What does it mean to be happy? Is it being free of cares, or does that merely grant calm and contentment? Is it losing yourself in the moment, enraptured by music or art, or is that mere euphoria? Or is true happiness only found in the love we bear for others, whether family, friends, or partners?

Vince Gilligan’s new series, Pluribus, seems to be digging into this question, among many others, and I’ll admit that I’m fascinated. Both on a personal level, as someone who finds happiness hard to define and achieve, and as a writer who enjoys fiction that engages with knotty questions about human nature.

(Naturally, there will be spoilers below the cut. Pluribus, though not quite finished with its first season, is well worth knowing as little as possible about before tackling.)