For the first time in nearly two decades, Vince Gilligan, the creative force behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, is telling a story completely outside the world of drug lords and crooked lawyers. His new Apple TV+ series, Pluribus, is a science-fiction mystery that he describes as different from anything he has ever done before. The show, which premiered on November 7, 2025, stars Rhea Seehorn as a reluctant hero in a story that marks a significant genre and moral shift for the acclaimed creator.
From Writing Bad Guys to Creating a Reluctant Hero
Vince Gilligan explained that he consciously decided to move away from the criminal underworld that made him famous. He expressed that he had grown weary of writing antagonists and was concerned about how audiences sometimes glorify characters like Walter White.
“I was getting a little weary of writing bad guys,” Gilligan said. “I can’t speak for those other show and movie creators, but for me, Walter White was always meant to be a cautionary tale, he’s not aspirational.”
This inspired a fundamental change in direction for Pluribus. Instead of a protagonist who devolves into a villain, the new series features Gilligan’s first true hero, Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn. Described as “the most miserable person on Earth,” Carol becomes the unlikely savior in a world transformed by a strange event.
A Sci-Fi Mystery on a Global Scale
Pluribus is a high-concept sci-fi story with a scale much larger than Gilligan’s previous work. The show begins with a mysterious, worldwide incident that abruptly changes modern society. The official synopsis reveals that Carol Sturka is the only person immune to an unexplained virus that transforms the global population into overly content and optimistic citizens.
This sprawling premise allowed Gilligan to film in international locations for the first time, with production spanning beyond Albuquerque to the Canary Islands, northern Spain, Norway, and Morocco. The production team built an entire neighborhood from scratch in the New Mexico desert to serve as Carol’s home, a setting that becomes central to the strange events that unfold.
A Star Written For a Beloved Actress
A key driver for this new project was Gilligan’s desire to create a starring vehicle for Rhea Seehorn, who earned critical acclaim for her role as Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul. He wrote the part of Carol specifically for her, convinced of her ability to lead a series.
“I wrote this show for her. I love her so much,” Gilligan stated. “We got to know her and enjoyed writing for her on Better Call Saul – so much so that I created this show just for her. I thought it was long past time for her to be a star.”
Seehorn was deeply moved when Gilligan first told her about the project. She recalled her immediate reaction: “I started crying because he said, ‘I wrote something for you’… and I was like ‘That’s fine, just yes.’” She praised the originality of the script, noting she had never read anything like it and would want to watch the show even if she wasn’t in it.
Confidence from Apple and Colleagues
Apple TV+ demonstrated strong faith in Gilligan’s vision, giving Pluribus a two-season order straight away. The confidence in the project is shared by those familiar with Gilligan’s work. Bob Odenkirk, who worked with both Gilligan and Seehorn on Better Call Saul, offered high praise for the new series.
“I know it’s going to be massive,” Odenkirk said. “It’s going to be the biggest thing, well, since sliced bread, but really since Game of Thrones.”
The series debuted on Apple TV+ on November 7, 2025, with its first two episodes. New episodes are released weekly, leading up to the season finale on December 26, 2025.
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