The acclaimed writer-producer did not foresee that Pluribus would emerge as a massive hit. “The viewers have been incredible,” he states. “I did not foresee the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”
Now that Season 1 of the popular sci-fi show wrapping up—and Season 2 greenlit and underway—the creative team opened up about the audience reaction and whether it will impact the future direction of Pluribus.
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the constant speculation and online debates about Pluribus. The creator is doing his best to ignore the noise.
“The experience is akin to an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of 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 deep trap 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.”
Despite Gilligan’s best intentions, 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 alter the course of the show.
“We make no attempt to adjust our writing,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“It's wiser to keep our noses to the grindstone,” Gilligan adds.
Given that the writers are not listening by fan response, does that mean they already know how Pluribus will ultimately end? Essentially yes… with some caveats.
“There are some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “however, we remain prepared to throw out a solid concept for a superior concept. That has held us in good stead on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We throw stuff out when we find a more perfect path and I suspect we'll be doing that.”
Then again, if plans fall through, executive producer Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to serve as a last resort.
“I constantly suggest that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and we're in there,” Smith jokes, “but no one is buying it.”
Of course, one could always use the legendary finales?
“My dream is Carol to awaken with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan says with a smile.
Pluribus is currently available on Apple TV.
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