Hello, Carol. It’s only been six months since Season 1 of “Pluribus” came to an atomic bomb-sized end and teed up a second season that would see our plucky protagonist (played by “Better Call Saul” standout Rhea Seehorn) mounting all-out war on the alien hive mind that’s taken over our planet. Somehow, though, it feels much longer than that. Not helping matters is the fact that the Apple TV series is destined to take a while to return after that cliffhanger, as Season 2 is currently in active development and won’t commence filming for quite some time. After that, well, viewers have an even longer wait for the post-production process to run its course and finally lead to actual episodes releasing on the platform once more. Bummer.
But there’s some light at the end of this tunnel, at least. While fans are likely bracing for the worst, akin to “Severance” and its unfathomable three-year gap between seasons, “Pluribus” creator Vince Gilligan has offered up an encouraging update. In a new interview with Deadline timed for this year’s Emmys season, Gilligan and Seehorn revealed that the relative silence surrounding Season 2 has been a result of being hard at work breaking the new batch of episodes. When asked what they can say about Season 2, Gilligan revealed:
“Well, we’re about a little past the halfway point [of the writing process]. My writers and I have figured out the episodes, and it always — every season on every show — starts out hard. And then you just stay with it long enough. I’m starting to get to the point where I’m thinking, ‘I’m looking forward to shooting this, and people seeing it, because I’m kind of digging it.'”
Don’t worry, Pluribus fans, Season 2 will address the atom bomb in the room
If there’s anything that television classics like “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” taught us, it’s that patience tends to pay off in the long run. Not sure how that machine gun in Walter White’s trunk will tie into the plot down the line? Just wait and see. Skeptical about taking one of the most over-the-top caricatures and turning him into the lead of a spin-off show? Oh, you have no idea what kind of drama you’re in for.
Given Vince Gilligan’s track record, it’s fair to say that viewers are in incredibly safe hands with “Pluribus.” But that hasn’t stopped some worrywarts from raising a skeptical eye or two regarding the big atom bomb callback in the Season 1 finale. In all fairness, it’s a massive tonal swing and that’s exactly why it took audiences by surprise — even for a sci-fi show as intentionally unnerving as this one. But rest assured, folks, that Gilligan has a plan in mind … though there was some confusion there.
After joking with Rhea Seehorn that the writers room had “debated” whether or not to keep her around for the second season, he wryly explains to Deadline, “We’re thinking we’ll learn more about the atom bomb instead of just dropping it completely as a plot point.” This is a reference to a previous Rolling Stone interview, where he sarcastically stated that, “I have the confidence to go forward in Season 2 of ‘Pluribus’ and just never mention the atomic bomb ever. So that’s what we’re gonna do.” Luckily, for those of us who understand humor, that was never a serious consideration.
Season 3 of “Pluribus” will arrive on Apple TV … at some point in the future.
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