Like The Twilight Zone before it, which series creator Vince Gilligan has stated is his all-time favorite TV show, Pluribus sets the stage for a slow-burning yet high-concept sci-fi series that is executed with expertly measured focus and masterful suspense.
Pluribus further supports the theory that Apple TV has become the definitive streaming home of original sci-fi series. In the wake of critical darlings like Severance and fan-favorites like Foundation, Pluribus enters the fold with what just might be the streamer’s most intriguing sci-fi premise yet – blending intellectual explorations of utopia and collective consciousness with existentialist dilemmas of individualism and modern loneliness.
Returning to his sci-fi origins on The X-FilesGilligan wrote the lead role of Carol Sturka – who we meet as a disgruntled yet successful fantasy novel author – for his Emmy-nominated Better Call Saul actress Rhea Seehorn. Pluribus is almost entirely Carol’s story, outside the circumstances of a global life-altering event that falls somewhere between a world-ending apocalypse and a far-reaching miracle.
Next to the subtly brilliant cinematography that captures each frame of Pluribusthe originality of the series – in that it’s unlike anything else on streaming right now – is its greatest feat. Released in weekly installments after its two-episode premiere on Friday, November 7, Pluribus will reward patient and attentive viewers on Apple TV right up to its season 1 finale.
Pluribus Is A Rewarding Sci-Fi Slow Burn That Will Creep You Out & Keep You Guessing
Like Gilligan’s iconic Breaking Bad series, every composition and camera movement in Pluribus is layered, detailed, and wholly intentional. Carol is cold, hardened, yet pragmatic and entirely relatable, often compelled to maintain a sense of moral high ground and normalcy as the world around her, quite literally, enters an unprecedented era in the blink of an eye.
Nor does Carol try tosave the world from happiness” in this new abnormal reality, she ultimately becomes a final cry for human nature as we know it and all the pitfalls that lie within. The world around her becomes more ostensibly peaceful and “happy” but at the expense of humanity itself, which possesses a spectrum of right and wrong, good and evil, and the like.
Pluribus may follow Carol’s protagonist as she helplessly searches for answers in a strange new Albuquerque, all while shielding herself from the oddly aggressive accommodations within new circumstances. Still, the series also begs the question: at what point does evolution overwrite our legacy? Is progress towards the “greater good“worth sacrificing who we truly are?
This is just one example of the philosophical subtext at play Pluribuswhich equally offers some explanations for the bizarre phenomenon but also cautiously leaves room for viewer interpretation. The slow-crawling suspense can be somewhat excruciating but perfectly embodies what Carol is experiencing as she single-handedly copes with a world gone mad.
Patience Is A Virtue You’ll Need To Exercise To Get The Most Out Of Pluribus
One triumph of Pluribus is its keen observational lens of human nature and modern culture, even in the wake of a worldwide reset of consciousness. It taps into the visceral need for humans to protect themselves against perceived threats, even conceptual ones like change (for better or worse).
Carol is firmly rooted in the flaws of her pride and conviction, defending what she knows as truth, whether or not it is ultimately in her best interests. In most other “apocalyptic” series, like The Last of Usthe big global change is objectively horrific and dystopian. In Pluribusit’s more of a pros and cons scenario – almost like an extended “would you rather” question where both sides are defensible.
With these myriad humanistic observations also comes the natural mundanity of existence, which can take up quite a bit of screen time. We’ll follow Carol through all of it, since the clingy camera hardly leaves her side, even during her most quiet and private moments, which aren’t always the most adrenaline-pumping.
The point is – Pluribus takes its time telling the story it wants to tell, exactly how it wants to tell it. Those with short attention spans may find themselves actively trying to maintain focus, rather than having the series do it for you. There’s a bit of an old-timey pace and presentation, which could be its most divisive element.
That said, don’t overthink it – it’s Vince Gilligan’s first TV show outside the Breaking Bad universe in years and another superbly original sci-fi concept on Apple TV. Plurbius may demand endured patience, but the rewarding sci-fi slow burn will keep you guessing with relentless fervor and intellectual stimulation.
- Release Date
- November 6, 2025
- NETWORKS
- Apple TV
- Directors
- Adam Bernstein, Zetna Fuentes, Melissa Bernstein
- Writers
- Ariel Levine
- Gilligan’s return to sci-fi is a rewarding & textured slow burn
- Pluribus fits perfectly alongside Apple TV’s heady sci-fi shows
- The series is full of surprises & thought provoking scenarios
- Pluribus requires an endured patience to get the most out of
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