The Showrunner Reveals He Has a Plan for How His Sci-Fi Series Might Finish... For Now.
The creative mastermind could not have predicted that the Apple TV+ show would emerge as a cultural phenomenon. “God bless the fans,” Gilligan says. “It was unexpected the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
As the debut season of the popular series reaching its finale—and the next chapter greenlit and underway—Gilligan and his team opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will impact the narrative path of Pluribus.
On the Overwhelming Audience Reaction
Anyone might to get swayed by the rampant praise and fan theories surrounding Pluribus. He is doing his best to steer clear of all that.
“It feels like an endless supply of hot fudge sundaes and being laughing uncontrollably,” he explains. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of it anecdotally, and that's intentional. Never in my life looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever plan to. It's not a lack of interest. It's a rabbit hole I know I would fall into and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from the hardware store and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
In spite of his concerted efforts, there’s it's impossible to ignore the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The most practical strategy is to accept it graciously and try not to let it alter the course of the show.
“We don't try to adjust our writing,” says Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not changed by audience chatter.”
“It's wiser to keep our focus on the work,” Gilligan adds.
The Central Mystery: Will the showrunner See the Finale of Pluribus?
So if the writers are not listening by public opinion, can we assume they have mapped out how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… with some caveats.
“We've developed some compelling concepts about where the show might end up,” he states. “however, we remain prepared to abandon a solid concept for a better idea. This approach has served us in excellent shape on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We scrap ideas when we conceive of something superior and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
Alternatively, if all else fails, Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“I constantly suggest that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll zoom out in the finale and we're in there,” Smith quips, “but no one is buying it.”
Of course, one could always use the iconic TV endings?
“I want Carol to awaken next to Bob Newhart,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus is currently available on the streaming service.
