https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONEShChb8qE
Los Pollos Hermanos is a fictional restaurant in Breaking Bad. I translate the name as "The Chicken Brothers".
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Severance Season 2
I previously wrote that Pluribus and Severance are shows about different forms of mind control, but the show Severance is also a form of mind control, which works by presenting the viewer with several mysteries that don't make any sense and dragging out those mysteries as long as possible to keep people watching. The show will occasionally give the audience an answer to a question that they are yearning to know, but add a couple of new mysteries to keep them hooked. This works very effectively, but leaves me unsatisfied.
Severance is a science fiction soap opera. The characters are so good that we care about what happens to them, which is another mystery that the show drags out as long as it can get away with.
Another series, The X-Files, followed a similar "mystery box" formula, keeping the audience in the dark for as long as possible, but I quickly lost patience with the show.
Compare this to another Apple TV science fiction series, Pluribus, which is so rich in detail that I watched the first four episodes four times each. However, I can't see myself rewatching Severance, because the viewing experience is all about getting the answers to the mysteries that the show presents. Nor do I think that Severance is a particularly rich show; season 2 is essentially a ramped up version of season 1. Naturally, the second season ends on a cliffhanger, but it is one that is so chaotic that like the first season ending, it is hard to imagine where the show goes from here. If season 3 repeats the same formula, I expect that the audience will get bored with it.
I keep going back to the fact that the series really doesn't make any sense; there are so many elements of this show that are weird. I am strongly reminded of a British 1960s science fiction TV series called "The Prisoner", which is about a retired intelligence agent imprisoned on a strange island with strange people who are also prisoners. His captors want to know why the main character chose to leave the intelligence service, and subject him to different experiences as a form of interrogation. The show is best described as "trippy", which especially applies to the bizarre ending.
Severance second season has a couple of episodes that feel like filler. These drag on too long and don't serve much purpose, so they could have condensed the 10 episode season down to 8 or 9.
Of course, I will watch Season 3 when it comes out in 2027 because I want to know how the story ends, so it appears to me that I really am being mind controlled.
Is "Pluribus" Scientific?
I complained after episode 2 that if the "afflicted" could not kill a bug then they would have a hard time doing the agriculture necessary to keep the human race alive. It rules out pesticides. Then in episode 6, they take that idea to an extreme level.
In terms of science, the illogic of the hive mind is not an issue, because humans are often illogical and more so in groups. However, I complained that Carol and the others should have tried to persuade the Hive Mind about the necessity of agriculture. It is not harming a plant to pick a fruit, because this is part of the natural life cycle of plants; it is how they spread their seeds, which is to be consumed by animals.
I have a video that talks about why "Pluribus" is not hard science fiction like "The Expanse". The only real issue scientifically is how the Hive mind communicates and controls its members. In episode 8 they talk about that briefly. However, I have a theory that maybe their communication is short ranged, and that prior to the mass joining they hijacked the cell phone networks to relay the signals. I have been asking since episode 1, why were the cell networks down? The show doesn't throw out details like this without it having some significance.
In terms of science, the illogic of the hive mind is not an issue, because humans are often illogical and more so in groups. However, I complained that Carol and the others should have tried to persuade the Hive Mind about the necessity of agriculture. It is not harming a plant to pick a fruit, because this is part of the natural life cycle of plants; it is how they spread their seeds, which is to be consumed by animals.
I have a video that talks about why "Pluribus" is not hard science fiction like "The Expanse". The only real issue scientifically is how the Hive mind communicates and controls its members. In episode 8 they talk about that briefly. However, I have a theory that maybe their communication is short ranged, and that prior to the mass joining they hijacked the cell phone networks to relay the signals. I have been asking since episode 1, why were the cell networks down? The show doesn't throw out details like this without it having some significance.
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Severance and Pluribus
Severance and Pluribus have a few minor things in common. They are both science fiction shows produced by Apple TV whose stories involve some sort of mind control. They both have nine episodes in their first seasons, serial story lines, gay characters, and oddly enough, baby goats as part of the story.
