The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Shares He Knows How Pluribus Will End... Currently.
The acclaimed writer-producer did not foresee that the Apple TV+ show would become a massive hit. “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.”
As the debut season of the hit sci-fi show coming to an end—and a second season officially in the works—the writers' room opened up about the audience reaction and whether it will shape the narrative path of Pluribus.
About the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
One could easily to get swayed by the rampant praise and audience predictions surrounding Pluribus. He is making a conscious effort to ignore the noise.
“It feels like force fed hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's amazing, but I hear about it from others, and that's by design. Never in my life searched for my own name online, nor do I ever want to. Not because I don't care. It's a bottomless pit 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 rarely emerge from my living room.”
In spite of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no way to avoid the extremely enthusiastic response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“We make no attempt to tailor anything,” says writer and executive producer Alison Tatlock. “Our storytelling is not changed by what people are saying.”
“We prefer to keep our heads down and working,” he chimes in.
The Big Question: Does the creator See the Ending of Pluribus?
So if the creative staff aren't taking cues by public opinion, can we assume they have mapped out how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… sort of.
“There are some interesting ideas about how the story could conclude,” Gilligan says. “yet we stand ready to discard a solid concept for a better idea. This approach has served 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 expect we'll continue doing that.”
Alternatively, if plans fall through, Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to serve as a last resort.
“My recurring proposal is that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end 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'd love for Carol to open her eyes next to Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus is currently available on Apple TV.
