Review: Vince Gilligan's at the top of his game with 'Pluribus'

Apple TV's Pluribus is a true unicorn in the IP-obsessed world of television in 2025. It's an expensive, globe-trotting series based on a wholly original idea. Its lead actor is Rhea Seehorn, who gave an all-time dramatic performance on Better Call Saul but is almost entirely unknown to people who didn't watch the Breaking Bad prequel. Its creator, Vince Gilligan — aka the man responsible for both Heisenberg-verse series — wanted virtually every detail of the series' premise and plot kept under wraps prior to the debut of its first two episodes this evening. This quest for secrecy extended to things revealed in the opening shot of the premiere.

So you have a show that can't be sold on a familiar brand name. Can't be sold on a big star. Can't be sold on its plot beyond the vague description, "The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness."

For the vast audience that Apple needs to justify the reportedly very large cost of Pluribus, it can be sold on only one thing: it's from the creator of Breaking Bad.

But if you're going to risk a small fortune on the reputation of a single TV showrunner, there are few risks more worth taking than letting Vince Gilligan — like the most famous character he ever devised — cook.

I'll get into some Pluribus plot points (say that five times fast) shortly — not enough to ruin the show's many surprises, but enough to make it easier to discuss what Gilligan is doing, and how well he's doing it. But the easiest way I've found to explain my response to the show is this: