Carlos Manuel Vesga explains how he built Manousos, his character in “Pluribus”, as a Colombian immigrant whose experience of exile and loss fuels his resistance to an alien hive mind. One of only 13 people not absorbed into “the joining”, Manousos rejects its help and undertakes a determined journey to find Carol, believing she may help save the world.

Vesga drew on Colombian details, including a frog game painted with the national flag in Manousos’ office, as well as the character’s work ethic and cultural Catholicism. He describes Manousos’ journey as a pilgrimage: he learns English through repeated beginner phrases used as mantras, while isolated filming locations reinforced the character’s solitude and sense of purpose.