The Showrunner Discloses He Knows How Pluribus Will End... Currently.
Vince Gilligan did not foresee that Pluribus would emerge as a cultural phenomenon. “The viewers have been incredible,” Gilligan says. “It was unexpected the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
Now that Season 1 of the hit sci-fi show reaching its finale—and a second season officially in the works—the writers' room opened up about the audience reaction and whether it will influence the narrative path of Pluribus.
About the Tremendous Audience Reaction
It would be easy to get swayed by the rampant praise and online debates about Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is doing his best to steer clear of all that.
“It's like being force fed your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's the greatest thing, but I learn of it through word of mouth, and that's by design. Never in my life Googled myself, nor do I ever intend to. It's quite the opposite. It's a deep trap 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.”
Despite his concerted efforts, there’s no way to avoid the extremely enthusiastic response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to accept it graciously 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. “Our storytelling is not changed by audience chatter.”
“Better to keep our noses to the grindstone,” Gilligan concludes.
The Central Mystery: Will Vince Gilligan See the Ending of Pluribus?
Given that the writers aren’t being guided by fan response, does it imply they have mapped out how Pluribus will ultimately end? In short yes… in a way.
“We've developed some compelling concepts about where the show might end up,” Gilligan says. “yet we stand ready to discard a solid concept for a superior concept. That has held 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 imagine we will be doing that.”
On the other hand, if plans fall through, Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to serve as a last resort.
“I keep pitching that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and we're in there,” he says humorously, “but no one is buying it.”
Alternatively, why mess with the iconic TV endings?
“I want Carol to wake up in bed next to Bob Newhart,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV.
