The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Shares He Knows How The Apple TV+ Show Will End... At the Moment.
The creative mastermind could not have predicted that his new science-fiction series would become a cultural phenomenon. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he remarks. “I was surprised by the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
As the debut season of the hit series reaching its finale—and a second season officially in the works—the creative team opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will shape the storyline of Pluribus.
On the Overwhelming Fan Response
It would be easy to get distracted by the constant speculation and online debates surrounding Pluribus. He is doing his best to avoid both.
“It's like being an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being in a state of bliss,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it through word of mouth, and that's on purpose. Not once have I searched for my own name online, nor do I ever plan to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a bottomless pit 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 trying to stay away, there’s no way to avoid the extremely enthusiastic response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“It is not our goal to change the plot,” says writer and executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“We prefer to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan adds.
A Pressing Query: Has Vince Gilligan See the Finale of Pluribus?
Considering the writers aren't taking cues by public opinion, can we assume they have already decided how Pluribus will ultimately end? Essentially yes… with some caveats.
“We've developed some potential directions about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “however, we remain prepared to abandon a decent plan for a more brilliant plan. This approach has served us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We throw stuff out when we conceive of something superior and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
Then again, if plans fall through, executive producer Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to use as a backup.
“I keep pitching that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and the characters are inside it,” Smith jokes, “but no one is buying it.”
Then again, why not reference the classics?
“I want Carol to wake up in bed with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV+.
