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How Google Earth leaked a major twist in 'Pluribus' Episode 7 before it aired

A Reddit user recently shared a Google Earth image showing the words "Come Back" written on a pavement

No matter how hard Vince Gilligan and Apple TV+ try to keep the plot details surrounding 'Pluribus' under wraps, eagle-eyed fans of the show will always find a way to leak spoilers. This was especially the case when an important piece of narrative information was leaked by a Reddit user via Google Earth imagery! The most recently aired episode of the Apple TV+ was titled 'The Gap' and featured a juxtaposition of the two stories of Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka and Carlos Manuel Vesga's Manousos Oveido as they tried to come to terms with the Joining in their own ways. 

As per an earlier Decider report, a Reddit user by the name of @Jjhend took to the social media platform and wrote about the surprising discovery on the r/pluribustv sub-reddit. Speaking about the filming locations and the set design of the Apple TV+ show, Gilligan had previously revealed to Esquire that he had the entire cul-de-sac where Carol resides built from scratch. The entire set was built with real-life fixtures and featured seven real houses. Gilligan had remarked: "The cul-de-sac is the biggest set build I have ever written for, and it beats all the previous records for sets we built on the last two shows. The landscape is real and needed to be cared for. We had an astounding group of talented people." 

The redditor was aware of the existence of the set and looked it up on Google Earth. As they explained in the Reddit post: "After hearing that VG had a whole neighborhood built, I wanted to check it out for myself. To my surprise, there is a huge message painted in Carol's cul-de-sac that says "Come Back". I would assume this is directed towards the Hive, which would mean they completely cut off contact with Carol, and she is trying to get their attention..." 

A cursory search on Google Earth for the coordinates “35°09’55.4″N 106°44’46.4″W” would provide a normal aerial view of the sprawling set in the present day. However, if one were to avail 'Historical Imagery' and browse to August 2024, the words "Come Back" in white painted letters can be distinctly seen etched on the pavement at the centre of the landscape. Travelling further back in time, the letters disappear in August 2023 when the set was being built. 

To recall, before 'Pluribus' Episode 7 aired, the hive-mind had deliberately taken some time off from Carol, owing to the latter's dogged persuasion of the process that would revert the Joined to their former selves. Notably, the seventh episode, which saw Carol battling loneliness, revealed that she did indeed paint the words "Come Back" on the street.