might just be the most miserable person alive. Will she successfully resist the hive mind and return humanity back to the way it was, or will all of the shiny happy people wear her down? Make no mistake, Pluribus’s premise is fascinating and creator Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) poses some interesting questions. What value does individuality have in a world where the alternative means peace, contentedness, and perfect understanding? Is it worth saving your identity if that means forever being alone? Also, there’s no denying that Pluribus looks fantastic, with gorgeously framed and lensed scenes galore. (Don’t be surprised if you feel an urge to move to Albuquerque while you’re watching it.) So why the “meh” rating? Put simply, I never found Carol Sturka to be a particularly compelling protagonist. I agree with Jason Kottke when he writes, “I like plenty of shows with unlikable protagonists… but I often can’t get past stubborn & incurious ones — it just seems fake to me and breaks my willing suspension of disbelief.” She got a little better near the season’s end, but even then, she remained just this side of insufferable.

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