The Showrunner Discloses He Has an Idea of How Pluribus Will Conclude... At the Moment.

The creative mastermind never anticipated that Pluribus would become a cultural phenomenon. “I am so grateful to the audience,” Gilligan says. “I was surprised by the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”

Now that Season 1 of the popular sci-fi show wrapping up—and a second season greenlit and underway—the creative team reflected on the audience reaction and whether it will impact the future direction of Pluribus.

Regarding the Overwhelming Audience Reaction

It would be easy to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and fan theories surrounding Pluribus. He is making a conscious effort to ignore the noise.

“It's like being constantly eating something incredibly sweet and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's the greatest thing, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's by design. Not once have I looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever plan to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a bottomless pit I know I would fall into 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 his concerted efforts, there’s no way to avoid the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The best he and his team can do is to accept it graciously and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.

“We don't try to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not impacted by audience chatter.”

“We prefer to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan concludes.

A Pressing Query: Will the showrunner See the Finale of Pluribus?

Given that Gilligan and his team aren’t being guided by public opinion, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… in a way.

“We've developed some compelling concepts about how the story could conclude,” he states. “yet we stand ready to abandon a good idea for a better idea. That philosophy has guided us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course 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 serve as a last resort.

“I constantly suggest that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and we're in there,” Smith quips, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”

Then again, why mess with the legendary finales?

“My dream is Carol to wake up in bed beside Bob Newhart,” he jokes.

Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV.