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Apple’s run of excellent sci-fi looks to continue with Pluribus. The series has some strong pedigree; it’s helmed by Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan, who also has a history in the genre working on The X-Files. It’s also a show that requires a lot of trust from viewers, with a strange concept, slow pace, and plentiful mysteries.
The show follows a woman named Carol (Rhea Seehorn) who is one of the only people on Earth unaffected by a scourge of infectious happiness that has completely altered the planet. It’s a little post-apocalyptic, a little Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and yet also unlike almost anything else out there.
And you can keep up with all of our coverage of the show — from reviews to interviews with its creators — right here.
Apple’s latest sci-fi series Pluribus luxuriates in its mystery
Image: Apple
Toward the end of the first episode of Pluribus, Carol (Rhea Seehorn), a woman put in a bizarre and impossible scenario, asks a very straightforward question: “What the fuck is happening?” It’s something you’ll likely be asking yourself a lot while watching. I certainly did. But that ongoing sense of mystery, and the measured pace with which Pluribus reveals itself, is one of the best parts of the new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. I can’t tell you a lot about Pluribus just yet — but I can tell you that being bewildered is part of the appeal.
Okay, so what can I tell you? Carol is a successful writer of fantasy novels — excuse me, “speculative historical romance literature” — and she hates both her work and her audience. She wants to do something more meaningful, but the money she rakes in from her books makes it hard to make the switch. Despite being rich and successful, and having a caring partner who doubles as her very capable manager (Miriam Shor), Carol is mostly miserable, though she’s largely able to fake it in public.
Pluribus’ Vince Gilligan on making shows that ‘attract really smart viewers’
Now he’s best known for the crime-fueled duology of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but when Vince Gilligan was first starting out in television, it was in the realm of sci-fi. Over seven years he penned a number of classic episodes of The X-Files, ranging from a monster-themed spoof of Cops to a bizarre high-speed car chase that was his first collaboration with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. And now he’s back in the genre with the upcoming Apple TV series Pluribus, which starts streaming in November.
But Gilligan tells me that, while he had been itching to return to sci-fi, actually getting there was a bit of an accident. “I didn’t make a conscious decision to make another sci-fi show,” he tells The Verge. Instead, he came up with a specific idea and discovered no other genre would do. “I realized there was no other way to explain the happenings other than science fiction.”
Apple shows off the unsettling world of Pluribus in first trailer
After a bunch of very cryptic teasers, Apple has finally revealed a proper look at Pluribus, it’s next big sci-fi series. The show comes from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, and stars Rhea Seehorn as Carol, “the most miserable person on Earth” who “must save the world from happiness.”
The brief teaser trailer shows Carol seemingly being catered to by the rest of the world’s population, who have indeed been inflicted with the scourge of happiness. It’s not clear why Carol isn’t being impacted by whatever has changed the world, but everyone seems intent on fixing it so that she can “join” them. Carol, naturally, is very confused — and upset. It’s all very unsettling, but it seems like the show will balance things out with dark humor.
Breaking Bad creator’s new sci-fi show hits Apple in November
As promised, Apple has finally revealed Pluribus, a new show from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan that’s coming to Apple TV Plus. In addition to a very brief teaser involving some gross donut behavior, the streamer also confirmed that the show will premiere on November 7th.
The show has been in the works for a while, as Apple first announced that it had picked up a Gilligan project back in 2022. It stars Rhea Seehorn, who previously worked with Gilligan on Better Call Saul. But there aren’t a lot of details other than that. According to Apple, the show — which is already confirmed for a second season –is about “the most miserable person on Earth” who “must save the world from happiness.” The rest of the cast includes Karolina Wydra, Carlos Manuel Vesga, Miriam Shor, and Samba Schutte.
Apple is teasing something about its show from Breaking Bad’s creator.
Update: Apple posted a countdown video.
Apple has picked up the next show from Breaking Bad’s creator
Apple has picked up the next show from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan. The two-season Apple TV Plus show, which Apple currently calls the “Untitled Vince Gilligan Project,” will star Rhea Seehorn, who was nominated for an Emmy for playing attorney Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul.
Apple isn’t revealing much about the series just yet, but Gilligan did share a tiny hint of what we can expect. “After fifteen years, I figured it was time to take a break from writing antiheroes… and who’s more heroic than the brilliant Rhea Seehorn?” Gilligan said in a statement. “It’s long past time she had her own show, and I feel lucky to get to work on it with her.” Gilligan will be serving as showrunner and executive producer.