Offhand, I don't find either premise believable. Pluribus is about a world hive-mind caused by an alien virus. Severance is about a form of corporate mind control where a person's work memories are artificially separated from their non-work memories, so people don't remember their jobs when they leave the office, and likewise they don't remember their outside lives when they are working. Although Pluribus is very unlikely to happen, Severance makes even less sense to me, because this would be a very impractical way to manage a workforce.
Pluribus could be interpreted as a metaphor for many things, such as AI, social media, the Internet, communism, or a religious cult. It is a very layered show.
Severance isn't as layered and doesn't hide its religious cult references, but instead makes them very clear. There are parallels with multiple cults, but in particular the show reminds me of Scientology. It is also anti-corporate, as its characters work in a very sterile environment with ridiculously long white hallways that seem to go on forever. The company treats the employees like slaves with little regard for their human rights or their sanity. One of the side characters writes a book reminiscent of The Communist Manifesto attacking the way people have to work, so maybe the show is a satire on corporate life. The series is portrayed as a weird kind of Hell.
Severance depends on cliffhangers at the end of each episode to keep the audience watching. The nine episodes are one continuous story with each episode picking up where the last one left off. This caused me to binge-watch the first season because those cliffhangers are very effective; they make you want to see what happens next. Whereas Pluribus tells you what is happening right away, Severance keeps the audience in the dark, which is another way the show is addictive.
Although Pluribus also has cliffhangers, the individual episodes are more self contained with stories that mostly resolve by the end of each episode. Severance takes place in a very limited corporate environment giving the viewer a sense of confinement, but Pluribus covers enough locations to make the story feel global.
Severance is a good show, but Pluribus is better in every regard. The acting, the story, and the cinematography are all fantastic.
Pluribus cost around $15 million per episode to make, but Severance cost around $20 million per episode.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Friday, January 16, 2026
Clip from Fallout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0GvHMQQi3k
This series is based on a video game. I mostly liked it but had mixed feelings about it.
Re: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Series Premiere
1 day ago
Is this before or after Palpatine returned somehow?
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Series Premiere (S1,E1) | "Kids These Days" Full Episode | Paramount+
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0sjDkoNgfY
People have been trying to make a Star Trek Academy series or movie for over 30 years. Now they have finally done it.
The story takes place in the Star Trek Discovery timeline, which is centuries past what most people think of as Star Trek. In Discovery, there was an incident called "the burn" that destroyed all warp capable ships in the galaxy and forced most space faring civilizations to start over. I don't remember for sure, but I think that they discovered the cause of this disaster and fixed it.
There are many YouTubers who hate this new show, but a few who like it. Whereas some people think that Holly Hunter makes for a terrible starship captain, others enjoy her quirky charm.
I think that the first episode has a few minor flaws, but makes for passable entertainment.
How well a person enjoys a show like this depends much on their expectations. One complaint that I hear is that the show feels like a high school drama in Star Trek. I agree with one person who said that what the fans really want is a serious drama about exploring space, and not this.
The ship has too much eye candy. It is like a pinball machine. However, it is fun to look at. The show costs about $15 million per episode to make
The series takes diversity to an extreme level. Almost every Star Trek species is a student or instructor at this academy. It is in danger of becoming a self-parody.
The Disturbing Truth Behind PLURIBUS (It’s Not What You Think)
0 seconds ago
Pluribus does not represent free markets, where individuals are free to make decisions.
Pluribus represents the evils of collectivism. The system suppresses the individual and is unsustainable.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
"The Blackout" movie
The joke here is that the biological weapon launched 200,000 years ago to subdue the planet was the human race.
This movie has borderline ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. It is a Russian made film that is dubbed. The last part of the dialog doesn't sound great to me.
The premise seems interesting. It is streaming on multiple services. I will have to watch it and see if I like it.
The look and sound of the alien reminds me of characters on the TV series Stargate Atlantis.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Playlist stats
My Star Wars playlist, which is public, has 5 views.
My Pluribus playlist has 2,259 views, and it grows by up to 100 views every day.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Finch - movie
I've never heard of this movie, which is surprising since it stars Tom Hanks. Watching it now on Apple TV.
