The Pluribus Season 1 Finale Proves One Fan Theory Horrifyingly Correct

Spoilers for the "Pluribus" season 1 finale to follow.

"Pluribus" season 1, now concluded, released on a weekly premiere schedule and was all the more enjoyable for it. Part of the fun of television is the waiting; the weekly gaps between episodes give your imagination time to go wild, and that's what happened for so many "Pluribus" viewers. Indeed, many of those fan-theorists should be patting themselves on the back after the season 1 finale, "La Chica o El Mundo."

For the full context, though, let's rewind. "Pluribus" episode 3, "Grenade," revealed that at some point in the past, Carol had some of her eggs frozen, presumably for if she and Helen (Miriam Shor) ever wanted to have children. Then, episode 6, "HDP," revealed that, in order to add the immune to the hive, the Others need to harvest the immune's stem cells so as to tailor the virus to them.

The theory, which circulated wildly among fan forums like Reddit and entertainment publications, was that the Others would use Carol's frozen eggs to create the stem cells they need to turn her. Observant viewers even noted how, when Carol officially denied the Others access to her stem cells, the Others only agreed "no stem cells will be harvested from your body." Episode 6's horrifying revelation of what HDP is, in turn, established that the Others are capable of lying by omission. Before the stem cell scene, Carol and Diabaté (Samba Schutte) even shared a breakfast that included scrambled eggs.

Well, take a bow, "Pluribus" fans. "La Chica o El Mundo" features Carol learning what you all had predicted: the Others have harvested stem cells from her eggs on the shelf, and she now has about a month until they've made a strain of the virus that works on her.

The episode tees up some reminders so that the twist of Carol's frozen eggs hits in the closing minutes. The cold open of the episode shows one of the few immune people choosing to become part of the Hive, reminding us that the Others are working to "fix" the immunity. When Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) arrives at Carol's house, he finds what looks like a recording device in her liquor cabinet; it's actually, as Zosia informs Carol, a motion detector Helen put there when Carol was having her eggs frozen. (Abstaining from alcohol is a recommended practice for the procedure.)

What makes the revelation extra painful for Carol is she was starting to finally get along with the Others, especially Zosia. "La Chica o El Mundo" contrasts Manousos, who is still dead-set against the Others and irritable like Carol was early on, with Carol's acceptance of them. The episode's title comes from the question Manousos poses to Carol; Does she want to save the world or get the girl (Zosia)? Carol has never truly met the real Zosia; if the hive-mind's hold on the world ends, it's unlikely Carol and Zosia's relationship will last. 

If the Others weren't so dead-set on converting Carol, then they could've kept her on their side. Instead, they pushed Carol into partnering with Manousos. Based on how "Pluribus" season 1 ends, it seems like season 2 might be a race against time for these new partners. They'll have to find a way to counteract the virus before the Others complete their Carol-strain. Even if the show's fans clocked the clues for this particular theory, the possibilities of how "Pluribus" will ultimately conclude seem wide open.

"Pluribus" is streaming on Apple TV.