Vince Gilligan Discloses He Knows How His Sci-Fi Series Might Finish... For Now.
Vince Gilligan could not have predicted that the Apple TV+ show would become a massive hit. “God bless the fans,” he remarks. “I was surprised by the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
With the first season of the hit series coming to an end—and a second season greenlit and underway—the creative team reflected on the audience reaction and whether it will influence the future direction of Pluribus.
About the Overwhelming Fan Response
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the widespread acclaim and online debates regarding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is making a conscious effort to steer clear of all that.
“The experience is akin to an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it through word of mouth, and that's by design. I have never searched for my own name online, nor do I ever plan to. Not because I don't care. It's a rabbit hole I know I would get lost in and then I'd be never leaving the house from Home Depot and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
Regardless of his concerted efforts, there’s no way to avoid the immensely favorable response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“We make no attempt to adjust our writing,” says writer and executive producer Alison Tatlock. “Our storytelling is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“Better to keep our focus on the work,” he chimes in.
A Pressing Query: Does Vince Gilligan Have a Plan for the Finale of Pluribus?
Given that the creative staff aren't taking cues by public opinion, does it imply they already know how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… with some caveats.
“There are some interesting ideas about where the show might end up,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to abandon a decent plan for a better idea. That has held us in excellent shape 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 all else fails, director and writer Gordon Smith has a rather amusing 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, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Alternatively, why not reference the classics?
“I want Carol to awaken next to Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus is streaming now on the streaming service.
