Rhea Seehorn reacts to that big ‘Pluribus’ kiss: ‘There is a deliberate deception’

Pluribus fans, it’s official: As the Winds of Wycaro’s duneship Mercator sails over Wycaro, so do the ships Carol (Rhea Seehorn) and Zosia (Karolina Wydra) depart.

In episode 8, titled “Charm Offensive,” Carol shares a passionate kiss with Zosia. Technically, this means you are kissing 7 billion other members Pluribus mind. If that gives you a headache, so be it! But that’s the point. Although the kiss is full of bad desire, it also carries many burdens for Carol.

“I think it’s very complicated,” Seehorn told Mashable of Carol’s attitude during their kiss. “There is deliberate self-deception. There are coping mechanisms. You are very fragile.”

While shooting the scene, episode director Melissa Bernstein and Pluribus runner Vince Gilligan reminded Seehorn of the impact others’ departures from Albuquerque had on him. From episodes 5 to 7, he was left alone, save for wild coyotes and a brief conversation about human food with Mr. Diabaté (Samba Schutte).

“He was really defeated by this period of isolation that he went through, not only because of the long time alone, but [because of] the existential crisis of thinking, ‘This is going to be forever. This is going to be for the rest of your life,’” Seehorn explained.

Faced with the reality of constant isolation, Yes, others and their constant need to make Carol happy would seem like soothing medicine. That need is on full display in “The Charm Offensive,” which sees Carol and Zosia playing croquet, getting a couples massage, and taking a walk together, where they spot a passing train. When Carol reveals that she likes the sound of train horns, Zosia uses her hive mind to tell the conductor to blow the horn at that moment. If you forget the alien virus of it all, you’d think it was an act of love! It’s the same for rebuilding Carol’s favorite restaurant in Others, which allows her to relive her best day as a writer.

But even though the Others love each other, make no mistake: Carol still notices that the Others are pulling for her, even when she comes from a foster home. Lest we forget, they chose Zosia as Carol’s “chaperone”. because (his physical resemblance to Wycaro’s romantic hero Raban would make him seem more desirable.)

“Even the restaurant, you know this is a trick, but it’s also an amazing act of kindness,” Seehorn said. “What they do at that diner is one of the first times you see Carol admit to having a happy memory where she actually was instead of finding fault all the time. She talks about the good things about it instead of the bad things about it, and then she gets hit with, ‘Wait a minute, is this all on purpose?’

In the actual kiss scene, Seehorn noted, “Karolina also has a very challenging side to play. Is [the Others] to have tricks? What did they name Carol? Are their feelings real? Can they tell those two things apart from each other?”

Wydra relished that ambiguity, hoping the audience gets to grips with whether they should move on from Carol and Zosia’s romance.

“I want people to think, ‘Wait a second, is Zosia finally moving away from the group, and starting to see her own personality, and really falling for Carol? Are these feelings connected and they’re both going through this at the same time?'” Wydra told Mashable in a separate video interview. “Or does the collection have all the memories [Carol’s late wife] Helen, and do they know what Carol likes and what will tickle and make her happy? The kind of irony I have with her, what is Zosia’s personality really, or does the group want to do anything to please Carol?”

The need to make Carol happy led to an important decision in the kissing scene: that of who to kiss first.

“When we kissed, we were playing about who was leaning on who,” said Seehorn. “In the end, they told Zosia to lean on me, partly because she sees the pain and despair that Carol feels, and that she feels alone. Whether it’s a trick or not, that’s open to the audience’s interpretation.”

Pluribus now streaming on Apple TV. The season 1 finale airs on December 26.