The Prestige TV Podcast - Pluribus Season 1 Finale: "La Chica o El Mundo” + End of Year Mailbag (Dec 24, 2025)
Episode Overview
Joanna Robinson and Rob Mahoney join together for the year’s final Prestige TV Podcast episode, blending a comprehensive breakdown of the Pluribus Season 1 finale, "La Chica o El Mundo," with an end-of-year mailbag. They deliver deep analysis on the show's structural choices, character arcs, and philosophical questions, before shifting to listener questions and their favorite TV moments of 2025. The duo reflects on their own podcasting partnership and previews what’s on their radar for the coming year.
Pluribus Finale Deep Dive
Did "La Chica o El Mundo" Feel Like a Finale?
- Modern Finale Trends ([03:43]): Rob notes a "2025" trend of finales ending more as prelude to further action:
“We build up to an ‘okay, now the action is about to start.’ In some ways, that is classic TV… the cliffhanger is, okay, now we’re starting.” - Rob ([03:43])
- Joanna references “Alien Earth” as a similar case, but finds Pluribus’s finale “a bit better.”
- The hosts debate if the atom bomb reveal (“dropping the atom bomb in the cul-de-sac”) is a satisfying season-ending move.
The Atom Bomb Reveal & Breaking Bad Comparison
- Joanna cites Vince Gilligan’s “machine gun in the trunk” trick from Breaking Bad as a point of comparison ([05:00]):
“Breaking Bad became famous for this thing… ‘let’s come up with a scenario and then challenge ourselves to write ourselves out of it.’” - Joanna ([05:05])
- Both hosts wonder whether the Pluribus writers truly know what they’ll do with the bomb, agreeing that skilled writers can work out a satisfying payoff.
Carol’s Arc: From Sceptic to Seduced
- The podcast spends considerable time dissecting Carol’s disappointing choices this episode:
"This is my lowest Carol episode." - Joanna ([11:44]) "I was most disappointed in her, I guess, inside of this episode..." ([11:45])
- Rob agrees Carol’s delayed reaction to plot developments (particularly the "eggs reveal") stretches believability for such a careful character:
"You have to know, from the moment they say stem cell, like, how are you not taking a personal inventory..." - Rob ([12:42])
- They discuss the effect of modern fandom (Reddit and podcasting itself) on expectations for plot “twists.”
Hive Mind, Individuality, and Loss
The Kusamayu Cold Open
- Joanna and Rob rave about the cold open’s depiction of cultural erasure in a Peruvian village:
“Watching this vibrant village...and then as soon as she's converted, it's just, like, silent, right? No need for music anymore, no need for talking...” - Joanna ([21:54]) "The dropout of the music in particular... If you are electromagnetically linked to every other being in existence, do you even need to make art?" - Rob ([24:06])
- They reflect on the show’s existential questions: Is it living if there isn’t art? Are silent, “perfect” hive babies a compelling vision of progress?
Carol, Zosya, Minusos: Relationships & Manipulation
- The Carol/Zosya relationship is examined for its complexity and the show's depiction of manipulation (“the seductive, placating comfort Zosya offers Carol”).
- Minusos is praised for his resourcefulness and philosophical consistency, especially in the context of drone surveillance and the growing atmosphere of distrust.
- Carol’s shifting allegiance—ultimately triggered not by abstract principles but a direct, personal threat—is seen as both believable and “disappointing” in a realistic way.
Memorable Quotes
- “She answers the girl or the world very emphatically two thirds of the way through this episode. And she picks the girl...” – Rob ([21:31])
- "You don't want to be treated like—no one wants to be snapped at. That's fine, Carol. I support you in that. Please mind the fact that you are essentially snapping at Zosya around you." – Joanna ([11:02])
- “Is it evil to regard the life of an ant and the life of a human completely equally? Is that evil?” – Rob ([41:25])
Listener Mailbag Highlights
The Podcasting Pair’s Origin Story
- Rob and Joanna trace their first pod back “longer than you think” – first on Fleishman Is In Trouble ([53:12]), thanks to “Bill Simmons matchmaking.”
- “If you want to hear our first conversation together, it’s ‘Fleishman is in Trouble.’” – Joanna ([53:47])
Anticipated TV in 2026
- Rob’s picks: Paradise, The Pit S2, Buffy reboot, Beef S2, and always ready for Dan Stevens in anything ([57:32]).
