Pluribus season 1, Episode 8, "Charm Offensive," chronicles the latest mission that Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka has assigned herself. The installment takes her behind "enemy" lines to learn more about the Joining than ever before, but "Charm Offensive" still refuses at times to say the quiet part out loud. As far as Pluribus goes, the episode is packed with reveals. That said, they could all just be false teasers before the show settles down again into its signature tranquility. I hope not, though.
Even though there's only a single season 1 episode left to go after "Charm Offensive," the fact that Apple TV ordered the first two runs of Pluribus at the same time means showrunner Vince Gilligan is in even less of a rush than usual to get to the point. His approach to storytelling has always prioritized highly organic pacing, but Pluribus really pushes its luck at times with how slowly the narrative progresses. Compared to the previous episode, "Charm Offensive" thunders along without concern for what's in its path.
FULL SPOILERS ahead for Pluribus season 1, Episode 8, "Charm Offensive."
"Charm Offensive" masterfully turns Carol's espionage into something that's shockingly wholesome
After asking the Joining to return to Albuquerque at the end of the previous episode, "Charm Offensive" sees Carol apparently embracing life among the Others for the first time. The episode makes it intentionally unclear whether she's genuinely ready to accept her new reality or if she's simply gathering information on how to reverse the Joining. As it turns out, two things can be true.
Carol convinces Zosia (Karolina Wydra) that the relationship between them is authentic, but even if Carol doesn't want to believe it, there's definitely an element of genuine care buried beneath it all. "Charm Offensive" sees Carol switch countless times between being in the moment and then suddenly remembering she has a mission to accomplish. It's a brilliant duality that Seehorn plays with perfection.
By the end of the episode, her relationship with Zosia — and by extension, the Joining — has hit fever pitch, and Carol seems to have moved on completely from any ill will she once felt toward the invasive hive mind that swept through most of the world's population. Carol's somber glimpse outside to Helen's grave strongly suggests she has moved on from her partner's loss, and has perhaps even let go of the anger she felt toward the Joining for causing Helen's death. Considering how vociferously Carol has resisted the Joining, it's a poignant moment.
Learning so much about the Joining is easily the best part of "Charm Offensive"
Pluribus' double-episode premiere was understandably packed with information about the Joining, but further lore has been drip-fed to the audience ever since. "Charm Offensive" is a welcome waterfall of reveals when it comes to how the Others communicate with one another and more. Writer Jonny Gomez provides a brilliant blueprint for Carol to ask a string of endless questions, with the underlying motive being to figure out how to return the world to how it was before.
Perhaps my favorite reveal is when Carol asks Zosia a question about food near the end of the episode, and Wydra's brilliant performance in this moment makes it clear that she's briefly playing Zosia as she was before the Joining. She's not speaking as a member of the hive mind for once, but as an individual who has her own thoughts, feelings, and motivations. Knowing that this is still possible sets up a compelling solution for Carol, even if she doesn't quite realize it yet.
Another great moment also involves Zosia, who acts incredibly excited when Carol reveals she's working on another Winds of Wycaro novel. It's not a surprise that the Joining are fans of the series, as many of the individuals welcomed into the hive mind also loved Carol's work. What's intriguing is that the Joining is looking forward to "something new to read," which made me realize that all art was consumed at once by the Joining when the virus took hold. I hadn't really thought that anything new would need to come from an unjoined individual, but it makes sense. It was a subtle piece of worldbuilding that could have greater importance down the line.
"Charm Offensive" redeems Pluribus' previous episode with less of a focus on Manousos' journey
Carlos-Manuel Vesga's Manousos is certainly going to be a pivotal character when he eventually arrives in Albuquerque. While Carol has seemingly moved on from keeping the Joining as far away from her as possible, Manousos is still set on saving the world. He's in for a rough awakening when he gets to New Mexico and finds out about Carol's change of heart.
"Charm Offensive" thankfully spends much less time showing where Manousos is up to on his quest. After spending huge portions of the previous episode watching him driving his car, I'm very glad Pluribus didn't put me through that again. Of course, it makes perfect sense that his progress would be stymied his time out after the injuries he recently sustained.
Instead, "Charm Offensive" makes the gracious decision to bookend the episode with short sequences that show where Manousos is and how he plans to proceed. With Carol's arc in the installment being so pivotal to Pluribus' worldbuilding efforts, I'm relieved Seehorn was given the lion's share of the screen time rather than Vesga's character once more being such a focal point.
Episode Rating: A+
Pluribus season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV.