Apple TVApple TV has dropped another winner of an ad to celebrate Pluribus becoming its most popular show, but it’s left fans concerned after the viral smart fridge incident.
Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan at the helm, an impeccable cast, an intriguing sci-fi dystopian plot, and stunning cinematography are just some of the reasons Pluribus is one of the best TV shows of 2025.
The marketing campaign for the series has been well in line with its Severance-coded tone, involving a series of mysterious and often meta in-universe jokes such as a working phone number that puts you through to the hive mind.
Following the release of Episode 7, Apple TV took to social media to reveal that Pluribus is now the streaming service’s most watched show ever, beating out the likes of Severance and Ted Lasso.
Pluribus ad tells Carol “everyone’s watching”
To mark the occasion, Pluribus fans spotted a series of new billboards featuring the words, “Everyone’s watching, Carol.” It’s yet another brilliant banner that’s written as if the hive mind is speaking directly to Carol (Rhea Seehorn).
However, some fans have raised concerns about whether it might give non-watchers a fright, especially after the news that a similar ad allegedly led to a woman being hospitalized.
You see, earlier this month, a Redditor said that her sister has schizophrenia and a history of psychotic episodes – she also happens to be named Carol.
When an ad appeared on her smart fridge saying, “We’re sorry we upset you, Carol,” the sister took herself to A&E believing she was experiencing a psychotic episode.
The post’s legitimacy has since come into question after a man revealed that the smart fridge image was originally captured and shared by him, and that the top comment on his post said, “‘Just imagine your name is Carol, you’re in psychosis, and you see this on your fridge.”
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Even so, the latest billboard (which sounds even more ominous than the last) has reignited discussions about how terrifying this would be if you’re named Carol and you don’t watch the show.
“They’re gonna send another woman named Carol into psychosis aren’t they,” wrote one, while another asked, “Didn’t a woman named Carol get an ad on her fridge along these lines and have a psychiatric episode because of it?”
But not everyone was worried, with one pointing out that the psychotic episode post was “most likely… creative writing not actual occurrence.”
Others praised Apple TV for its innovative marketing campaign. “I love the marketing for this show,” said one, while another commented, “Very clever.”
A third added, “The voicemail message was a bit passive aggressive, but this is sinister. I wonder if it would be visible from her house, or on the way to the store?”
For more on Pluribus, read about why the Darién Gap is so dangerous, a theory about the “perfect ending” for Carol, and why you shouldn’t expect an M. Night Shyamalan style twist in the show.