"Within the mythos of Star Trek, the concept of the hive mind of the Borg is one of the best double-edged swords in all of science fiction. On the one hand, the Borg brutally deprive a person of their individuality and turn them into worker drones, working toward a vague idea of complete perfection for the Collective, and (sometimes) a Borg Queen. But, on the other hand, being part of the Collective is sometimes ephorphic, and is presented as the ultimate cure for loneliness."
"Without a doubt, "The Gap" is the loneliest episode of Pluribus, following Carol (Rhea Seehorn) and Manousos (Carlos Manuel Vesga) as each tries to survive without going nuts. The contrast here is clear: Carol has no problem cynically calling up the Others and asking them to deliver her all sorts of things, from gas to a Gatarode. Meanwhile, Manousos refuses all help from the others, including gas and food."
Within Star Trek, the Borg hive mind illustrates both brutal eradication of individuality and an alluring cure for loneliness. Pluribus' episode "The Gap" parallels that duality by portraying a Collective called the Others and the Joining. Carol uses the Others pragmatically and hides her loneliness, while Manousos rejects the Collective, insisting on future restoration of individual minds. Both characters struggle to survive alone: Carol paints a plea for the Others to return, and Manousos ends up airlifted from a remote jungle after a near‑fatal collapse. The episode suggests shared consciousness can be simultaneously oppressive, socially transformative, and necessary for human survival.
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