- Joanna flags Lanterns (HBO), Marvel’s Wonder Man, Vision Quest, Vampire Lestat (S3 of Interview with a Vampire), and possible Buffy coverage with all three main hosts ([59:21]).
Top Shows of 2025 (Their Top 5s)
-
Joanna:
- Andor S2
- The Pit
- Task
- Adolescence
- Heated Rivalry ([67:03])
-
Rob:
- The Pit
- Adolescence
- Severance
- Task
- Pluribus ([68:21])
-
On Heated Rivalry:
"Is it erotica? I don't know. I don't think so. It's muddy hockey softcore." – Joanna ([69:25])
Show Crossovers, Theme Songs, Adaptation Wishlist
- Dream character crossovers include:
- “Jackson Lamb at the White Lotus”
- “Nurse Dana from The Pit in Task’s world”
- “Maeve and the kids at White Lotus (non-murdery edition)” ([75:59])
- Theme song preferences:
- Rob: Justified’s “Gangsta Grass,” True Blood, love for old-school intros ([81:06])
- Joanna: Buffy (“would never skip”), Mad Men, Friday Night Lights ([79:46])
- Book adaptations wished-for:
- Joanna: Tamora Pierce’s Alanna, Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee, Penny Reid’s “Winston Brothers” romance novels, Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House series ([83:17])
Notable Quotes
- “You drizzle me into the fryer a little bit, all of a sudden become one solid piece of fried dough...that contains multitudes, that's impossible to pin down, and yet, I would hope, accessible in a pinch.” – Rob, on being an apple fritter ([94:57])
- “Deeply, deeply bittersweet chocolate. Like, really, really, really bitter… but at the end of the day, it goes well with the whole year and you come out at the end of the year with something like, actually quite wonderful.” – Joanna, on what kind of donut her 2025 has been ([96:05])
Final Reflections & Thank Yous
- Joanna and Rob express immense gratitude for their emailers:
“Our listenership… so smart, so dialed in. Genuinely pretty kind, which is nice.” – Joanna ([98:25])
- Special thanks go out to their team and producers, with a promise to return in 2026 “perhaps to see Twin Peaks: The Return together in LA” ([97:44]).
Conclusion:
This episode delivers a thorough, insightful wrap-up of Pluribus Season 1 and the year’s best television. Through sharp critique, playful banter, and heartfelt appreciation for TV and fans alike, Joanna and Rob offer a layered listening experience for anyone passionate about modern television—and are primed to return for an ambitious slate next year.
Key Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment / Quote / Topic | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:43 | "Did this feel like a finale to you?”—Finale structure discussion | | 05:00 | Breaking Bad machine gun analogy / atom bomb twist debate | | 11:44 | Joanna: "This is my lowest Carol episode." — Character critique | | 21:31 | Rob: "She picks the girl." — Carol's allegiance analysis | | 21:54 | Cold open: Loss of culture, hive mind loss | | 41:25 | “Is it evil to regard the life of an ant and the life of a human equally?” | | 53:12 | When did Joanna and Rob start podcasting together? | | 57:32 | 2026 anticipated show list | | 67:03 | Top 5 shows of 2025 (Joanna & Rob) | | 75:59 | Dream TV show crossovers | | 79:46 | Theme songs: why they matter | | 94:57 | Rob: apple fritter personality analogy | | 96:05 | Joanna: a bittersweet chocolate donut year | | 98:25 | Thanks to emailers/listeners |
Selected Notable Quotes
- “Your mileage may vary on how they decided to use the machine gun at the end of Breaking Bad, but I’m curious if they know what they’re going to do with this atomic bomb in a crate in the cul-de-sac.” — Joanna, [07:25]
- “It’s a Breaking Bad kind of arc... fast-forwarded over the course of one season.” — Rob, on Carol’s season arc ([44:01])
- “Is it even living if there isn’t art?” — Joanna, recurring theme ([25:00])
- “I feel really lucky that something like this exists that constantly inspires these… questions.” — Joanna ([47:49])
For New or Returning Listeners:
This summary gives you a full overview of the finale’s analysis, the season’s themes, and where Joanna and Rob see TV heading in 2026. The episode is both a philosophical deep dive on Pluribus and a warm, insightful year-end podcast for anyone who loves smart TV talk.