Pluribus
Created by: Vince Gilligan
Stars: Rhea Seehorn (Carol Sturka), Karolina Wydra (Zosia), Carlos Manuel Vesga (Manousos)
Premise: Set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows author Carol Sturka, who is one of only thirteen people in the world immune to the effects of “the Joining”, resulting from an extraterrestrial virus that had transformed the world’s human population into a peaceful and content hive mind (the “Others”).
Season 1 – Episode 9
Episode title: La Chica o El Mundo
Original air date: December 24, 2025
Episode plot: Manousos arrives at Carol’s home. Carol uses a translator app to communicate with Manousos, who fears the Others may be spying on them. Carol offers one of her neighbor’s homes for Manousos. After seeing Carol call Zosia, he calls for Zosia to talk to him, which Carol discovers before taking her away. Manousos then calls for another to replace Zosia. At Carol’s home, Zosia suddenly goes into convulsions, and Carol finds Manousos has triggered a global seizure. Carol stops him, and Zosia and the Others leave the city to protect themselves from Manousos. Although Manousos thinks he can undo the Joining, Carol leaves with Zosia, where she tours the world with her for two weeks. During this time, Kusimayu, a teenager in a rural Peruvian village and one of the immune, willingly joins the Others. Zosia reveals Kusimayu’s joining to Carol and that they have found a way to extract Carol’s stem cells from her frozen eggs, expecting to complete the custom virus in a month. Carol has Zosia return her home with a large crate Carol claims contains an atom bomb, and tells Manousos she is ready to help him.
* * *
Pluribus – S01E09 – La Chica o El Mundo | Transcript
[choral music playing]
[goat bleats]
[speaking Quechua] Kusimayu! Sweetie, lunch is ready. We made your favorite.
[speaks Quechua]
[speaking Quechua] Is that it?
That’s it.
Not much longer now. Are you excited… or nervous?
[Kusimayu] Excited. Except I’ve been sweeping this one spot for half an hour.
[T’ika, Sisa chuckle]
[T’ika] We noticed. It’s very clean.
[sighs]
[T’ika singing in Quechua]
[singing continues]
[singing]
The sky is such a deep blue today.
Mmm. And the air smells good. It feels hopeful.
Is it here?
[T’ika] Yes. Don’t be scared, love.
[Kusimayu] I’m not.
[bleats]
[exhales deeply]
[villagers singing, chanting in Quechua]
[singing, chanting continues]
[Kusimayu] Mmm. Will it hurt?
[Sisa] No, Kusimayu. Not one bit.
We would never hurt you.
[singing, chanting continues]
Are you ready?
Three… two… one…
[singing, chanting continues]
[Kusimayu inhales deeply] [sighs] [inhales deeply]
[singing, chanting continues]
[Kusimayu breathing shakily]
[singing, chanting ends]
[Kusimayu breathing shakily]
[breathing shakily]
[goat bleats]
[chickens clucking]
[goat bleats]
[bleats]
[bleats]
[theme song playing]
[Carol] How long till he gets here?
[Zosia] About two hours.
[Carol sighs]
[Carol] This is the guy I yelled at when we were on the plane?
[Zosia] You had a lot on your mind.
[Carol] And he’s in an ambulance?
[Zosia] Mmhmm. Long story. [chuckles]
[Carol] What does he want?
[Zosia] He won’t talk to us. So… [sighs] He did receive your first video.
[Carol] Yeah? Mmm.
[Zosia] Maybe he’s heeding your call? We’re thinking… [sighs] I’m thinking… I probably shouldn’t be here when he arrives. It would upset him. You don’t have to be here either, Carol. It’s completely up to you.
[Carol] All the way from… Paraguay?
[Zosia] Mmhmm.
[Carol] Well, hell. I owe it to him, don’t I? I’ll just hear him out and send him on his way. I mean, it’s not like he’s dangerous, is he? [chuckles, snorts] Is he? Dangerous?
[Zosia] We don’t think he’d ever hurt you.
