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The creative mastermind did not foresee that the Apple TV+ show would emerge as a massive hit. “I am so grateful to the audience,” he remarks. “It was unexpected the show being as passionately debated as it is, and it makes me deliriously happy.”

Now that Season 1 of the acclaimed sci-fi show coming to an end—and Season 2 officially in the works—the creative team recently discussed the audience reaction and whether it will shape the storyline of Pluribus.

About the Overwhelming Viewer Reception

It would be easy to get distracted by the rampant praise and audience predictions regarding Pluribus. Gilligan, however, is making a conscious effort to steer clear of all that.

“The experience is akin to force fed your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's wonderful, but I get wind of it from others, and that's by design. Not once have I Googled myself, nor do I ever plan to. It's quite the opposite. It's a rabbit hole I know I would get lost in and then I'd be living in squalor from the hardware store and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”

Regardless of Gilligan’s best intentions, there’s it's impossible to ignore the extremely enthusiastic 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 writer and 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 concludes.

The Big Question: Does Vince Gilligan Know the Conclusion of Pluribus?

Given that the creative staff are not listening by fan response, can we assume they have mapped out how Pluribus will ultimately end? Essentially yes… sort of.

“We have some interesting ideas about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan reveals. “but we are always ready to discard a solid concept for a superior concept. This approach has served us in well on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We change course when we find a more perfect path and I suspect we'll be doing that.”

On the other hand, if they hit a wall, executive producer Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to use as a backup.

“My recurring proposal is that the entire story is inside 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, why mess with the legendary finales?

“My dream is Carol to open her eyes with Bob Newhart there,” Gilligan adds, smiling.

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Pluribus can be watched on Apple TV+.