The Showrunner Shares He Knows How His Sci-Fi Series Will Conclude... For Now.
The acclaimed writer-producer never anticipated that Pluribus would emerge as a cultural phenomenon. “The viewers have been incredible,” he states. “I was surprised by the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
As the debut season of the hit program coming to an end—and the next chapter greenlit and underway—the writers' room opened up about the fan response and whether it will shape the storyline of Pluribus.
About the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
It would be easy to get distracted by the widespread acclaim and online debates surrounding Pluribus. He is striving to ignore the noise.
“The experience is akin to an endless supply of hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's amazing, but I learn of it anecdotally, and that's on purpose. Never in my life searched for my own name online, nor do I ever intend to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a deep trap I know I would disappear down and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from the hardware store and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
Despite Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s it's impossible to ignore the extremely enthusiastic response to the series. The most practical strategy is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We make no attempt to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“We prefer to keep our focus on the work,” he chimes in.
The Central Mystery: Does the creator See the Conclusion of Pluribus?
Given that Gilligan and his team are not listening by public opinion, does it imply they already know how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… in a way.
“We have some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “yet we stand ready to throw out a solid concept 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 expect we'll continue 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 it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and we're in there,” Smith quips, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Then again, why not reference the classics?
“I want Carol to open her eyes next to Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV+.
