Vince Gilligan Reveals He Knows How His Sci-Fi Series Will End... At the Moment.
Vince Gilligan could not have predicted that the Apple TV+ show would become a cultural phenomenon. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he remarks. “I did not foresee the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
As the debut season of the acclaimed program reaching its finale—and a second season greenlit and underway—Gilligan and his team opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will shape the future direction of Pluribus.
On the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
Anyone might to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and online debates surrounding Pluribus. He is doing his best to ignore the noise.
“It feels like constantly eating hot fudge sundaes and being in a state of bliss,” he describes. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's intentional. Not once have I Googled myself, nor do I ever intend to. Not because I don't care. It's a rabbit hole I know I would get lost in and then I'd be living in squalor from Home Depot and I'd never leave my living room.”
Regardless of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s it's impossible to ignore the extremely enthusiastic response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to take it in stride and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We don't try to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by online forums.”
“We prefer to keep our noses to the grindstone,” Gilligan adds.
The Central Mystery: Will the showrunner Have a Plan for the Ending of Pluribus?
Considering the writers aren't taking cues by audience theories, can we assume they have mapped out how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? In short yes… in a way.
“We've developed some compelling concepts about how the story could conclude,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to discard a good idea for a more brilliant plan. This approach has served us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we conceive of something superior and I imagine we will be doing that.”
Alternatively, if they hit a wall, executive producer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to use as a backup.
“I keep pitching that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and the characters are inside it,” Smith quips, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Of course, one could always use the classics?
“I'd love for Carol to open her eyes beside Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV+.
