The Showrunner Shares He Has a Plan for How Pluribus Might Finish... Currently.
The creative mastermind did not foresee that Pluribus would turn into a cultural phenomenon. “The viewers have been incredible,” he remarks. “I did not foresee the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
Now that Season 1 of the hit program coming to an end—and a second season already in development—Gilligan and his team recently discussed the audience reaction and whether it will influence the future direction of Pluribus.
On the Incredible Viewer Reception
Anyone might to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and online debates surrounding Pluribus. He is doing his best to ignore the noise.
“The experience is akin to constantly eating hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's amazing, but I get wind of it from others, and that's intentional. I have never Googled myself, nor do I ever intend to. It's quite the opposite. It's a bottomless pit I know I would fall into and then I'd be living in squalor from Home Depot and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
In spite of trying to stay away, there’s no way to avoid the immensely favorable response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to take it in stride and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“We don't try to adjust our writing,” says Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“It's wiser to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.
The Big Question: Does Vince Gilligan Have a Plan for the Conclusion of Pluribus?
Given that the writers aren’t being guided by audience theories, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? In short yes… with some caveats.
“We've developed some potential directions about where the show might end up,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to throw out a decent plan for a more brilliant plan. That has held us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we get a better idea and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
On the other hand, if they hit a wall, director and writer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“I keep pitching that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and we're in there,” he says humorously, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”
Of course, why mess with the legendary finales?
“My dream is Carol to awaken next to Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus is currently available on the streaming service.
