The Showrunner Discloses He Has an Idea of How His Sci-Fi Series Will Conclude... Currently.
The creative mastermind never anticipated that his new science-fiction series would become a massive hit. “The viewers have been incredible,” Gilligan says. “I did not foresee the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”
Now that Season 1 of the popular program wrapping up—and Season 2 officially in the works—the creative team reflected on the viewer reception and whether it will shape the future direction of Pluribus.
On the Incredible Fan Response
It would be easy to get distracted by the widespread acclaim and fan theories about Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is doing his best to avoid both.
“The experience is akin to an endless supply of your favorite dessert and being laughing uncontrollably,” he explains. “It's the greatest thing, but I learn of it anecdotally, and that's by design. I have never Googled myself, nor do I ever plan to. It's quite the opposite. It's a bottomless pit I know I would disappear down and then I'd be living in squalor from the hardware store and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
Regardless of trying to stay away, there’s no escaping 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.
“It is not our goal to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not influenced by audience chatter.”
“We prefer to keep our focus on the work,” Gilligan concludes.
The Big Question: Will the creator Have a Plan for the Ending of Pluribus?
So if the creative staff aren’t being guided by audience theories, does it imply they already know how Pluribus will finally conclude? In short yes… with some caveats.
“We have some compelling concepts about how the story could conclude,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to discard a good idea for a superior concept. This approach has served us in excellent shape on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We throw stuff out when we conceive of something superior and I expect we'll continue doing that.”
Then again, if plans fall through, director and writer Gordon Smith has a humorous idea to fall back on.
“I keep pitching that it's all in a snow globe, and that we'll pull back at the end and the characters are inside it,” he says humorously, “but nobody's taking me up on that.”
Alternatively, one could always use the iconic TV endings?
“My dream is Carol to awaken beside Bob Newhart,” Gilligan adds, smiling.
Pluribus is streaming now on Apple TV.
