The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Discloses He Has an Idea of How Pluribus Might Finish... At the Moment.
The creative mastermind did not foresee that his new science-fiction series would become a massive hit. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he states. “It was unexpected the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
As the debut season of the hit series wrapping up—and a second season greenlit and underway—the creative team reflected on the audience reaction and whether it will influence the narrative path of Pluribus.
Regarding the Overwhelming Viewer Reception
It would be easy to get swayed by the constant speculation and fan theories regarding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is doing his best to avoid both.
“It feels like an endless supply of hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's wonderful, but I learn of it anecdotally, and that's intentional. Not once have I searched for my own name online, nor do I ever want to. It's quite the opposite. It's a deep trap I know I would disappear down and then I'd be never leaving the house from Home Depot and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
In spite of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s it's impossible to ignore the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to take it in stride and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“We make no attempt to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by audience chatter.”
“We prefer to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.
The Big Question: Will the showrunner Have a Plan for the Conclusion of Pluribus?
So if the creative staff are not listening by public opinion, does that mean they already know how Pluribus will ultimately end? The answer is yes… in a way.
“There are some potential directions about where the show might end up,” Gilligan says. “yet we stand ready to abandon a good idea for a superior concept. That philosophy has guided us in good stead on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we get a better idea and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
On the other hand, if all else fails, executive producer Gordon Smith has a pretty funny 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,” he says humorously, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Then again, why mess with the classics?
“My dream is Carol to wake up in bed beside Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV+.