The 'Breaking Bad' Creator Reveals He Has a Plan for How The Apple TV+ Show Might Finish... At the Moment.
The acclaimed writer-producer never anticipated that the Apple TV+ show would emerge as a cultural phenomenon. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he states. “It was unexpected the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me thrilled beyond words.”
As the debut season of the acclaimed series wrapping up—and the next chapter already in development—the writers' room opened up about the fan response and whether it will influence the future direction of Pluribus.
About the Tremendous Fan Response
It would be easy to get sidetracked by the widespread acclaim and fan theories about Pluribus. He is making a conscious effort to ignore the noise.
“The experience is akin to constantly eating hot fudge sundaes and being tickled to death,” he describes. “It's wonderful, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's on purpose. Not once have I 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 living in squalor from Home Depot and I'd be stuck in my living room.”
Regardless of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s no escaping the immensely favorable 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 don't try to change the plot,” says Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by what people are saying.”
“We prefer to keep our focus on the work,” he chimes in.
A Pressing Query: Will the showrunner See the Ending of Pluribus?
Considering the writers aren’t being guided by audience theories, does it imply they have mapped out how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? Essentially yes… with some caveats.
“We've developed some compelling concepts about how the story could conclude,” he states. “yet we stand ready to abandon a decent plan for a more brilliant plan. 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 imagine we will be doing that.”
Alternatively, if all else fails, 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 we're in there,” he says humorously, “but no one is buying it.”
Then again, one could always use the iconic TV endings?
“I want Carol to wake up in bed next to Bob Newhart,” he jokes.
Pluribus is currently available on Apple TV.