I loved this french ad, so I dubbed it - YouTube
This is like an argument for vegetarianism, which I will never do.
But it is cute...
Intermarché is a major French supermarket chain, part of the larger Les Mousquetaires retail group, known for its hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores, operating primarily in France, Belgium, Poland, and Portugal. They focus on a "producers & traders" model, controlling the supply chain from farm to fork, offering fresh produce, groceries, organic options, and private labels
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Map of all Pluribus survivors with photos and bios
There is not much more to say about the show Pluriubs, but this map is interesting.
This is a map of all the 13 people naturally immune to the alien virus in the show. We have only seen six of these people besides Carol Sturka. Carol met five of these people in the second episode, but her confrontational personality alienated them.
Six characters have only been talked about and maybe we will never see them.
I find it interesting that four of these people are from Asia because the area near China contains 1/4 of the world's population.
Likewise, three of the people come from Muslim countries and two come from Hindu countries.
If the show wanted to be representative of the world, I think that it succeeded.
I just expressed my one gripe to a friend that Carol didn't make an effort to reconcile and commune with the other immune people. This had consequences later.
I've been collecting Pluribus clips for a couple of months and I put them into a playlist. I was obsessed with this show, but now I am moving on.
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
WHAT IS PLURIBUS? | Six Disturbing Theories
1 minute ago
There is a much simpler explanation. This started as a virus that, like all viruses, tries to spread at all costs. Becoming interplanetary is just the next step.
The human race has a disease. The show doesn't explore this, but somebody should be looking at anti-viral drugs.
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Pluribus Cell Networks and Other Issues
I have been wondering since episode 1 of Pluribus why the cell networks are down? It wouldn't be necessary unless the hive wants to save power for a network it doesn't need.
We learn later that the unafflicted can do Zoom calls. This implies that there is still an Internet, but we never see it used in the show, which is odd. (Some of us live on the Internet.)
I find it hard to believe that the body's electrical power could do long distance communication. I have suspected from the beginning that the communication is short range and the Hive Mind is using something like cell towers to relay the signal. Hypothetically, they could have hacked the cell networks before the Joining.
Like The Matrix, I am wondering if there is a central mastermind or central control center? They imply that there is no central control, but I don't believe it. I think that there would have to be. However, having a Hive Mind "queen" would be too much like "The Borg".
Finally, I saw a YouTuber refer to the afflicted as "diseased." The show doesn't promote this perspective, but it would seem to make more sense to look at the Joining as a disease. I'm surprised that the show doesn't bring this up, but maybe the cure is medical, like antiviral drugs.
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Stephen King Raises Reasonable Concerns Over Pluribus' Apple TV Future
Given the reported two years it will take to make a whole second season, I think that they should release one episode per month, starting a year from now. The anticipation will be terrible, but it might be better than waiting 2 years. It would also keep those Apple TV+ subscriptions going.
It might piss off a few fans.
On Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM Larry wrote:
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Sunday, December 28, 2025
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Wacky Races (2025) | First Live-Action Trailer | Jim Carrey & John Cena
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkZP9tRGsAk
Pity that this is just an AI generated parody. It might make for an interesting movie.
It is based upon a 1968 cartoon. I thought that it was dumb even back then.
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Monday, December 22, 2025
Pluribus
The Arby's app shows promotional offers after you buy something using the app. It offered me a free Apple TV+ subscription for 30 days, which I took full advantage of.
For newcomers, the Apple TV+ site will also offer a free one week trial.
I already stated that I am addicted to Pluribus. It is an extremely well written show from the makers of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
I have been saving YouTube videos about the show. There are enough clips here to give away the whole story if you are interested.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Pluribus
I'm addicted to Pluribus. It might be the best television show right now.
The Apple TV+ show is so popular that people have been making YouTube videos about it week after week. I have been collecting some of these videos into a playlist.
There are enough official and unofficial clips along with discussion to give away the whole story. If you don't want to see spoilers then don't watch. However, if you want to get some idea of what the show is about then you might want to check it out.
Friday, December 12, 2025
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