Vince Gilligan Reveals He Knows How His Sci-Fi Series Will Conclude... At the Moment.
Vince Gilligan did not foresee that Pluribus would become a cultural phenomenon. “God bless the fans,” he remarks. “I was surprised by the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
With the first season of the acclaimed program coming to an end—and Season 2 greenlit and underway—the writers' room opened up about the fan response and whether it will impact the future direction of Pluribus.
On the Incredible Viewer Reception
One could easily to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and online debates regarding Pluribus. He is doing his best to avoid both.
“The experience is akin to force fed hot fudge sundaes and being in a state of bliss,” he describes. “It's the greatest thing, but I learn of it through word of mouth, and that's by design. I have never searched for my own name online, nor do I ever intend to. It's quite the opposite. It's a deep trap I know I would fall into and then I'd be never leaving the house from the hardware store and I'd never leave my living room.”
Despite his concerted efforts, there’s it's impossible to ignore the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to accept it graciously and try not to let it alter the course of the show.
“We make no attempt to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not influenced by what people are saying.”
“Better to keep our focus on the work,” he chimes in.
The Big Question: Has Vince Gilligan Have a Plan for the Finale of Pluribus?
Given that the writers aren't taking cues by audience theories, can we assume they already know how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? Essentially yes… sort of.
“There are some interesting ideas about how the story could conclude,” he states. “but we are always ready to abandon a good idea for a better idea. This approach has served us in good stead on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we get a better idea and I expect we'll continue doing that.”
On the other hand, if all else fails, executive producer Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to fall back on.
“I constantly suggest that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and that's where they've been all along,” Smith jokes, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Alternatively, why not reference the classics?
“I want Carol to awaken beside Bob Newhart,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV.
