Pluribus Finale: Rhea Seehorn Breaks Down Carol’s 'Insane' Atomic Bomb Decision

What's the most insane thing you could do to save the world? For Carol Sturka in Apple TV+'s sci-fi series Pluribus, the answer was ordering an atomic bomb. Following the shocking season 1 finale, star Rhea Seehorn spoke with Entertainment Weekly to unpack her character's stunning choice.

A Sweet Escape, A Bitter Truth

After resisting the hive mind all season, novelist Carol Sturka takes an impromptu vacation with Zosia, a member of the collective. Amid idyllic scenes of skiing and relaxing in a lodge, Carol's brief happiness shatters when Zosia reveals the Others have found a way to assimilate her without her consent. The clock is ticking: she has only one to three months left.

Seehorn described the revelation as a "kick in the face" for Carol, making her feel like an "utter idiot that I for a second thought any of this could be a real relationship." Feeling betrayed, Carol abandons Zosia, returns home, and makes an extreme decision.

"The Most Insane Thing I Could Do"

The finale concludes with Carol standing over a crate containing an atomic bomb, declaring she's ready to "save the world." Seehorn explained this impulsive act to EW, stating Carol has a lot of "bottled-up rage." It made sense for her character to think, "'What’s the largest, most violent, most insane thing I could do right now in response to what’s been done to me?'"

However, Seehorn doesn't think Carol has a concrete plan for the bomb. "I don’t even need to know what I’m doing with it yet," she said, channeling her character's mindset. "I’m just asking for an atomic bomb... and I’ll figure out the rest later." Seehorn also believes Carol, who felt immense guilt over accidentally harming people before, wouldn't knowingly resort to mass violence.

A Fight for Humanity's Flaws

Ironically, the misanthropic Carol, who started the season hating people, now finds herself missing human connection. According to Seehorn, the 'world' Carol wants to save isn't just humanity's existence, but its essence: "individual thought and even maybe the possibility of… unique love, unique appreciation of things." Her fight is a rebellion against a uniform, imposed happiness in favor of messy, individual freedom.