Talk to somebody in Vince Gilligan‘s orbit — or just one of his many industry admirers — and you’re likely to hear them marvel at his ability to always find the emergency exit when he writes himself into another dead end. “I’ve heard showrunners who make really good TV say, ‘I knew the final episode before we even made episode one,’ ” says Gilligan. “Well, more power to them. I’m just a dumbass who continually writes himself into a corner. I don’t recommend it.”
Humility is also part of the Gilligan brand, a trait the writer, producer and director seems to retain even after creating three of the most lauded series of the 21st century in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and, now, Pluribus. The drama follows a misanthropic romance novelist named Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances. She’s one of just 13 people left unaffected by an alien virus that’s transformed the world’s population into a Zen hivemind, and, at least at the outset, she’s the only one left who’s bothered by this development. Gilligan wasn’t sure where his high-concept premise was headed when he sold it to Apple (a two-season, straight-to-series commitment) in a heated bidding war. He says he still doesn’t know what path it will follow. Fortunately, he isn’t alone in his corner. Gilligan’s troupe of serial collaborators — Seehorn was offered her part after her six acclaimed seasons on Better Call Saul — also thrive under pressure, which might have peaked in the series’ second episode.