[intriguing music playing]
[Manousos] My name is Manousos Oviedo. [exhales sharply]
[horn honks]
[sighs]
[Manousos] My name is Manousos Oviedo. I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.
[Carol] [in Spanish] Hola. Me llamo Carol Sturka. Bienvenidos to… to… mi casa. Hi. [in Spanish] Hablamos?
[Manousos] [in English] Yes. Yes, we talk.
[Carol] Pe… Pero… [stammers] No, no, uh… machete.
[in Spanish] I no dangerous.
[in English] It’s safe.
[Carol] Okay. [in Spanish] AquÃ?
[Manousos] [in English] We talk in here.
Uh… Let’s hablamos en mi casa. Maybe better? [in Spanish] Mejor?
[Manousos] [in English] We talk in the ambulance.
[Carol] No. We talk in the casa.
[phone chimes]
[Carol] Sorry, but I’m not getting into some creepy ambulance with a… Hey! What are you doing?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] Give me that.
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Are you crazy? They are listening. They will find out about our plan.
[Carol] I’m not an idiot. It’s in airplane mode. Airplane mode. No signal. Give it to me. Give it.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] No. Give it! Give… it!
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] No! [gasps]
[electronic voice] No.
[Carol] Goddamn it.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [sighs] Are you kidding me?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [sighs] You know what? You can get back in your ambulancia and fuck right off. I’m finito.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Carol Sturka.
[electronic voice] Unknown word or name.
[Carol] Bye.
[door closes]
[horn honks]
[in Spanish]
[Manousos] Well this is going just great.
[Manousos] [in Spanish] This sucks.
[Manousos] [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Nine thousand kilometers for this shit.
[Manousos] [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Shut your trap.
[Manousos groans]
[sighs] [grunts]
[grunts, pants]
[panting, grunting]
[grunts, sighs]
[doorbell rings]
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Okay. You win. Telephone, yes. Ambulance, no. But I need an umbrella.
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] [in English] Uh. Come. Here.
[Carol] [in Spanish] Y por qué? Big time por qué. [clears throat]
[Manousos] [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] These weirdos have eyes up above.
[Manousos] [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] They can read lips from space.
[Carol] So, let’s go inside. The drones can’t spy on us there.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Of course they can. With microphones. Spy microphones.
[Carol] You think they planted a bug in my house?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] [stammers, speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] An insect? With an insect?
[Carol] Ins… no, not a… not a ins… not an insect. A bug. Oh.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] Wait. Stop. Not you. [sighs] Why would they spy on us inside my house?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] You are against them, no? I watched your video.
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Why would the weirdos send me that video?
[Carol] I asked them to.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Carol Sturka. [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Unknown word or name. Why would they help two humans come together to destroy them?
[Carol] Destroy, I… Wait, I never said “destroy.”
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] These weirdos are evil.
[speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] They have stolen everyone’s soul.
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] If we can’t fix them, they are better off dead.
[Carol] They’re still human beings.
[Manousos] They are not human!
[Carol] Yes, they are. They are… They are.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish] They’re human. They’re just…
[Carol] They’re just… They’re different. I mean, they’re… they’re… [inhales sharply] …weird, yes. Uh, uh, uh, too nice, yes, but they’re not…
[electronic voice]
[Manousos] Slow, slow.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [stammers] They are not evil.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] They wouldn’t even kill an ant.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] And isn’t it evil to value a man the same as an ant?
[Carol] [scoffs] Have you even tried talking to them? You could learn a thing or two. They can’t lie. Did you know that?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] You said the weirdos abandoned you?
[Carol] [clicks teeth] Yep. For 40 days.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Mmhmm. Why they come back?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] I don’t know.
[Carol] Why can’t they pick an apple?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [stammers] This is estúpido.
[electronic voice] Esto es stupid.
[Carol] I’m going inside.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos grunts]
[Carol] Told ya. No microfono. Happy?
[speaks Spanish]
[Carol] I don’t speak snap.
[Manousos] Huh?
[clears throat]
[speaks Spanish]
[in English] Please?
