The initial episode of Vince Gilligan’s *Pluribus* is already a remarkable, engaging TV component of the year. Within an hour, Gilligan (*Breaking Bad*, *Better Call Saul*) crafts a mini disaster narrative, narrating the tale of a virus that spreads worldwide, infecting everyone with boundless joy. This virus functions as “psychic glue,” binding the global population into a collective consciousness. Only 12 individuals are left untouched, including the profoundly unhappy Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn).

As Carol navigates through the viral apocalypse and grieves for her partner Helen (Miriam Shor), the infected reach out to her, providing a direct line to Davis Taffler (Peter Bergman), the U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation. Despite Davis being part of a global collective, his closeness to the White House and commanding presence render him the perfect spokesperson to connect with Carol from the White House press room.

To encourage Carol to reach out to Davis, the infected display a phone number — (202) 808-3981 — during a C-SPAN segment featuring Davis in the press room, with news scrolls urging her to make the call. She does, leading to significant uncovering about the situation.

Wondering what happens if *Pluribus* audiences call the number? I tried it, and here’s the positive news: Calling does not infect you with the happiness virus. Instead, you receive a chilling voice message: “Hi, Carol,” it states. “We’re so delighted you called. We can’t wait for you to be part of us.”

It’s foreboding and essentially a shortened version of Davis’ address to Carol, excluding the scientific details of the virus. Following this, the message instructs callers to press 0, vowing a subsequent text. After hitting 0, the call terminates, but shortly after, a text arrives, expressing, “Your life is your own, Carol. You possess agency!”

If you’re interested, you can subscribe for updates from Apple TV. So, if you’d like to have your own Carol Sturka experience, feel free to reach out to the infected. Or not. Keep in mind, your life is your own.

*Pluribus* debuts on Nov. 7 on Apple TV, with new episodes released every Friday.