I think my main problem with the show is that it's built on shaky foundation.
If Carol is as dangerous to hive as it acts, it would kill her. It killed to spread itself before. Now she's capable of killing millions by speaking at over 80 decibels. It would be logical and optimal for it to get rid of her.
But Vince wants his show, he wants his star, and he doesn't want to hive mind to want to kill people.
So instead were doing the song and dance where Carol interacts with an intentionally boring and bland entity (because the whole point is that it's boring and bland, so mission accomplished.) This is why she's given free range to experiment despite not having a science or medical background, and realistically shouldn't be able to accomplish shyt. This is why when I saw the trailers I wasn't that intrigued from the jump. The concept just doesn't seem to have that much juice.
My second main problem is it's just not really hooky.
Now we're actually in the show and scenes are slow (which could be fine) but also not that revelatory. Who out there surprised that the hive mind has strange, enthusiastic, fake-seaming reactions to Carol's books? It is exactly in line with what we've seen of the creature up till that point.
All we got out of that scene was that, and the fact that Carol's wife secretly didn't really love her books. That was amusing... but so what? How interesting is that really? Faking enthusiasm for something your loved ones like that you don't is like Human Interaction 102.
Also, look at the back story with Carol being sent to conversion therapy camp so she's against being forced assimilate. That's like literally the first or second thing someone would think of if they were asked to create a back story for lesbian who wants to fight against the hive mind.
Compare that to Walter White being a high school chemist who was at the forefront of a huge discovery and had his business stolen from him. Or Jimmy McGill, a lifelong scammer who idolized his morally good lawyer brother and sought to become like him, only to be despised by him and to also fail morally over and over. They dug deep to create those characters. Carol feels like what you get when you barely look past the surface.
Both the premise and characters are just a little interesting, like a TV episode premise or a film school short. They're not prestige television interesting imo.
Also, it's annoying that people who have criticisms get reactions like "why are you doubting Vince? He made Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul." I don't give a fukk. I'm not watching Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul. I'm watching Pluribus, and what I'm seeing before me doesn't have the sauce.
THE SHOW WAS
