Pluribus: How Did Helen Die? Details Explored

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

Pluribus introduces audiences to a shocking scenario where humanity encounters an unpredictable crisis. The story opens with astronomers discovering a mysterious signal from space. This signal consists of an RNA sequence that scientists have decided to study. Their experiments lead to catastrophic results that change the world forever.

Among the crises, one character's demise stands out as particularly tragic. Helen, the manager and partner of novelist Carol, meets an unexpected end during the opening episode. As per the story, she died from head trauma after hitting her head on the pavement, even though she had been infected with the virus.

Her death becomes a crucial moment that shapes the complete storyline. Understanding what happened to Helen helps the audience grasp the actual horror of the circumstances. The situation surrounding her last moments reveals crucial details about the virus and its impacts.


The outbreak starts

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Pluribus wastes no time setting the ground for the threat. A researcher named Jenn gets bitten by an infected mouse at a medical center. The bite transfers a mind-controlling virus into her body. At some point, Jenn starts spreading the infection to other individuals through kissing.

The virus spreads rapidly through the population. Meanwhile, Helen and Carol arrive in Albuquerque, unaware of the threat. They visit a bar to relax after Carol's book tour. The two women share a conversation about Carol's writing career. Everything seems ordinary until they step outside for a smoke break.


The tragic moment

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While standing outside the bar, Carol sees strange patterns in the sky. Following that, a man exits the bar and crashes his pickup truck in the parking lot. Carol witnessed this run to help him. She calls out to Helen for help. That is the exact moment when the disaster strikes.

Helen suddenly collapses and limps to the ground. The fall happens without any prior symptoms or warning. Helen hits her head hard during the impact. Carol's phone breaks as she tries to catch her partner.

On the other side, everyone inside the bar starts convulsing violently. Carol realizes something tragic is happening across the whole city.


The desperate drive in Pluribus that resulted in Helen's death

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Carol decides to get Helen to a hospital immediately. She encounters a problem with their rental car. The breathalyser system won't let her drive because she consumed alcohol. Carol makes a fast decision. She takes the unconscious man's pickup truck, loads Helen into the truck bed, and drives to the nearest hospital. The journey reveals the enormous scale of the catastrophe. Fires burn across the skyline of the town.

A cop car sits crashed on the highway. When Carol reaches the hospital, she discovers patients and staff convulsing everywhere. She pulls a stretcher herself as she prepares to move Helen from the truck, and that is when Helen loses her life.


The aftermath of Helen's death in Pluribus

Helen loses her life before Carol can get her onto the stretcher. The end takes place at the hospital parking lot. Here is the crucial detail that Pluribus reveals eventually.

Helen did not die from the virus itself. The fall outside the bar caused severe head trauma. She likely suffered internal bleeding in her brain. The injury proved dangerous before the virus could complete its transformation.

This timing becomes important to understanding the narrative. The hive mind that controls infected people absorbed some of Helen's memories before her life ended. They gained knowledge about Carol through the following partial memories. This explains how the hive has personal details about Carol's life.

Also See: Pluribus: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about the upcoming series by Vince Gilligan


Why is this information crucial for Pluribus

Carol finds out she is immune to the virus. When an infected doctor kisses her out of the sudden hope that she gets infected, he fails. Nothing happens to Carol, and she remains herself while everyone else becomes part of a collective consciousness. The hive mind assumes Carol is a threat to their plans. They want to convert her, but fail.

Helen's death serves different purposes in the story. It displays that the transformative process is not perfect, as people can die from accidents during the convulsions. It also shows the virus's method of spreading. Most importantly, it gives the hives access to more details about Carol. They use Helen's memories to try to manipulate Carol into submission.

Helen's unprecedented death in Pluribus resulted from the head trauma, not the virus, making her loss uniquely disturbing for Carol and the narrative.

Also see: Pluribus: The meaning of the show's title and why Vince Gilligan chose it, explored

Edited by Priscillah Mueni