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Pluribus: New sci-fi series from the creator of Breaking Bad on Apple TV+

It's one of the most anticipated returns to television. Vince Gilligan, the creator behind the acclaimed works Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, is back with a new series that completely breaks with the crime universe that made him famous. His latest project, the sci-fi drama "Pluribus," premieres today on the Apple TV+ platform.

Gilligan, who began his career on cult series like The X-Files, returns to his sci-fi roots with a bizarre and captivating premise: what happens to the world when everyone is too happy?

Apple TV+ has kept the plot details of "Pluribus" under tight secrecy, but the central premise is deliciously ironic.

The series stars Rhea Seehorn, known for her brilliant portrayal of Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul. Seehorn plays Carol, a novelist who, by a twist of fate, becomes the most miserable person on the planet. This unhappiness is not a choice; It is a survival factor, as the rest of humanity has been affected by a contagion that has turned them into a kind of "collective mind" of unwavering happiness.

Chaos ensues when the US president contacts Carol in a desperate attempt to convince her to join the widespread happiness. However, Carol is the last line of defense, the only one who can fight this epidemic of optimism and save the world from uniformity. The series explores the idea that "too good to be true" (in this case, eternal happiness) does not lead to good results.

For fans of Vince Gilligan's work, the series offers a visual and narrative treat. Although "Pluribus" is a completely independent story (not part of the Breaking Bad universe), the production returns to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the stories of Walter White and Jimmy McGill took place. The most attentive fans will certainly recognize familiar settings that will serve as a backdrop for this new dystopian adventure.

Rhea Seehorn, who takes on the lead role, is the undisputed star. Critics praise her performance, noting that much of the series' drama and humor rests on her shoulders.

Apple is betting big on the success of "Pluribus." The company greenlit the series with a two-season order right off the bat and invested a premium budget that reportedly hovers around $15 million per episode. This massive investment is a sign of Apple's confidence in Vince Gilligan to create its next big audience hit, on par with other acclaimed series on the platform.

"Pluribus" premieres today with a double-episode release. The first season will have a total of nine episodes, with a new chapter being released every Friday and the season finale scheduled for December 26.

Between mystery and anticipation...Expectations for "Pluribus" were high since the series was announced back in 2022. It was, indeed, Gilligan's first project outside the universe created by "Breaking Bad," considered by many to be one of the best series in American TV history – if not the best.

In addition, the project was always shrouded in mystery. So much so that little was known about the plot or Seehorn's role until this year.

The first teaser, released in July after years without major news, showed only a dark room, in which a woman carefully licked all the donuts from a communal box to the sound of a sinister soundtrack.

It may seem like little, but it makes sense right in the first episode – which mixes tension and comedy, like the best moments of Walter White's misadventures. With perhaps a little more lightness.

'Complete cycle'..."Pluribus" also attracted attention because it was Gilligan's return to science fiction, the genre that started his career. "Kind of a return to the roots," as he himself defines it.

He was just a fan of a new series when he decided to write the script for an episode and send it to the studio. The executives liked it, and the story became an episode of the second season.

Over time, he was hired and became one of the executive producers. The series became one of the most important on American TV in the 1990s.

"It really feels like a full circle. I had so much fun for seven years writing for 'The X-Files.' It was a great job. I tell people, with a sort of smile, that it was a very close second in terms of favorite job of all time," he says.

"I loved writing dialogue for Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. I loved all those people. And I learned how to create for TV in those seven years on that job,"...said the series creator Vince Gilligan.

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