🔗 Share this article

The creative mastermind could not have predicted that Pluribus would turn into a breakout success. “God bless the fans,” he states. “I was surprised by the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”

With the first season of the hit program coming to an end—and a second season greenlit and underway—Gilligan and his team recently discussed the audience reaction and whether it will impact the storyline of Pluribus.

Regarding the Tremendous Audience Reaction

Anyone might to get sidetracked by the widespread acclaim and online debates about Pluribus. He is making a conscious effort to avoid both.

“The experience is akin to force fed something incredibly sweet and being laughing uncontrollably,” he describes. “It's the greatest thing, but I get wind 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. Not because I don't care. It's a bottomless pit I know I would get lost in and then I'd be living in squalor from the hardware store and I'd be stuck in my living room.”

Regardless of trying to stay away, there’s no escaping the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to accept it graciously and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.

“It is not our goal to adjust our writing,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not influenced by audience chatter.”

“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.

A Pressing Query: Does the showrunner See the Conclusion of Pluribus?

So if the creative staff aren’t being guided by public opinion, can we assume they already know how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… sort of.

“There are some compelling concepts about where the show might end up,” Gilligan reveals. “but we are always ready to abandon a good idea 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 find a more perfect path and I suspect we'll be doing that.”

Alternatively, if all else fails, director and writer Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to fall back on.

“I keep pitching that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and the characters are inside it,” he says humorously, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”

Of course, one could always use the iconic TV endings?

“I want Carol to wake up in bed with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan adds, smiling.

---

Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV+.