The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Shares He Has an Idea of How The Apple TV+ Show Will Conclude... For Now.
The creative mastermind could not have predicted that Pluribus would become a cultural phenomenon. “God bless the fans,” Gilligan says. “I did not foresee the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
As the debut season of the acclaimed program coming to an end—and the next chapter greenlit and underway—the writers' room opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will impact the future direction of Pluribus.
Regarding the Tremendous Audience Reaction
Anyone might to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and online debates regarding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is doing his best to steer clear of all that.
“It's like being an endless supply of something incredibly sweet and being tickled to death,” he explains. “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 plan to. It's quite the opposite. It's a deep trap I know I would get lost in and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from the hardware store and I'd never leave my living room.”
In spite of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s it's impossible to ignore the immensely favorable response to the series. The most practical strategy is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We don't try to adjust our writing,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not influenced by audience chatter.”
“Better to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.
The Central Mystery: Does the showrunner Have a Plan for the Conclusion of Pluribus?
Given that the writers are not listening by fan response, can we assume they have already decided how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… in a way.
“There are some potential directions about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “yet we stand ready to abandon a good idea for a superior concept. That has held us in excellent shape 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 plans fall through, executive producer Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to serve as a last resort.
“My recurring proposal is that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and that's where they've been all along,” he says humorously, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Of course, why not reference the iconic TV endings?
“I want Carol to wake up in bed beside Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus is currently available on the streaming service.
