Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Pluribus Episode 6.
The latest episode of Vince Gilligan‘s Pluribus, “HDP,” feels far less urgent in comparison to previous weeks. There is no hint at any next steps from Carol (Rhea Seehorn) yet, and whatever she thinks she can expose with her video of the chopped-up corpses discovered in last week’s episode, “Got Milk,” is undercut by Diabaté’s (Sambe Schutte) previous awareness. In fact, Carol is not actively involved at all in her biggest step towards maintaining her autonomy when she learns that the Others cannot turn those immune to the Joining without their consent.
However, that doesn’t stop Apple TV’s sci-fi streaming hit from still unnerving viewers in a more subtle yet objectively ominous way. The moment in question comes at the end of the episode, when Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) has an interaction with perhaps the most chilling Other of Pluribus so far, one who claims to be his mother. Their brief exchange is a reminder that the Others are still not completely trustworthy, as their kindness often seems to mask an eerie undertone of manipulation, as well as the fact that they have completely replaced any distinct personalities humanity once possessed.
Manousos Is Confronted By His “Mother” in ‘Pluribus’ Episode 6
Throughout the first six episodes of Pluribus, Manousos has been the show’s most intriguing character due to the mystery surrounding him. Why was he discovered later than the other survivors? Why is he also so distrustful of the Others, like Carol, rather than accepting them as the other eleven immune have? Pluribus‘ latest episode doesn’t directly answer these questions, but it does put viewers on the path to getting answers. After Manousos receives Carol’s first video, he decides to leave the self-storage facility he’s been holed up in to meet her in person. Despite having almost no dialogue, apart from a few warning shouts when he returns to his old apartment for supplies, Manousos’ preparations to depart his home are the most compelling part of the episode.
However, before Manousos can leave in his sputtering car, he is confronted by one of the Others, who steps out from the shadows and says, in his native language, “Hello, son. We’re happy to see you. You must be hungry and confused. Can we answer any questions? Tell us. What can we do for you, son?” This leads to the most revealing line Manousos has spoken so far this season when he replies, “Don’t call me son. You’re not my mother. My mother’s a b*tch,” before driving away. Manousos’ particular choice of words for the Others hints at previous discord between himself and the woman who was once his mother, and could possibly explain why he’s been willingly isolating himself, but there are deeper implications to consider here.
Manousos’ Creepy Interaction Is a Reminder of What the Joining Has Taken Away in ‘Pluribus’
While Manousos’ description of his mother is blunt on its own, it’s more intriguing when he outright refuses to acknowledge her as such anymore. He is most likely referring to this particular individual, who used to be his mother, no longer retaining any part of his mother’s previous, potentially corrupted, consciousness. The ending of Episode 6 is a chilling reminder, once again, of what the Joining has robbed humanity of.
While characters like Diabaté and Laxmi (Menik Gooneratne) are happy to pretend like the Others are either their puppets or still the loved ones they used to know, Manousos has unknowingly adopted Carol’s point of view, that their loved ones are truly gone in all but name and outward appearance. It isn’t the loss of positive traits that Manousos rejects, but the mere loss of originality, even the negative parts. This only heightens the ongoing debate about whether the Others have improved the world or not. Although Manousos refuses to accept a supposedly perfect version of someone he clearly didn’t always get along with previously, it may be that the Others are not as perfect as they seem, either.
Manousos’ “Mother” Reflects the Others’ Manipulative Side in ‘Pluribus’
So far, Carol has been doing almost everything to expose what she believes is the Others’ hidden, sinister agenda, from drugging Zosia (Karolina Wydra) and causing a worldwide panic attack to driving the over 500-mile distance between Albuquerque and Las Vegas to share her findings. Yet, Manousos’ final scene in Episode 6 shows the Others’ ability to manipulate on a level that was previously believed to be impossible.
This moment actually makes the Others appear more threatening than ever before, with Manousos’ mother lurking in the shadows at first before calling him “son,” which feels far more patronizing, especially when considering that the hivemind doesn’t think in terms of individual familial relations. Instead of a genuine inquiry, it seems much closer to a clear ploy to keep Manousos from uniting with Carol. On top of this, the scene makes it clear that the Other who’d been hand-delivering trays of food to Manousos’ self-storage facility was his “mother,” which explains his rejection of them.
The ending of Pluribus Episode 6 reveals strengths, weaknesses, and a darker side to the Others that they seem to be keeping hidden from the other survivors for now. The question becomes: when, if ever, will they truly intervene to stop Manousos or Carol if the two meet up and form a stronger resistance? It may be another week before answers come, but, for now, Pluribus has left off with a scene that is its most intriguing so far.
- Release Date
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November 6, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV
- Directors
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Adam Bernstein, Zetna Fuentes, Melissa Bernstein
- Writers
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Ariel Levine
