Transcription
In the considerable amount of time I've spent on planet Earth, I've never once invited the Golden Girls into my home. Please make no mistake. That is not to say that I've never seen an episode of the show. In fact, I've likely absorbed the entire series through the inescapable forces of cultural osmosis and syndicated reruns. I just never watched it on purpose.
There's a scene in episode 3 of Plurbus' first season where Zosa shows up at Carol's front door and when she's about to knock, you can hear the theme song blaring through the door. And I thought to myself, "Oh, that brings back some memories. Does it? I guess so." And that's just how TV used to work. It was always on in the background and things like this work their way into your mind. I suppose it's to say it wouldn't be my choice, but I get why Carol is binging this. A comfort show can act like a necessary salve when you hit a low point. And watching the selected clips, especially because they all feature Betty White's character, Rose, honestly reminds me of how genuinely funny The Golden Girls is.
But there is a fundamental difference between the memories we turn to for a moment of easy nostalgia and the ones we hold on to because they make up the substance of who we are. Those are things that maybe one or two other people know about and take on a different meaning when you lose someone you shared them with. In Pluribabus, the global hive mind or the others, which is what the cast and crew call them on the official podcast, has access to these vulnerable pieces of Carol's identity. A terrifying, unfathomable violation. It's not like they just reviewed a bullet point summary. They've experienced these intimate unedited moments through her deceased wife, Helen.
Episode 3 opens with one of these, and right from the start, it feels different, and it is. Grenade is the first episode of the series that's written and directed by someone other than Vince Gilligan. Gordon Smith, who worked his way up from assistant on Breaking Bad to writer, director, and producer on Better Call Saul, takes over both roles. He wrote some of Saul's classic episodes like Chicanannery and Bagman, episodes widely considered two of the series best. He made his directorial debut in season 5 before writing and directing the conclusion to Nacho's story in the final season. That episode opened with a shot of a blue flower growing in the desert. And while he sticks with the color, there's no desert to be found in episode 103.
We learned that the cold open occurs 2,617 days, 10 hours, 30 minutes, and 39 seconds before the joining. That's the number displayed on the countdown clock, which we know is counting down to the events of episode 1. That number represents just over 7 years. And while I'm not sure what that means in terms of which Winds of Wikaro novel was just released, I am sure that the open is cold because they're on vacation at a crazy ice hotel in Norway. This stunning isolated location, the kind of beautiful once-in-a-lifetime setting reserved for life's most defining and now completely utterly exposed moments makes for what feels like the right way to open the episode. Apparently, there are quite a few of these hotels, and it's quite invigorating once you get used to it.
Nicole doesn't appear to be stimulating Carol's nerves or making her feel a primal connection to the world. Helen is doing a much better job of achieving the like the yolk and the egg experience. You know, tucked away in this particular shell, feeling cozy. And while this scene doesn't tell us that much that we didn't already know, it is nice to get a glimpse of what their life was like before the world got turned on its head. It reinforces the tagline's declaration that Carol's the most miserable person on Earth. I mean, the idea that you could travel this great distance to be at this exquisitely crafted location with the planet's greatest light show overhead and not feel overwhelmed with joy is relatable in a way, as is not being able to be present in the moment with this amazing person who has chosen to share their life with you because you're thinking about where your latest book landed on the bestsellers list. I just don't think Carol's reaction is winning anyone over here. What's more, the person who knows her best and still loves her points out that it's actually the perfect place to be because she loves feeling bad. The Northern Lights look like a screen saver. Come on.
When the show was announced and they referred to the character as a Kromagin, it was kind of hard to imagine that wasn't an exaggeration knowing it was Ray Seahhorn. But when Carol complains about the bed being a block of ice repeatedly and says sitting on it makes her want to pee. Yeah, Carol is basically a grumpy old man. When we transition back to the present, we find her on the flight back from Spain. She still chooses to sit as far away from everyone as she can and isn't impressed that they replaced the TGIF's gal with actual pilots. It's hilarious that they answer her questions about them in real time through the PA system. And this conspicuous change based on an off-hand comment she made in episode two is the first clear indication of where the episode is heading.
Episode 2's conclusion suggested a possible thaw in Carol's attitude towards Zosa. The one person on earth she should be drawn to because she resembles Carol's dream pirate. Yet their dynamic remains frosty. Even if it's a few degrees warmer than before, like in the rooms at the ice hotel, it's hovering below zero. As Carol goes back and forth with the woman she should find irresistibly attractive, we discover a new telling detail. On top of her heavy drinking, Carol is also taking quite a bit of Xanax. While she is justifiably still mourning, this addition reinforces the extent of her internal struggle. And even though she shouldn't have to operate any heavy machinery, an impressive intake of drugs and booze isn't generally a recipe for problem solving.
