The Showrunner Reveals He Has a Plan for How Pluribus Will Conclude... Currently.
Vince Gilligan could not have predicted that Pluribus would emerge as a breakout success. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he remarks. “It was unexpected the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
As the debut season of the acclaimed sci-fi show reaching its finale—and a second season officially in the works—the writers' room recently discussed the fan response and whether it will influence the narrative path of Pluribus.
Regarding the Tremendous Audience Reaction
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the constant speculation and online debates regarding Pluribus. He is striving to steer clear of all that.
“It's like being an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he explains. “It's the greatest thing, but I learn of it anecdotally, and that's on purpose. I have never searched for my own name online, nor do I ever want 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 the hardware store and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
In spite of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s it's impossible to ignore the immensely favorable response to the series. The most practical strategy is to accept it graciously and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“It is not our goal to adjust our writing,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “Our storytelling is not influenced by what people are saying.”
“Better to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.
A Pressing Query: Will the showrunner Have a Plan for the Finale of Pluribus?
Given that Gilligan and his team are not listening by audience theories, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will ultimately end? In short yes… with some caveats.
“We have some potential directions about how the story could conclude,” he states. “but we are always ready to discard a good idea for a better idea. That has held us in good stead on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we conceive of something superior 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.
“I constantly suggest that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and that's where they've been all along,” Smith jokes, “but no one is buying it.”
Alternatively, why not reference the legendary finales?
“I want Carol to awaken beside Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus is currently available on Apple TV+.
