The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Shares He Knows How The Apple TV+ Show Will Conclude... For Now.
The creative mastermind did not foresee that Pluribus would emerge as a massive hit. “The viewers have been incredible,” Gilligan says. “I was surprised by the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
With the first season of the hit sci-fi show wrapping up—and a second season officially in the works—the writers' room reflected on the audience reaction and whether it will impact the narrative path of Pluribus.
Regarding the Incredible Audience Reaction
One could easily to get distracted by the constant speculation and fan theories surrounding Pluribus. He is making a conscious effort to steer clear of all that.
“It feels like force fed hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's amazing, but I hear about it through word of mouth, and that's intentional. I have never Googled myself, 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 living in squalor from the hardware store and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
In spite of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no way to avoid the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The most practical strategy is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“We don't try to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.
The Big Question: Will the showrunner See the Ending of Pluribus?
Considering the writers aren’t being guided by audience theories, does that mean they have mapped out how Pluribus will ultimately end? The answer is yes… sort of.
“We've developed some compelling concepts about how the story could conclude,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to abandon a good idea for a better idea. That has held us in excellent shape on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we get a better idea and I imagine we will be doing that.”
On the other hand, if they hit a wall, Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to use as a backup.
“I keep pitching that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and that's where they've been all along,” Smith quips, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Of course, why mess with the classics?
“I'd love for Carol to wake up in bed with Bob Newhart there,” he jokes.
Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV+.
