PLUR1BUS

PLUR1BUS ~ Apple TV

Scientists discover a signal coming from 600 light years away, and set to trying to figure out what the heck it might mean. Eventually they figure it out, to disastrous/wonderful results (depending upon your perspective). Almost a billion people die right away (horrible by all accounts), but the billions that are left are full of joy and peace, and a collective mind. Everyone on Earth has the memories and skills of everyone else. Everyone can work as an airplane pilot, a brain surgeon, an author, a bartender, whatever. Except Carol and 11 other people, who are for some reason different and have retained their individuality and autonomy.

Carol is in deep mourning for her wife, who was one of the almost 1B who died right away when the collective mind took over. Her wife was ever so briefly part of the hive mind, and they use her memories to try to connect with Carol, but Carol wants none of it. Carol wants to maintain her separate mind and self. The others individuals that she has met, they want to be part of the collective, to join their families and friends. The collective wants nothing more than to make Carol and those like her happy, they feel so badly that they are excluded from this wonderful, happy experience. Imagine life with no misunderstandings, no micro aggressions, no ‘I’m having a horrible time right now, please forgive me.’ Because everyone KNOWS. Could be amazing, right?

Ted started watching this a few weeks ago, and I thought, ‘oh, sci-fi’ and ignored it, instead reading blogs and so on. (NaBloPoMo, right?) Then we got to the 3rd episode, and actually paid attention and was hooked. On Saturday afternoon when Ted and Maya were out doing separate things and I was home, instead of working on Christmas cards or reading blogs, I went back and watched the first 2 episodes, then rewatched the 3rd. I am ALL IN. I keep thinking about Carol, about how lonely she must be. How the theme of individuality vs community runs strong. How I might choose to live my life if I were in this situation. (Big surprise, France might be involved). I find myself considering the issues of alienation and loneliness, suddenly gone. Individuality is also gone, but it’s not like a race to the bottom where no one has any skills. Instead, we can all play piano and paint masterpieces. Do they lose their intrinsic value if they are common? Or is it a joyful democratization? If you can paint the same amazing painting that I paint, does that make mine less valuable? This show really has me thinking. And wondering if things are going to go south at some point. (Seems like they would, for the story arc, right?) What will happen. The collective will not kill, so while they are happy to cook (and eat? I’m not sure on this one) meat that is already dead, they will not participate once that is gone. Will they kill plants? If not, will people cheerfully starve? Will it turn out to be a plot by the inhabitants of a distant world, who are going to want to conquer Earth and mine her resources? Are we the resource? I don’t know, but I want to.

If you have Apple TV, give this show a try. Really good.