After striking out with the English speakers, Carol shifts her focus to the rest of the world's immune population. They prove to be a comically diverse, interesting mix. Yet, none of the experts Carol desperately sought to reverse what's happening, they're just a bunch of normal people. In last week's live stream, we discussed this idea of growing up with the feeling that no matter how crazy things get, you had the sense that the adults in the room would eventually step up when it mattered to save the day. the idea that the institutions that keep everything going must have some people with access to power who will do the right thing when they have to. Carol is reckoning with the idea that in her reality, not so much. And frankly, over the years, it started to feel similar in our reality, but that's a whole different story. No one is coming to save Carol. And we can guess that it'll ultimately lead to her having to be the one to step up for herself and humanity.
As far as the other immune, the only one who seems remotely promising is Manus from Paraguay, who managed to stay off the other's radar for 33 hours after the joining. This detail stood out when it was introduced in episode 2, and it led to a theory I've seen repeated quite often in between episodes. The idea is that Carol's outburst led to Manus being released from the hive. Basically, the reason they didn't know about him was that he was newly immune after one of her big outbursts. It's an interesting thought, even if it doesn't quite add up without them lying directly about the situation, but I think the way things play out in this episode makes it less likely. The Paraguay lead quickly dead ends when Carol calls the mysterious immune man, who refuses to speak to her or anyone else. He's obviously been put off by the Hive's previous attempts to connect, and Carol's calls devolve into them cursing each other out in Spanish. I was wondering when she said she would manage without a translator, and I guess at least as far as telling someone to f off, she's got some Spanish. My favorite part of this was that she insisted on making a final call to do just that. And how unhinged she got with each subsequent call. As maybe the last sane representative of humanity, she's got some great diplomatic skills.
Unsurprisingly, her frustration boils over to the point that she has to retreat to the plane's bathroom because, you know, if she has another outburst, the others might glitch and crash the flight. Back home, the Hive agrees to leave her in peace and delivers her accumulated mail. They know there's a package from Helena and make a point of telling Carol they're sure she'll love it. This final intrusive act of knowing her wife's private communications is the last straw. When Carol sees the percussion massager, it triggers her memory of seeing one on tour in the Atlanta airport. She'd been stressed out and liked it, but thought it was too expensive. So Helen bought one and sent it to their home so she'd get a surprise when she returned. Once Zosa retells this memory to Carol over the phone, she tries to draw the line and tells them they have to forget Helen. Her memories are off limits. Carol is the only one who gets to remember her.
Because it's becoming increasingly difficult to find things to like about Carol, I should mention that this exchange lands exactly as intended. She might not be the most likable lead by design, but her situation is entirely sympathetic. Boundary setting is something you can try to do with people. With a global hive mind, h it proves futile as she retreats back to her Golden Girls binge. She's kneedeep in comfort TV as she refuses to eat an amazing looking breakfast they drop off at her front door. Gordon Smith pulls out some nifty looking visual flourishes throughout the episode and I think the one of Carol's reflection in the metal serving dish lid which has a name and it's a cloch is the one that stands out the most.
After retiring the offering to her garbage bin, Carol heads to her local sprouts market only to find it completely cleared out. I enjoyed the contrast on display here. In most post-apocalyptic scenarios, this place would have been hollowed out by the mad rush to grab any remaining nutrients people could get their hands on. This market isn't just empty. It's probably cleaner than it's ever been. I'll admit that coming into this scene, I started to worry about some of the challenges I think the show has presented for itself with its fun, but well, challenging premise. This episode is short and we were nearing the halfway point without a lot actually happening. But when she calls to complain and the others explain that they cleared it out in an effort to consolidate resources, things turn around quickly as they hilariously and immediately restock the store. This sequence recaptures the sense of scale and the considerable resources the creators and crew have at their disposal, which were on full display in the premiere. It warmed my little sci-fi loving heart and delivered enough fun that I didn't really care that I already knew this was something the others were capable of. There's also this idea that she wants to shop because she sees herself as independent and doesn't want anyone to wait on her, but her request requires an incredible mobilization effort to make it happen. I thought this was a smart way to highlight this sort of privileged line of thinking from someone who's used to getting what she wants, but also has to justify bending people to her wishes. It's not my fault. I've just always had this independence streak.
Later, as she's recommencing her binge, her lights go out. When she calls again, which I should mention, these calls start to feel more and more like someone calling to complain to the manager as the episode goes on. The others apologize, saying they accidentally turned off her lights, quickly remedied the situation, and that they're turning off the rest to conserve energy. This is another detail that stands out and works with their precision and efficiency. It makes you wonder, considering the way they work together, is there anything they can't do? There's at least one thing that comes up later, so hold that thought until we get back to it. When they ask if there's anything they can do to cheer her up, which, okay, good luck with that. That's another thing to add to the list. But when they ask if there's anything they can do, Carol sarcastically says there's nothing wrong with her that a hand grenade couldn't fix. That off-handed thought sets things in motion for a dramatic turn before the episode's climax.
