Vince Gilligan Shares He Has an Idea of How Pluribus Will End... At the Moment.
The creative mastermind did not foresee that his new science-fiction series would turn into a massive hit. “God bless the fans,” Gilligan says. “I was surprised by the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
With the first season of the popular sci-fi show wrapping up—and a second season greenlit and underway—the writers' room opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will impact the future direction of Pluribus.
Regarding the Incredible Viewer Reception
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the rampant praise and audience predictions about Pluribus. The creator is doing his best to ignore the noise.
“The experience is akin to force fed something incredibly sweet and being in a state of bliss,” he explains. “It's amazing, but I learn of it from others, and that's by design. I have never searched for my own name online, 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 never leave my living room.”
Despite Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no way to avoid the immensely favorable response to the series. The most practical strategy is to take it in stride and try not to let it alter the course of the show.
“We don't try to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “Our storytelling is not influenced by what people are saying.”
“We prefer to keep our noses to the grindstone,” he chimes in.
The Big Question: Does the showrunner See the Ending of Pluribus?
So if the creative staff aren’t being guided by public opinion, does it imply they have already decided how Pluribus will finally conclude? In short yes… with some caveats.
“We have some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “however, we remain prepared to discard a decent plan for a superior concept. This approach has served us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We throw stuff out when we get a better idea and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
Alternatively, if plans fall through, executive producer Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to use as a backup.
“I keep pitching that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and the characters are inside it,” Smith jokes, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Alternatively, why not reference the classics?
“My dream is Carol to open her eyes with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV+.