Apple TV’s latest sci-fi masterpiece, Pluribus, ended on an incredibly high note, but it came alarmingly close to ruining itself with an alternate ending.

In Pluribus season 1’s ending moments, Carol ends up parting ways with Manousos even though he travels all the way from Paraguay to meet her. Instead of helping him save the world from the Others, she chooses to live with Zosia. However, Carol soon realizes that Zosia only cares about “converting” her and turning her into one of the Others. As a result, she returns home with an atom bomb and teams up with Manousos again.

Interestingly, Pluribus‘ original script had a different and far more underwhelming conclusion.

Pluribus Season 1’s Alternate Ending Would Have Been Underwhelming Setup For Season 2

Pluribus‘ original script featured a far more subtle ending for Carol in season 1’s final arc. In the original conclusion, she spent enough time with Zosia before merely returning home to Manousos and quietly shaking hands with him to join him in his quest to save the world.

However, after considering the show’s ambition and scale, Sony and Apple TV’s executives convinced the show’s creators to end season 2 with something bigger (via The Ringer). As a result, they decided to give Carol a final “atom bomb” moment where she returns to Manousos with a destructive weapon in hand, determined to wipe out the Others if nothing else works.

Almost throughout its runtime, Pluribus takes a slow-burn approach towards storytelling and only features one major twist. While this works well for the Apple TV sci-fi show, it does not exactly create anticipation for what lies ahead. Owing to this, even the subtler ending would have been fine, but it would not have effectively set the stage for season 2.

The “atom bomb” ending establishes that after briefly empathizing with the Others, Carol, too, has reached the end of her wits and will stop at nothing to reverse the apocalypse. This perfectly paves the way for an exciting and explosive follow-up.

The Alternate Ending Would Not Have Paid Off The Early Atom Bomb Scene From Pluribus Season 1

In one of the most awkwardly funny moments from Pluribus‘ opening arc, Carol has a conversation about atom bombs with one of the Others. She tests how far they would be willing to go to serve her by asking if they would give her an atom bomb. To her surprise, the infected individual claims that they would give her an atomic bomb but also warn her about its dangers.

This sequence made Carol realize that the Others’ top priority is not self-preservation but spreading the infection.

The finale pays this off well when Carol returns home with an atom bomb. It highlights how, despite knowing what Carol might end up doing if things do not go her way, the Others agree to give her an atom bomb. This could also be a perfect story setup for Pluribus season 2, where Carol and Manousos could exploit this weakness of the Others to stop them before it is too late.

Pluribus

8/10

Release Date

November 6, 2025