The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Reveals He Has a Plan for How His Sci-Fi Series Might Finish... Currently.
The creative mastermind could not have predicted that his new science-fiction series would become a massive hit. “God bless the fans,” he remarks. “I did not foresee the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
With the first season of the popular sci-fi show wrapping up—and a second season officially in the works—the writers' room recently discussed the fan response and whether it will shape the storyline of Pluribus.
On the Incredible Viewer Reception
One could easily to get sidetracked by the widespread acclaim and online debates surrounding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is striving to steer clear of all that.
“The experience is akin to an endless supply of something incredibly sweet and being laughing uncontrollably,” he describes. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's by design. Not once have I Googled myself, nor do I ever plan to. It's quite the opposite. It's a bottomless pit I know I would fall into and then I'd be never leaving the house from Home Depot and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
Despite Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no way to avoid the immensely favorable 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 don't try to change the plot,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not influenced by audience chatter.”
“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.
The Central Mystery: Has the showrunner See the Conclusion of Pluribus?
Given that Gilligan and his team aren’t being guided by audience theories, can we assume they already know how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… with some caveats.
“There are some interesting ideas about how the story could conclude,” he states. “but we are always ready to discard a solid concept for a more brilliant plan. 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 suspect we'll be doing that.”
Then again, if all else fails, director and writer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to serve as a last resort.
“I keep pitching that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and we're in there,” he says humorously, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Alternatively, why not reference the legendary finales?
“My dream is Carol to open her eyes with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV+.
