The Showrunner Shares He Has a Plan for How Pluribus Will End... Currently.
The acclaimed writer-producer did not foresee that the Apple TV+ show would become a massive hit. “I am so grateful to the audience,” Gilligan says. “It was unexpected the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
With the first season of the hit series wrapping up—and the next chapter already in development—the writers' room reflected on the viewer reception and whether it will impact the narrative path of Pluribus.
On the Overwhelming Viewer Reception
Anyone might to get distracted by the rampant praise and online debates about Pluribus. The creator is making a conscious effort to avoid both.
“It feels like constantly eating hot fudge sundaes and being in a state of bliss,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it through word of mouth, and that's intentional. I have never looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever intend to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a rabbit hole I know I would get lost in and then I'd be living in squalor from Home Depot and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
Despite his concerted efforts, there’s no escaping 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 alter the course of the show.
“We don't try to tailor anything,” says Alison Tatlock. “Our storytelling is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“We prefer to keep our focus on the work,” he chimes in.
A Pressing Query: Will the showrunner Have a Plan for the Conclusion of Pluribus?
Considering the writers aren’t being guided by fan response, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will finally conclude? Essentially yes… with some caveats.
“There are some potential directions about how the story could conclude,” he states. “yet we stand ready to abandon a good idea for a superior concept. That philosophy has guided us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We throw stuff out when we get a better idea and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
On the other hand, if they hit a wall, executive producer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to serve as a last resort.
“I keep pitching that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and that's where they've been all along,” Smith jokes, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Then again, why not reference the legendary finales?
“My dream is Carol to open her eyes next to Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV+.
