Lethe

i know zosia is the person everybody wants unplurbed the most and she probably will be the first, but kusimayu and ravi both beat her on my list

finally finished season 1 and i simply can’t be moved on this unless we get some new information on how the plurb functions in season two. thematically speaking i don’t think it’s cut and dry “hivemind bad carol good”, but plot-wise it kind of is lol

something about the hive as the kind of person who will make you feel like everything in your relationship with them is your responsibility. not that they necessarily put blame on you directly or that they see it that way, but their actions will always make you feel like everything is your fault somehow. your responsibility to make it go right, your responsibility if it falls apart. "we're the ones who left and said we needed space but it's all on you to ask us to come back. why didn't you simply ask sooner?" "we don't want to hurt or upset you, so if you're feeling hurt that has nothing to do with us." (sorry you feel that way approach rather than actual apologizing for their actions because they view their actions as righteous) "we only want you to be happy, so why can't you just be happy?"

Carol falling for it and thinking she and Zosia had something unique and special was devastating but it really exemplifies how effective the hive's manipulation is. Zosia was a complete stranger to her but they successfully made her feel special and chosen by targeting her weak spots. Now imagine if Helen hadn't died, and had said "we love him the same as you" about Manousos to her. Imagine Laxmi's son or husband telling her they love Carol as much as her. It would be impossible to register, mind breaking even, but it would be true, because the hive is *not* Laxmi's son, or Carol's wife. It has their memories, not their feelings, and it never can. The hive simply relies on the uninfected filling in the gaps of emotion it can't genuinely express.