Our two protagonists — Carol and Manousos — experience drastic changes in their attitude toward existence as they know it. Carol, now knowledgeable that the Hive cannot change her without consent, relinquishes her defenses. And Manousos finally reaches out for a desperate opportunity to connect.

Carol returns to Albuquerque from Las Vegas, immediately humming to herself, something she was not doing before. With a new sense of freedom from a pending doom, she begins to indulge the Hive’s willingness to serve and the absence of other life. She takes up golfing, visits a hot spring, and celebrates Helen at one of their favorite restaurants. All the while, singing to herself, with the final song being a piano rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” It seems she’s allowing herself to process all her feelings — abandonment, grief — at once.

However, this joy does not last long. Carol’s freedom soon turns self-destructive, highlighted by the American enjoyment of beer and fireworks. At a particular low, she’s inches from dying by suicide as her home is set ablaze by a firework mishap. Carol eventually succumbs to the truth: she seeks community. In a desperate plea, she paints the message “Come back” in her cul-de-sac, prompting Zosia to return. Carol tearfully embraces the Hive “friend.”

Below the equator, Manousos has received Carol’s message and decides to venture out of his storage unit sanctuary. On his trek, he learns English and makes sure to bypass all assistance from the Hive. He comes to a literal gap, a vast jungle separating him from his destination. Rather than accept a flight from the Hive, Manousos bullies through the dangerous jungle. To his dismay, he falls into a prickly situation, leaving him severely wounded. The last thing he sees is a helicopter hovering above.

Another excellent episode with powerful performances from both Rhea Seehorn and Carlos-Manuel Vesga. It’s interesting to see Carol and Manousos experience the same Hive, but present different results. Carol’s fight for normalcy seems to stem from an individualistic need for autonomy, which is important. However, Manousos addressed the Hive as colonizers, a phrase that could only be utilized given his lived experience in the world. Carol’s life as a white woman of particular wealth and notoriety was enabled by certain privileges, despite her queerdom. Manousos’s disdain for the alien entity is a more worldly perspective — an us vs. them, rather than me vs. them mentality.

Rating: 10/10