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Vince Gilligan could not have predicted that the Apple TV+ show would emerge as a breakout success. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he remarks. “I was surprised by the show being as widely discussed as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”

Now that Season 1 of the popular series coming to an end—and the next chapter already in development—Gilligan and his team reflected on the audience reaction and whether it will influence the future direction of Pluribus.

On the Overwhelming Fan Response

It would be easy to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and audience predictions regarding Pluribus. The creator is striving to ignore the noise.

“The experience is akin to force fed hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's the greatest thing, but I hear about it through word of mouth, and that's on purpose. Never in my life Googled myself, nor do I ever intend to. It's quite the opposite. It's a rabbit hole I know I would disappear down 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 escaping the immensely favorable 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 make no attempt to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The plot we develop is not influenced by online forums.”

“Better to keep our noses to the grindstone,” he chimes in.

A Pressing Query: Does the creator See the Finale of Pluribus?

Given that the writers aren’t being guided by fan response, does that mean they have already decided how Pluribus will ultimately end? In short yes… with some caveats.

“We have some interesting ideas about how the story could conclude,” Gilligan reveals. “yet we stand ready to abandon a decent plan for a more brilliant plan. This approach has served 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.”

Then again, if all else fails, Gordon Smith has a pretty funny idea to serve as a last resort.

“I keep pitching that the entire story is inside a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and we're in there,” he says humorously, “but no one is buying it.”

Alternatively, why not reference the classics?

“I want Carol to open her eyes beside Bob Newhart,” he jokes.

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Pluribus can be watched on the streaming service.