Vince Gilligan’s “Pluribus”: A Bold Leap Beyond Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan, the brilliant mind who gave us Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul , is finally stepping out of the Heisenberg universe with something entirely new — Pluribus . After nearly two decades of exploring morally complex antiheroes like Walter White and Saul Goodman, Gilligan has created a world that’s strange, philosophical, and deeply human. And honestly, it sounds like one of the most daring projects he’s ever attempted.
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Set to premiere on Apple TV+, Pluribus stars Rhea Seehorn — the beloved Kim Wexler from Better Call Saul — as Carol, a character Apple describes as “the most miserable person on Earth.” Gilligan admits he relates to her more than he’d like to admit, describing himself as a “glass-half-empty” kind of guy. This new series isn’t just another drama; it’s a high-concept sci-fi story that flips familiar ideas on their head. Carol, a deeply cynical and self-loathing novelist, somehow finds herself responsible for saving humanity — not from destruction, but from happiness . It’s a premise as bizarre as it is intriguing.
Gilligan says he was nervous about leaving behind the world of Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, and Saul Goodman. After Breaking Bad became a global phenomenon, he worried he might never create something that resonated the same way again. But with Pluribus , he’s embraced the risk. The show reportedly cost a staggering $15 million per episode — five times what Breaking Bad cost — and yet it’s not based on any existing franchise or comic book. In a time when Hollywood often plays it safe with sequels and reboots, this kind of originality feels rare and refreshing.
Filmed across locations like northern Spain, the Canary Islands, and Gilligan’s familiar stomping grounds of Albuquerque, Pluribus has a global scale. Still, it remains intimate at its core, focusing on Carol’s struggle to find meaning in a world that’s suddenly too perfect. Gilligan’s storytelling style — patient, detailed, and visually stunning — is on full display here. He uses Seehorn’s incredible emotional range to draw viewers into a story that’s equal parts tragic, absurd, and mesmerizing.
And beyond the show’s ambitious scope, Gilligan is also using Pluribus to make a statement about the entertainment industry itself. He’s openly critical of Hollywood’s dependence on recycled intellectual property and the growing influence of AI-generated content. “Human beings are always going to want stories created by other human beings,” he says. “If everything becomes recycled IP, that’s the death of creativity — maybe even of civilization.”
With Pluribus , Gilligan isn’t just returning to television — he’s redefining what original storytelling can look like in an era dominated by algorithms and nostalgia. It’s bold, risky, and deeply personal. And if anyone can pull off something this audacious, it’s the man who once turned a mild-mannered chemistry teacher into one of TV’s most unforgettable legends.
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