The creative mastermind never anticipated that Pluribus would emerge as a massive hit. “I am so grateful to the audience,” Gilligan says. “I did not foresee the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
Now that Season 1 of the popular series wrapping up—and a second season greenlit and underway—Gilligan and his team opened up about the fan response and whether it will influence the storyline of Pluribus.
One could easily to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and audience predictions surrounding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is doing his best to avoid both.
“It's like being force fed your favorite dessert and being laughing uncontrollably,” he describes. “It's the greatest thing, but I learn of it anecdotally, and that's on purpose. Not once have I looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever plan to. It's quite the opposite. It's a rabbit hole I know I would get lost in and then I'd be never leaving the house 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 immensely favorable response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to take it in stride and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We don't try to adjust our writing,” says Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not changed by online forums.”
“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.
Given that the creative staff are not listening by fan response, can we assume they already know how Pluribus will ultimately end? Essentially yes… sort of.
“We've developed some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “but we are always ready to abandon a solid concept for a better idea. That has held 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 expect we'll continue doing that.”
On the other hand, if they hit a wall, director and writer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“My recurring proposal is that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and the characters are inside it,” Smith quips, “but no one is buying it.”
Of course, why not reference the classics?
“I want Carol to wake up in bed next to Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus is currently available on Apple TV+.
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