The Showrunner Reveals He Knows How Pluribus Will End... For Now.
The acclaimed writer-producer never anticipated that his new science-fiction series would become a cultural phenomenon. “God bless the fans,” he states. “I was surprised by the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
As the debut season of the popular series wrapping up—and a second season already in development—Gilligan and his team reflected on the audience reaction and whether it will shape the narrative path of Pluribus.
Regarding the Overwhelming Viewer Reception
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the rampant praise and online debates surrounding Pluribus. He is doing his best to avoid both.
“It feels like constantly eating your favorite dessert and being laughing uncontrollably,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of it from others, and that's intentional. Not once have I searched for my own name online, nor do I ever plan to. It's quite the opposite. It's a rabbit hole I know I would get lost in and then I'd be never leaving the house from Home Depot and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
In spite of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no way to avoid the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The most practical strategy is to take it in stride and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.
“It is not our goal to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not impacted by online forums.”
“It's wiser to keep our focus on the work,” he chimes in.
The Big Question: Does the showrunner Know the Ending of Pluribus?
Considering the creative staff aren’t being guided by public opinion, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… with some caveats.
“There are some interesting ideas about how the story could conclude,” he states. “but we are always ready to discard a good idea for a superior concept. This approach has served us in good stead on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course when we get a better idea and I expect we'll continue doing that.”
Then again, if all else fails, Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to use as a backup.
“I keep pitching that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and we're in there,” he says humorously, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Alternatively, why not reference the legendary finales?
“I'd love for Carol to open her eyes with Bob Newhart there,” he jokes.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV.
