The Showrunner Reveals He Has an Idea of How Pluribus Might Finish... At the Moment.
Vince Gilligan never anticipated that Pluribus would emerge as a cultural phenomenon. “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.”
As the debut season of the acclaimed sci-fi show reaching its finale—and a second season already in development—Gilligan and his team recently discussed the viewer reception and whether it will shape the narrative path of Pluribus.
On the Tremendous Audience Reaction
One could easily to get swayed by the constant speculation and audience predictions about Pluribus. He is making a conscious effort to avoid both.
“The experience is akin to force fed hot fudge sundaes and being in a state of bliss,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of it through word of mouth, and that's intentional. I have never searched for my own name online, nor do I ever want to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a rabbit hole I know I would disappear down and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from Home Depot and I'd never leave my living room.”
Despite trying to stay away, there’s it's impossible to ignore the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to acknowledge it humbly 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 changed by online forums.”
“Better to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.
A Pressing Query: Will Vince Gilligan Have a Plan for the Finale of Pluribus?
So if the creative staff are not listening by audience theories, can we assume they have already decided how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… with some caveats.
“There are some compelling concepts about where the show might end up,” he states. “but we are always ready to abandon a solid concept for a better idea. This approach has served 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 imagine we will be doing that.”
Then again, if they hit a wall, Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“I constantly suggest that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and that's where they've been all along,” he says humorously, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Alternatively, one could always use the classics?
“I'd love for Carol to wake up in bed next to Bob Newhart,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV.
