The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Reveals He Has a Plan for How Pluribus Will Conclude... Currently.
The creative mastermind never anticipated that the Apple TV+ show would emerge as a massive hit. “God bless the fans,” Gilligan says. “It was unexpected the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
Now that Season 1 of the popular sci-fi show coming to an end—and Season 2 greenlit and underway—the creative team opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will impact the narrative path of Pluribus.
On the Incredible Viewer Reception
It would be easy to get distracted by the widespread acclaim and online debates regarding Pluribus. He is striving to ignore the noise.
“The experience is akin to an endless supply of something incredibly sweet and being laughing uncontrollably,” he says. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of it through word of mouth, and that's by design. I have never looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever plan to. It's quite the opposite. 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 never leave my living room.”
Despite trying to stay away, there’s no escaping the immensely favorable response to the series. The most practical strategy is to accept it graciously and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We don't try to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not changed by audience chatter.”
“We prefer to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan adds.
The Big Question: Will the showrunner Know the Finale of Pluribus?
Considering Gilligan and his team aren't taking cues by public opinion, can we assume they have already decided how Pluribus will ultimately end? Essentially yes… sort of.
“We have some compelling concepts about the ultimate destination,” he states. “however, we remain prepared to abandon a decent plan 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 conceive of something superior and I expect we'll continue doing that.”
Then again, if plans fall through, executive producer Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to serve as a last resort.
“I constantly suggest that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and the characters are inside it,” he says humorously, “but no one is buying it.”
Of course, why mess with the legendary finales?
“My dream is Carol to wake up in bed next to Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus can be watched on the streaming service.
