Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus is Apple TV’s most recent gift to anyone who loves a good piece of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. The show’s basic theme of human connection resonates deeply with viewers; the proof is its 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Premiering on November 7, 2025, Pluribus bears a striking resemblance to a significant aspect of Sense8, which arrived on Netflix a decade earlier.
Let’s get one thing straight, both shows tell similar stories but on different scales. Pluribus paints a picture of what happens when the whole world is connected to one mind, and Sense8 explores similar effects of mental connection, but on a more personal level. The Wachowskis, who created this hugely underappreciated Netflix gem, are also the same people behind The Matrix. Sense8 delivers a story about eight people across the globe who suddenly discover that their minds are psychically connected. Their collective journey of self-discovery offers ample insight into the beating heart of Pluribus.
Global Mind vs. Shared Soul: The Key Difference Between ‘Pluribus’ and ‘Sense8’
As mentioned earlier, both series are cut from the same cloth, but there are a few nuances in how the creators of each show approached the crux of the matter. In Pluribus, the shared connection is treated as a global mind crisis that leads to the fear of losing oneself. The “Joining” is an alien virus that strips practically everyone on earth of their identity, turning them into a single, peaceful group called the “Others”. The main tension here comes from the lead character, Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a romance novelist who learns in Episode 1, “We is Us,” that she is one of only 12 people left in the world who are immune to the virus. Her journey is a story about the weight of being an individual in a world that has become one. This path includes losing her partner and, literally, causing massive casualties worldwide when she justifiably freaks out about it.
The scale of the connection in Sense8 is quite smaller by comparison and a bit less catastrophic. Here, it’s eight people instead of billions; meanwhile, the connection is more soulful and strong compared to the brittle state of the “Others” in Pluribus. These eight individuals, which include Capheus (played by Aml Ameen in Season 1 and Toby Onwumere from Season 2), Sun (Bae Doona), Riley (Tuppence Middleton), Kala (Tina Desai), Wolfgang (Max Riemelt), Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre), Will (Brian J. Smith), and Nomi (Jamie Clayton), don’t lose who they are at their core. Instead, they “visit” each other, lending their unique talents whenever any member of their cluster needs them. A prime example of this occurs in Season 1, Episode 3, “Smart Money Is On The Skinny Bitch”. Here, Capheus taps into Sun’s fighting skills and Will’s incredible marksmanship to defeat the bandits who try to steal the AIDS medicine he bought for his mother. The connection in this case is a superpower, and not a threat to the world. The only downside is that they’re being hunted for their unique gift.
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What ‘Sense8’ Gets Right About Connection That ‘Pluribus’ Is Still Exploring
At the moment, the deep emotional potential in Pluribus is still unfolding. The show emphasizes that these connections can just as easily build as they can destroy. The meeting between the English-speaking survivors in Episode 2, “Pirate Lady”, shows this clearly. In that instance, it’s clear that the other four have accepted the new order of things, while Carol remains resolute in her refusal to lose herself. Essentially, Pluribus is set up to explore the negative aspects of mind connection.
Sense8, on the other hand, treaded a similar path, albeit from the perspective of how great things can be when you’re completely in sync with someone, or in this case, seven someones. Nothing encapsulates this ideal like the iconic scene in Episode 4, “What’s Going On?” where Wolfgang sings 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” at a karaoke bar, and the whole cluster sings it together. They laugh, smile, cry, and feel free at the same time. That moment right there lives rent-free in your head because it’s when the series stops feeling like sci-fi and starts feeling more personal and spiritual.
The mental link also means they don’t just hear about each other’s problems, they feel them too. For instance, when Lito fears that coming out as gay would negatively affect his acting career, the cluster feels it too. When Nomi is hurt by her family’s refusal to accept her Trans identity, the cluster feels that pain with her, and when Kala is grappling with her desire for a man, Wolfgang, outside her arranged marriage, the entire cluster feels her frustration. Ultimately, every sweet and painful moment is shared, but each person feels it through a filter of their personal issues. This ultimately sets Sense8 apart. While we’re witnessing the mind connection from Carol’s perspective as an outsider looking in, Sense8 takes on the journey with the cluster, feeling every heartbreak, every joy, and every pain alongside them. As a result, when Carol is sceptical about The Others, we are too, and when Sense8‘s cluster appreciate their connection, we do. This emphasizes the fact that the lens through which we view a story determines who we end up rooting for.
So, if you’re looking for a palette cleanser in between the identity crises that Pluribus explores, Sense8 is the perfect watch. It serves up the emotional payoff that Pluribus is only beginning to sink its teeth into. One show gives you the big-picture, world-shaking version of shared consciousness. The other gives you the human version that hits you right in the chest.
Add Sense8 to your Netflix list today, and allow it deepen everything you already love about Pluribus.