[Carol] [sighs]
[phone chimes]
[speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] What about the 11 other survivors? Did they respond to your video?
[Carol] Nope.
[electronic voice] No.
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] They didn’t even want to talk?
[Carol] Not to me.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] But I bet they’d love your sparkling personality.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos sighs]
[Carol] You’re not gonna find anything.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [sighs] I need a drink. [sighs] You need a drink? You need a drink.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [stammers] Hey. Do you mind? [grunts]
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] What the hell?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] Okay. Buddy, I don’t know how guests behave in Paraguay, but here in Albuquerque, you cockblock someone from their booze, it’s un grande mistako. [stammers] You’re not even listening.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Ha!
[electronic voice] Unknown word or name.
[Carol] What the hell is that?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Hmm. [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] A sensor maybe.
[suspenseful music playing]
[phone keypad beeping]
[line ringing]
[Zosia, on phone] Hi, Carol.
[Carol] Have you been spying on me?
[Zosia] Spying?
[Carol] There is a thing in my liquor cabinet.
[Zosia] What kind of thing?
[Carol] I don’t know. A plastic, rectangular… kinda tacky-looking… like something out of a James Bond movie. It sure as shit didn’t come with the cabinet. Did you put it there?
[Zosia] [sighs] Right. It wasn’t us, Carol. Do you remember May of 2011? You were freezing your eggs.
[Carol] Yeah. So?
[Zosia] The device is a movement sensor. It detects when the cabinet is opened, then records it. Again, we didn’t put it there.
[Carol] Helen.
[Zosia] Sorry, Carol.
[Carol] Um… [stammers] No, no, no. It’s all right. [inhales sharply] [quieter] I’ll call you later.
[handset settles in cradle]
[Carol] It wasn’t them. [in Spanish] No “weirdos.”
[Manousos, in English] Who?
[Carol] [in Spanish] Mi esposa. She didn’t like my… glug, glug, glug, glug, glug. [clears throat] Now I really need a drink.
[Manousos] Who you talk to on the teléfono?
[Carol] Them. Always them. [in Spanish] The “Others.” [sighs]
[sips]
[Carol] [in English] I’m tired. We save the world mañana.
[Carol] So, um…
[phone chimes]
[Carol] …the kitchen has plenty of food.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] There are fresh sheets on the bed, towels in the bathroom.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [sighs] We’ll talk more tomorrow. Good night. Sleep tight.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Who is this house?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] I think their… [sighs] …name is Wilson.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Carol] Look, I’ll square it up with them if they ever come back. [scoffs] Jesus, that would be a great problem to have.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] This is not your house. It’s… It’s no me house, no? I no stay.
[Carol] Oh, so that big yellow thing parked outside is your ambulancia? Go sleep in that for all I care.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[phone chimes]
[Carol] My vodka is getting warm. And you’re welcome.
[tense music playing]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
[person, in Spanish] Hello, Manousos. We are so happy to hear from you. What can we do for you?
[Manousos] Am I speaking with the same weirdo who Carol Sturka was talking to?
No. That was another individual.
[Manousos] What is the name of this individual?
Zosia.
[Manousos] I want to speak with Zosia.
[“Thank You For Being A Friend” playing on TV]
[glass thuds]
[sighs]
[groans]
[song ends]
[ominous music playing]
[Carol] The fuck? [breathes shakily]
[music ends]
[Zosia] Hi, Carol.
[Carol] What the hell is going on here? What are you doing?
[Manousos] You say I need talk. I talk.
[Carol] Not to her. What did you talk about? Zosia? What did you tell him?
[in Spanish] Todo. ¿Cómo se dice?
[in English] Everything.
Everything.
[Carol] I know what todo means. Come on, we’re going.
Um… [speaks Spanish, chuckles]
Um… [speaks Spanish]
[Carol] [in English] Zosia. Now.
[door closes]
[Manousos] [in Spanish] Send me another one.
[Carol] [breathes heavily] [grunts] Todo. [stammers] Todo, todo? [stammers, in English] What kind of everything did you tell him?