Carol pops another Xanax, starts drinking vodka, watches more Golden Girls like you would, and then Zosa eventually shows up with an actual hand grenade. Based on her reaction, Zosa feels pretty sure the request was sarcastic, but since they're both there, Carol invites her in to have a drink. A note from last week's official podcast added context to how the actors portray being a member of the Hide while still presenting as an individual. There's really some mind going on, which to Carol's credit, she enjoys calling out. After Zosa kind of cutely fires off a bunch of fun vodka facts, like an actual person having their first real bonding experience over an alcoholic beverage, things turn serious. Carol wants to know how long it'll be before they can reverse her immunity to assimilate her into the hive. It's a fair question, especially now that we've seen what they're capable of if they put their mind to something. I don't know exactly how many people are left, but something like 7 billion. That's a big mind. Zos maintains the time frame is hard to predict since scientific advances tend to eb and flow. They're working around the clock so that it could be as soon as a couple of weeks or it could take months or longer. From Carol's perspective, it's an inevitability and Zosa confirms they have a biological imperative to bring everyone into the fold.
This idea starts Carol on a rant about how none of it makes sense. On the one hand, they say they want her to be happy, that her life is her own, and give her all this agency, but it's just something she has until they can make it so that she doesn't. Zosa compares what they're trying to do to throwing a life preserver to someone who's drowning. Carol takes offense at the idea, but I hate to break it to her. They've got a point, and I guess that means Zosa's right when she says she just doesn't know it. I'm not necessarily saying what she needs is to become a member of the hive mind, but she's clearly got some issues.
When Carol tries to turn the conversation around and describes what she thinks it must be like to be in the hive mind, she ends up comparing it to every Rick Steve special ever. This is something that came up in the flashback with Helen, and I wasn't familiar with the name, but it turns out he's an extremely popular travel writer who I suppose has been on PBS for a long time. The connection back to Helen is obviously crucial. As she's describing all these different dream scenarios, she realizes at the same time we realize that she's describing trips she took with Helen. When she mentions being north of the Arctic Circle, Zosa devastatingly finishes her thought saying in an ice hotel bundled up under furs. It's absolutely brutal and there's so much going on in this scene and in the performances. This is the first of two times they give Ray Seahhorn a major nonverbal realization to convey to the audience in the episode. They hand her this in the closing scene, then have her show us what's going on without saying a word. She pulls it off and Zosa's referencing the private intimate time Carol spent with Helen in Norway sets her off. She erupts, reminding Zosa that Helen's memories are supposed to be off limits. She picks up the grenade, which in her mind has to be fake. She struggles with it, pulls the pin, and Zosa steps in to save the day, throwing the grenade out the window before shielding Carol from the blast, sacrificing herself and sustaining severe injuries in the process. And damn it, Carol, that unicorn lightning truck was one of a kind. RIP.
At the hospital, a member of the hive, dressed as a DHL employee, no less, talks to Carol with the perfect reassuring bedside manner of a doctor. Fans of another show I cover, For All Mankind, will recognize the actor Robert Bailey Jr. from his great work on the show after his introduction in the third season. I'm not sure if this is the only time we'll see his pluribus character, but if it is, he really knocks it out of the park here. Like Ray from the outside of the Hive perspective and Zosa on the inside, he does so much with his face while he's or I guess they're processing this conversation. He explains Zosa's injuries, which include a concussion, and says she'll recover. Carol uses the opportunity to press him on why they'd give her a real grenade, and is somewhat surprised that he enthusiastically says that they do it again. She takes the ball and runs with it, escalating her request for hypothetical weapons like a bazooka and a tank before getting to an atom bomb. He's on board the whole way until they get there. The request for a nuke obviously creates some dissonance or disagreement if that's a thing that can happen in a hive. It's not clear at this point because we don't yet know enough about how everything works. Their bottom line is that they're clearly uncomfortable with the request, but they never say no. When she continues to push, they ultimately say yes, and Carol realizes what turns out to be the big development in this episode. The hive won't and maybe can't say no to her. She can literally get anything she wants.
While we as viewers had already pretty much deduced this from Diabate's situation, it took Carol a little bit longer to catch up given her overwhelming circumstances and possibly her intake of vodka and Xanax. One of the things that worked so well about the premiere was how we were in sync with Carol and we're learning everything at the same time she did. I missed that here, but I still like the way this ended. And there's something to be said for all of these episodes feeling unique. And as I mentioned before, you can see the wheels turning in Carol's head while she's sitting in the hospital lobby. I'm really curious as to what she'll do with this new information. We also have the Manus mystery to look forward to. And we've seen the character in the trailers and promo materials, which makes me think he'll play a significant role. After watching the episode a second time, I started to wonder whether they're being dicks to each other will turn out to bring them together since everyone else in the story is trying to shower them with kindness. Plus, we also have this theft of something unconditionally personal. As a human being, you have this stuff that gets stuck in your head and lives inside there. You have the things you like that you turn to to give you comfort. And you have the things that by all rights should only belong to you. and in Carol's case, the one person that she loved and lost. The Hive has access to it all, and Carol now realizes they'll never say no to any of her requests, including but not limited to an atomic bomb. That's pretty spicy, and I think that's a great place to leave things. Please like this video if you enjoyed it. Please subscribe to my channel if you haven't already, and thanks for watching. and I'll talk to you.