Pluribus episode 7, "The Gap," is a change of pace for Vince Gilligan's sci-fi show, but the tempo switch is probably a little too far for a story that already lacks urgency. After the previous episode quickly became one of Pluribus' best installments so far, "The Gap" is a massive letdown for many reasons — most of which are related.
As fans of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul will know, Pluribus' showrunner loves realistic pacing in the stories he oversees. They stand out for letting every moment breathe, and every shot linger for significantly longer than is typical in other projects. Gilligan's formula has earned him a devoted following because he often manages to turn what would be boring in other shows into deeply poignant sequences. That said, "The Gap" is the first time I've witnessed this approach crash and burn in Pluribus.
FULL SPOILERS ahead for Pluribus season 1, Episode 7, "The Gap."
"The Gap" doesn't have the depth to justify Pluribus' usual pacing
Carol (Rhea Seehorn) and Manousos (Carol Manuel Vesga) ended the previous episode in ways that made their journeys in "The Gap" rather predictable. Manousos had decided to set off on the arduous trip from Asunción to New Mexico to meet Carol, and Seehorn's character was the most at peace she'd been yet about the Joining. Thanks to the discovery that the Others can't bring her into the hive mind without her blessing, Carol's immediate future was always going to be just enjoying her freedom in an empty city.
Similarly, given how Pluribus tries to skip as few key sequences as possible, it was obvious that Manousos' long drive was going to be as unabridged as was reasonable. In other words, it was still going to be unbearably long, even for the audience. As it turns out, these two storylines are what took up the majority of Episode 7's runtime. If you like watching Carol having a nice time and Manousos embarking on a perilous adventure he's very obviously going to survive, then you are in luck. It didn't do much for me, though. At least, not after the novelty had very quickly worn off.
I understand exactly what "The Gap" is trying to achieve. Both Carol and Monousos end the episode in a very different place than when it started. For Manousos, that's a very literal journey, whereas it's more figurative for Carol. In this sense, "The Gap" is a very important episode for the size of the shift it's tasked with pulling off. Sadly, as necessary as it is, "The Gap" fails to be all that engaging for its sheer lack of variety and general plot development. That said, I don't see how else this could really be achieved without dedicating an entire episode to these events. It's just one of those necessary evils, I guess.
Pluribus does at least teach us something about both Carol and Manousos in "The Gap"
Before "The Gap," Manousos was pretty enigmatic. While it was known he staunchly disliked the Others and the very concept of the Joining, the specific reason why he hated them so much was unclear. There was an implication of religious reasons, which was confirmed by his decision to sleep in churches on his way to New Mexico in "The Gap," but that was about it. Now, we know that Manousos essentially sees the Others as thieves, telling the Joining "all that [they] have is stolen." This is reinforced by his leaving cash on the cars from which he siphons fuel. It also retroactively makes his refusal to take anything from the self-storage lockers even more important.
When his beloved car can take him no further, he even burns it to ash to prevent it from falling into the Joining's hands. It's a deluge of information on his thoughts and motivations.
Just as Manousos was fleshed out in "The Gap", so was Carol. Although Seehorn's character has long been portrayed as a people-hating loner, I'd always suspected a twist was on the way that proved this trait was something of a front.
I was proven correct when "The Gap" revealed that once she'd had all the fun she could have on her own in an empty Albuquerque, Carol wanted nothing more than some company, and so basically begged for the Joining — at least Zosia (Karolina Wydra) — to come back. This opens up the strongest possibility yet for Carol to consider becoming part of the Joining. Even if she doesn't, Carol's change of heart regarding the Others could be troublesome when Manousos eventually arrives with a venomous desire to fix Pluribus' "broken" world — if their saving him hasn't also changed his mind.
Episode Rating: C-
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV.