Copyright Inverse
Vince Gilligan’s new sci-fi series, Pluribus, is tackling an very old sci-fi premise, but with a decidedly realistic spin. If everyone in the world were suddenly part of a hive mind, and you weren’t, how would that make you feel? In the series, cynical but likable romantasy author Carol (Rhea Seehorn) can’t believe that this mysterious shared consciousness is real, much less ethical. What makes all of this work is, of course, Gilligan’s clever and grounded writing, paired with Seehorn’s unique talents. But, there’s another wrinkle to Pluribus’s hive mind, one that is a bit less common among this kind of sci-fi trope. Mild spoilers ahead. In short: The hive mind is extremely blissful and happy. This is the defining feature of Pluribus, and sets it apart from a zombie-ish hivemind or an alien replacement hive mind like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. There’s not a robotic shared voice coming from the newly telepathically linked human race. Instead, there’s a blissful, calm persona. A Star Trek analogy feels right here, but what’s interesting is that Pluribus comes across less like the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and more like an underrated Star Trek: The Original Series classic, “The Return of Archons.” As a late-in-the-game Season 1 TOS episode, “The Return of the Archons” is mostly famous for inventing the first instance of Star Trek’s famous “Prime Directive.” But that’s not really what makes it interesting. Instead, it presents a unified culture, controlled by a massively powerful computer that appears as a kind of god called Landru. Citizens who are part of this ad-hoc hive mind approach other folks and ask gently, “Are you of the body?” The “body” they’re referring to is a shared consciousness, one that projects utter contentment and bliss. In fact, one of the most memorable aspects of this episode is the fact that several Enterprise crew members become part of the “body,” including Sulu, at the very start of the episode. Is this exactly like Pluribus? No, but the warm feelings from the hive mind are similar. In “Return of the Archons,” the shared peaceful existence has a dark downside, a moment called “The Red Hour,” in which everyone goes totally berserk. Is Pluribus hiding some sinister secret like this? Other than the obvious loss of free will, what is the downside to the cheerful hive mind Carol is fighting against? One thing that Pluribus seems to have nailed, and could be inspired by “Return of the Archons,” is the idea that an all-consuming, all-seeing hive mind race is terrifying on paper. But what really makes it get under your skin isn’t the fact that this combined intelligence controls everything. What’s scary is that they’re all so nice about it. Pluribus streams on Apple TV. Star Trek: The Original Series streams on Paramount+.
