The Showrunner Reveals He Has an Idea of How His Sci-Fi Series Might Finish... For Now.
The creative mastermind could not have predicted that the Apple TV+ show would emerge as a massive hit. “The viewers have been incredible,” he remarks. “It was unexpected the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
With the first season of the hit series coming to an end—and Season 2 officially in the works—the creative team opened up about the audience reaction and whether it will impact the narrative path of Pluribus.
About the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the rampant praise and fan theories regarding Pluribus. He is striving to steer clear of all that.
“It's like being constantly eating something incredibly sweet and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of it from others, and that's by design. Not once have I searched for my own name online, nor do I ever plan to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a bottomless pit I know I would get lost in and then I'd be never leaving the house from the hardware store and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”
Regardless of his concerted efforts, there’s no way to avoid the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to take it in stride and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We make no attempt to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by audience chatter.”
“Better to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.
The Central Mystery: Will Vince Gilligan Have a Plan for the Conclusion of Pluribus?
Given that the writers are not listening by audience theories, does that mean they already know how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… in a way.
“We've developed some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” he states. “however, we remain prepared to discard a good idea for a superior concept. This approach has served 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 imagine we will be 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 the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and the characters are inside it,” Smith quips, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Then again, why mess with the classics?
“I want Carol to open her eyes with Bob Newhart there,” he jokes.
Pluribus is streaming now on the streaming service.
