The Showrunner Discloses He Knows How Pluribus Might Finish... Currently.
The acclaimed writer-producer did not foresee that Pluribus would turn into a massive hit. “The viewers have been incredible,” he remarks. “It was unexpected the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
Now that Season 1 of the hit sci-fi show wrapping up—and Season 2 greenlit and underway—the writers' room recently discussed the audience reaction and whether it will influence the future direction of Pluribus.
On the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
Anyone might to get swayed by the rampant praise and audience predictions about Pluribus. He is doing his best to avoid both.
“It feels like an endless supply of something incredibly sweet and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's amazing, but I get wind of it anecdotally, and that's by design. I have never looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever intend to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a rabbit hole I know I would disappear down and then I'd be living in squalor from the hardware store and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
In spite of his concerted efforts, there’s no way to avoid the extremely enthusiastic response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to take it in stride and try not to let it alter the course of the show.
“It is not our goal to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not changed by audience chatter.”
“Better to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.
A Pressing Query: Has the showrunner Have a Plan for the Ending of Pluribus?
So if Gilligan and his team aren't taking cues by audience theories, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will finally conclude? In short yes… in a way.
“There are some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” he states. “yet we stand ready to throw out a decent plan for a more brilliant plan. That has held 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 imagine we will be doing that.”
Alternatively, if plans fall through, executive producer Gordon Smith has a humorous 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, why mess with the iconic TV endings?
“My dream is Carol to wake up in bed with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV+.
