The Showrunner Reveals He Has an Idea of How Pluribus Might Finish... For Now.
The acclaimed writer-producer never anticipated that Pluribus would turn into a cultural phenomenon. “I am so grateful to the audience,” Gilligan says. “I was surprised by the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
As the debut season of the popular sci-fi show reaching its finale—and Season 2 already in development—the creative team opened up about the fan response and whether it will shape the future direction of Pluribus.
Regarding the Tremendous Fan Response
One could easily to get swayed by the rampant praise and fan theories regarding Pluribus. He is doing his best to ignore the noise.
“It's like being an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being in a state of bliss,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's intentional. I have never looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever intend to. Not because I don't care. It's a bottomless pit I know I would get lost in and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from the hardware store and I'd never leave my living room.”
In spite of trying to stay away, there’s no way to avoid the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The most practical strategy is to accept it graciously and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We don't try to adjust our writing,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not changed by audience chatter.”
“Better to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.
The Central Mystery: Has Vince Gilligan See the Ending of Pluribus?
Given that Gilligan and his team aren’t being guided by fan response, does it imply they already know how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… in a way.
“There are some interesting ideas about where the show might end up,” Gilligan reveals. “but we are always ready to discard a good idea for a superior concept. This approach has served us in excellent shape on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course when we conceive of something superior and I expect we'll continue doing that.”
Alternatively, if plans fall through, Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“My recurring proposal is that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and that's where they've been all along,” Smith jokes, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Then again, why mess with the legendary finales?
“I want Carol to awaken with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV.