The Showrunner Reveals He Knows How The Apple TV+ Show Might Finish... Currently.
Vince Gilligan did not foresee that Pluribus would emerge as a cultural phenomenon. “God bless the fans,” he remarks. “It was unexpected the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
With the first season of the popular sci-fi show wrapping up—and Season 2 greenlit and underway—the writers' room recently discussed the fan response and whether it will shape the future direction of Pluribus.
About the Tremendous Fan Response
One could easily to get sidetracked by the widespread acclaim and online debates about Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is making a conscious effort to ignore the noise.
“It's like being force fed your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's on purpose. Not once have I looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever intend to. It's quite the opposite. It's a bottomless pit I know I would disappear down and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from the hardware store and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
In spite of his concerted efforts, there’s no escaping the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The most practical strategy is to accept it graciously and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“We make no attempt to adjust our writing,” says Alison Tatlock. “Our storytelling is not changed by online forums.”
“We prefer to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan adds.
A Pressing Query: Will Vince Gilligan See the Conclusion of Pluribus?
So if Gilligan and his team aren't taking cues by public opinion, can we assume they have already decided how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? Essentially yes… with some caveats.
“We've developed some compelling concepts about how the story could conclude,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to throw out a good idea for a more brilliant plan. This approach has served us in excellent shape on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course when we conceive of something superior and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
Alternatively, if plans fall through, Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“My recurring proposal is that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and the characters are inside it,” Smith jokes, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Then again, why not reference the iconic TV endings?
“My dream is Carol to wake up in bed beside Bob Newhart,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus can be watched on the streaming service.
