Pluribus season 1, episode 9, "La Chica o El Mundo," ends the Apple TV sci-fi show's inaugural run by tying up some loose ends that had been kept intentionally unaddressed, and also provides a clear path forward for the confirmed second season. While the season 1 finale champions one reveal above all else, the other twists shouldn't be swept aside as a result. They're all equally vital to the episodes ahead.
Although there's no release date for Pluribus season 2 yet, the run was ordered at the same time as season 1. So, you can take a deep breath if you're worried about the show's divisive pacing resulting in cancelation before the story can continue. After "La Chica o El Mundo," Pluribus has finally given the strongest clues to date about what will happen when it returns – and possibly even beyond.
FULL SPOILERS for Pluribus season 1, episode 9, "La Chica o El Mundo."
Zosia and the Others technically didn't lie to Carol about the stem cell procedure
In Pluribus season 1, episode 6, "HDP," Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka was ecstatic to discover that, although the Joining had developed a procedure to bring her into the hive mind, they wouldn't progress to the next stage without her consent. Which she made very clear she did not give. The Joining honored Carol's wishes not to have a needle jabbed into her bones to extract the stem cells required, and they have continued to do so. But they had another way to acquire the genetic material they needed, and they took it.
Only mentioned a couple of times earlier in Pluribus, Carol's frozen eggs turned out to be her downfall. When speaking with Zosia (Karolina Wydra), Carol discovers in the season 1 finale that her eggs have been taken and will be instrumental in the ceremony that was previewed in the episode's cold open.
While it may seem as though forcing Carol through the next stage in the process could be seen as harming her, the Joining probably don't see it that way. There doesn't seem to be any physical pain inflicted upon the recipient at that stage, so it opens the door for the Joining to force Carol to join them all in the name of "love."
What Manousos was doing when he roared at the Joining
Manouso's (Carlos Manuel Vesga) arrival in Albuquerque is at the heart of Pluribus season 1's finale. However, the episode never fully explains his unconventional plan to seemingly scare the Joining into reversing itself. When you read between the lines, it's relatively simple to arrive at a logical conclusion. While the radio frequencies Manousos has been experimenting with and writing down have long been left unexplained, "La Chica o El Mundo" strongly suggests that it wasn't contact with other unjoined individuals that Manousis was attempting.
Instead, it seems far more likely now that Manousos was using trial and error to figure out the frequency by which those in the Joining are connected to one another, and that he's found it by the end of the season 1 finale. If that is the case, then Carol's original plan to put the world back the way it was before could be solidly back on track. Paired with that frequency, the moment that Carol had with Zosia at the end of episode 8 becomes even more important when it comes to the possibility of making everyone an individual again. From the way Manousos talks to the seizing Other in the finale, he seems to know that personal connection and recollections are also important in pulling this off.
Carol's atom bomb delivery means she's probably ready to go nuclear on the Joining (quite literally)
After discovering her days as an individual are numbered, Carol takes drastic action and follows through on the semi-serious comment from earlier in the show of asking the Joining for an atomic bomb, which the Others must provide due to their very nature. I don't think Carol is genuinely considering blowing herself up in season 2. What's more likely is that her return to team up with Manousos means she's ready to collaborate and that she has a plan.
Going from what the show has already told us about Carol and the Joining, it would make sense if Carol essentially held the world hostage until the Others agreed the sever their connection. An atom bomb is a pretty big bargaining chip, if that is indeed what she intends to do.
In the meantime, Manousos can further his research into a slightly less brute-force method of saving the world. Exactly what role the other remaining unjoined characters will play in Pluribus season 2 is unclear, but so much of the joy of finales like Pluribus' is waiting to find out.
Pluribus season 1 is streaming now in its entirety on Apple TV.