The Showrunner Shares He Has a Plan for How The Apple TV+ Show Will Conclude... At the Moment.

Vince Gilligan did not foresee that Pluribus would turn into a breakout success. “The viewers have been incredible,” Gilligan says. “It was unexpected the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”

With the first season of the popular sci-fi show coming to an end—and a second season greenlit and underway—the writers' room reflected on the fan response and whether it will shape the narrative path of Pluribus.

On the Tremendous Audience Reaction

It would be easy to get sidetracked by the rampant praise and online debates about Pluribus. The creator is doing his best to avoid both.

“It's like being force fed something incredibly sweet and being laughing uncontrollably,” he explains. “It's the greatest thing, but I learn of it anecdotally, and that's by design. Not once have I searched for my own name online, nor do I ever intend to. It's not a lack of interest. 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 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 change the plot,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not changed by online forums.”

“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.

A Pressing Query: Does the creator Know the Ending of Pluribus?

Given that the creative staff aren’t being guided by public opinion, can we assume they have mapped out how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? Essentially yes… with some caveats.

“There are some compelling concepts about the ultimate destination,” he states. “yet we stand ready to throw out 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 find a more perfect path and I imagine we will be doing that.”

On the other hand, if they hit a wall, Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to serve as a last resort.

“My recurring proposal is that it's all in 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.”

Of course, why not reference the iconic TV endings?

“I'd love for Carol to open her eyes with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan says with a smile.

Pluribus is currently available on Apple TV.