[Zosia] Sorry, Carol. Did you tell him… [stammers, sighs] What exactly did you tell him? We didn’t volunteer anything. He asked us specific questions, detailed questions. He was very thorough and insistent. And… [inhales sharply] It’s our nature. We had to answer him.
[Carol] Yeah. You had to. Right. I know. Why do you have to be so fucking honest?
[Zosia] It’s just not in us to lie to you.
[Carol] Yeah, but to me, not to him.
[Zosia] I know this is hard to understand, but we love him the same as we love you.
[Carol] No. You can’t love him the same. It’s not the same. It’s different. [stammers] He is a stranger. You barely know him. You told me so yourself. And we… we’re… [stammers] You’re my… You are my… You’re my chaperone. Mine.
[Zosia] Yes. That’s true. But…
[Carol] I want you to stay away from him. All right? I mean, did you see that machete? Hmm? And you should hear the things he says about you. Weirdos. Evil so… [stammers] What are you doing?
Sorry, Carol. Something’s about to happen.
[Carol] What?
Please. Don’t be alarmed.
[inhales sharply]
[breathing shakily]
[Carol] Zosia?
[ominous music playing]
[Carol] Z…
[grunting, breathing shakily]
[Carol] Zosia? Oh, Jesus. Zosia! Zos… Uh… Hey. Hey! What’s happening? I didn’t even… I-I wasn’t… How…
[Zosia breathing shakily]
[Carol] Oh, shit.
[other breathing shakily]
[Carol] Jesus. Get the hell away from him!
[Carol] Hey.
[loudly] Hey.
Hey!
Hey. Uh…
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[radio static]
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[disturbing pulsing on radio]
[Carol] [speaks Spanish] You’re a psycho, you know that? Do you have any idea how many people you’ve probably just killed?
[familiar mystery pulse returns]
Hey.
You’re okay. [stammers] You’re okay.
Just take it easy.
[screams]
[Carol] [yelps] What the fuck?
[other breathing shakily]
[breathing shakily]
[disturbing pulse returns]
[Manousos] Rick. I know you are there. I help you. I am here. Listen, Rick. I am here. You come back. Yes? You can do it. Listen, listen. Listen, Rick. You… you-you remember. Remember? [speaks Spanish] [stammers, in English] You are there. You are there. But you come back. Rick. I know you are there. But you can remember. You… [stammers] You can come back. You can come back. I am here. Listen to me, Rick. Rick, look at me.
[shotgun blasts]
[Carol] [breathes heavily] Back away. Now.
[Carol] Hey.
[Zosia sighs]
[Carol] Here. Lean up Lean up against the chair.
[Zosia sighs] [sighing]
[Carol] You all right?
[Zosia] Yeah. C-Could we have some water?
[Carol] Yeah. Yeah, of course.
[Zosia] [sighing] Oh, thank you.
[Zosia coughs]
[Carol] [stammers] Slow. Go s… Go slow.
[phone ringing]
[Zosia sighs]
[Carol] You sure you’re okay?
[Zosia] Yeah. Thirsty, is all.
[phone ringing]
[Zosia] We’ll, uh… [smacks lips] I’ll be fine. Thanks.
[phone ringing]
Would you like to know who that is?
[Carol] I know who that is.
[phone ringing]
[Zosia sniffs]
[Carol grunts]
[phone ringing]
[Carol] It wasn’t me this time. [grunts] Hmm. Screw you too, Laxmi.
[Zosia] Carol, I’m so sorry. You know what we have to do.
[Carol sighs] [clicks tongue]
[Zosia] Where’s Manousos, Carol?
[Carol] He is fine. Don’t worry about him.
[Zosia] For what it’s worth, you should know he did warn us first. Before he… did what he did. … Please tell him we’re sorry it came to this.
[engine starts]
[phone chimes]
[Carol] They’re leaving again. All of them, the whole city. I tried to tell you.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
So what?
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] It was worth it. Completely. Now I know much more.
[speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] You were right. I think there’s a way to put things back in their place.
[speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Come on.
[speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Now the work begins.
[Manousos] Carol Sturka.
[electronic voice] Unknown word or name.
[Carol] There’s water and power.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish] If you need anything else, food or…
[Carol] [stammers] …whatever, dial zero.
[electronic voice speaks Spanish]
[Manousos] Carol Sturka… [speaks Spanish]
[electronic voice] Unknown word or name. Do you want to save the world or get the girl?
 [gentle piano music playing]
[Zosia, Carol chattering]
[both laughing]
[Zosia, Carol chattering]
[pilot light ticks]
[music ends]
[sighs]
Oh!
Thank you.
Mmhmm.
[Carol grunts]
Here you go.
[Carol] Okay.
[Zosia groans]
[Carol] [slurps] Mmm. That’s good.
[Zosia chuckles]
[Zosia] You seem pretty quiet.
[Carol]No. I was just thinking.
[Zosia] Whatcha thinking?
[Carol] Nothing.
[Zosia chuckles]
[Carol] No, I was… I was just wondering if y-you… the-the first you, the unjoined Zosia you…
[Zosia] I understand.
[Carol] …if she… Did she have someone? In her past?
[Zosia] She did. It was a long time ago.
[Carol] Mmm. And what happened to them? Are they in there? Like, with you right now?
[Zosia] No. They’re not.
[Carol] Oh. Man, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m good at just-just feeling good. [scoffs] What does that to you?
[Zosia] Does what?
[Carol] Like, makes you happy. Like in our bodies. What chemicals?
[Zosia] There’s a mix. Uh, serotonin, dopamine, vasopressin, oxytocin of course.
[Carol] Mmm.
[Zosia] [clicks tongue] Fun fact.
[Carol] Mmm.
[Zosia] A study of zebra fish seems to imply that oxytocin is responsible for the development of empathy in vertebrate species about 200 million years ago.
[Carol] Hmm. I must have every happy chemical flowing in my bloodstream.
[both chuckle]
[Carol] I keep thinking it’s gonna go away, but then it doesn’t. And I don’t want it to.
[Zosia] I’m glad. And it only gets better.
[Carol] Better?
[Zosia] Mmm.
[Carol] You’re not talking about the joining, are you? That’s not even… [stammers] You told me that you needed my stem cells. What, did that change?
[Zosia] No. That’s right.
[Carol] So without my stem cells, you can’t convert me.
[Zosia] Mmhmm.
[Carol] And if I don’t expressly give you my consent to jam a giant needle in my ass, then… [stammers] …you can’t take them, and I stay me. Right?
[Zosia] [stammers] That would be correct.
[Carol] Would be. There’s no other way to get my stem cells, is there? [sighs] Hmm. If there wasn’t, you’d say so. [clicks tongue] So there is a way.
[melancholy music playing]
[Carol] My eggs. The ones I froze with Helen. [sniffs] You have them, don’t you?
[Zosia] We do.
[Carol] And you can make those into stem cells, can’t you?
[Zosia] It takes time and patience, plus a bit of luck.
[Carol] But you’re working on it.
[Zosia] We are. You have to understand how beautiful it is, Carol. You’ll see why we have to share it. As happy as you’ve been, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, Kusimayu. You remember the young Peruvian girl? She just joined us. And I promise you, she’s happier than she’s ever been. You can hear that straight from her if you like.
[Carol] How long do I have?
[Zosia] Induced pluripotent stem cells can be very fragile, and we’re dealing with haploid…
[Carol] How long?
[Zosia] A month. Hopefully no more than two or three.
[Carol] [sighs] If you loved me, you wouldn’t do this.
[Zosia] Carol. Please understand we have to do this be-because we love you. Because I love you. … Carol.
[distant whirring]
[helicopter whirring]
[whirring fades]
[Carol sighs]
[Carol] You win. We save the world.
[Manousos] Carol Sturka. What is this?
[Carol] Atom bomb.
[“Conquistadora” playing]
