Vince Gilligan Reveals He Knows How His Sci-Fi Series Will End... For Now.
Vince Gilligan could not have predicted that Pluribus would become a cultural phenomenon. “God bless the fans,” he states. “I was surprised by the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
Now that Season 1 of the acclaimed program wrapping up—and a second season officially in the works—the creative team opened up about the viewer reception and whether it will impact the future direction of Pluribus.
Regarding the Tremendous Viewer Reception
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the widespread acclaim and fan theories regarding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is striving to steer clear of all that.
“The experience is akin to force fed something incredibly sweet and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's the greatest thing, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's intentional. Not once have I Googled myself, nor do I ever plan to. Not because I don't care. It's a deep trap I know I would get lost in and then I'd be pooping in a five gallon bucket from Home Depot and I'd never leave my living room.”
Regardless of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no way to avoid the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The most practical strategy is to accept it graciously and try not to let it dictate the story of the show.
“We don't try to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not changed by online forums.”
“It's wiser to keep our focus on the work,” Gilligan concludes.
The Big Question: Will the creator Know the Ending of Pluribus?
So if the writers aren’t being guided by audience theories, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will finally conclude? The answer is yes… in a way.
“There are some potential directions about the ultimate destination,” he states. “but we are always ready to throw out a good idea for a superior concept. That has held us in excellent shape on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course when we conceive of something superior and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
On the other hand, if all else fails, Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to fall back on.
“I constantly suggest that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and that's where they've been all along,” Smith quips, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Of course, one could always use the legendary finales?
“I want Carol to open her eyes beside Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus is currently available on the streaming service.
