Vince Gilligan's New Sci-Fi Drama "Pluribus" Debuts on Apple TV+

Vince Gilligan, acclaimed for his work on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul", is returning to television with a new science fiction series titled "Pluribus". The drama premiered on November 7 on Apple TV+ with a two-episode launch and will continue its nine-episode first season until December 26. "Pluribus" has already secured a renewal for a second season.

The new series reunites Gilligan with two-time Emmy nominee Rhea Seehorn, known for her role as Kim Wexler on "Better Call Saul". In "Pluribus", Seehorn's character Carol, described as 'the most miserable individual on Earth', is tasked with saving the world from excessive happiness. Further plot details remain sparse.

The casting lineup announced by Apple TV+ for "Pluribus" includes Karolina Wydra ("Sneaky Pete"), Carlos-Manuel Vesga ("Donde Tú Quieras"), guest stars Miriam Shor ("American Fiction"), and Samba Schutte ("Our Flag Means Death").

A thirty-second teaser for the series depicts a woman in pink scrubs licking donuts before placing them back in a 'help yourself' box adorned with a smiley face. The series is a Sony Pictures Television production, executive produced by Gilligan, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer, Allyce Ozarski, and Jeff Frost, with co-executive producers Jenn Carroll and Trina Siopy.

Apart from the short-lived dramedy "Battle Creek" in 2015, co-created with David Shore, "Pluribus" represents Gilligan's first foray outside the "Breaking Bad" universe in seventeen years. Gilligan teased in a 2023 interview with Variety that "Pluribus" has "no crime, and no methamphetamine”, explaining that the world of the show changes radically in the first episode and differs significantly from thereon, providing the setup for many subsequent episodes.