The Showrunner Reveals He Knows How Pluribus Will End... For Now.
Vince Gilligan could not have predicted that Pluribus would become a breakout success. “I am so grateful to the audience,” Gilligan says. “I was surprised by the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
With the first season of the acclaimed program reaching its finale—and the next chapter officially in the works—the creative team reflected on the viewer reception and whether it will impact the storyline of Pluribus.
About the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
It would be easy to get distracted by the rampant praise and audience predictions about Pluribus. The creator is making a conscious effort to steer clear of all that.
“It's like being an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being laughing uncontrollably,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it through word of mouth, and that's intentional. I have never searched for my own name online, nor do I ever plan to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a rabbit hole I know I would fall into and then I'd be living in squalor from Home Depot and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
Regardless of trying to stay away, there’s it's impossible to ignore the extremely enthusiastic 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.
“We make no attempt to tailor anything,” says Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not changed by online forums.”
“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan adds.
The Central Mystery: Will Vince Gilligan Have a Plan for the Finale of Pluribus?
Given that the creative staff aren't taking cues by audience theories, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will ultimately end? The answer is yes… in a way.
“There are some potential directions about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “but we are always ready to discard a decent plan for a more brilliant plan. That has held us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course when we get a better idea and I expect we'll continue doing that.”
Alternatively, if they hit a wall, director and writer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to serve as a last resort.
“I constantly suggest that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and that's where they've been all along,” Smith jokes, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Of course, why not reference the iconic TV endings?
“My dream is Carol to awaken with Bob Newhart there,” he jokes.
Pluribus is currently available on the streaming service.
