The highly anticipated new series Pluribus from Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, made its debut on November 7, 2025, but its launch was so popular that it temporarily crashed Apple TV servers for many users in the U.S. and Canada. The outage began shortly after the first two episodes became available, leaving thousands of subscribers unable to stream the new show.
What Happened During the Premiere
On the evening of November 6, 2025, just as the first two episodes of Pluribus were released for streaming, Apple TV experienced a significant service disruption. User reports on Downdetector, a website that tracks service outages, surged to nearly 13,000 . The problems started around 10:30 p.M. ET and lasted for a little over an hour before Apple resolved the issues .
The outage also affected other Apple services, including Apple Music and Apple Arcade . On social media, users expressed their frustration. One user noted, “Mine literally just crashed, too. Came here to make sure it wasn’t just me!” while another said, “I’m in the middle of watching the first episode of Pluribus when it just stopped” . Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman commented on the situation on X, writing, “Apple TV goes down on premier night of new show Pluribus. Many users reporting the issue. Haven’t seen the service go down like this before” .
Understanding the Show Pluribus
Pluribus is a new science fiction drama created by Vince Gilligan, marking his return to television and a move away from crime stories back to the sci-fi genre he worked on earlier in his career with The X-Files . The series stars Rhea Seehorn, who previously worked with Gilligan on Better Call Saul .
The show follows Carol Sturka, a romance novelist played by Seehorn, who finds herself as one of the only people immune to a mysterious global contagion. This virus has converted nearly all of humanity into a relentlessly happy and optimistic hive mind . The story is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a familiar location for fans of Gilligan’s previous work .
Apple reportedly greenlit the series with an upfront order for two seasons and a premium budget of about $15 million per episode, showing significant confidence in the project . The first season consists of nine episodes, with the two-part premiere on November 7 and new episodes released every Friday, leading to the season finale on December 26, 2025 .
The Link Between the Show and the Server Crash
The timing of the outage points to the Pluribus premiere as the likely trigger. The disruption began shortly after the first two episodes became available to stream . This was not a minor show; it was one of Apple’s most heavily promoted flagship exclusives, creating a concentrated wave of viewer demand at the same time .
Industry analysis suggests the crash was probably due to a backend infrastructure problem, such as content delivery networks or authentication services being overloaded by the simultaneous surge of users trying to access the new show . The service disruption turned a major creative event into a technical headache for Apple, briefly shifting social media conversation from the show’s content to the platform’s reliability.
A Glimpse Into the Premiere Episodes
For those who could stream it, the Pluribus premiere introduced the show’s unique premise. The first episode, “We Is Us,” begins with astronomers detecting a radio signal from space that contains an RNA sequence. Researchers reproduce this sequence in a lab, leading to an outbreak that transforms infected people into a collective consciousness. The virus spreads through saliva, and those infected experience a permanent state of happiness, becoming a single hive mind .
The story picks up over a year later. Carol Sturka, a romance novelist, returns to Albuquerque with her manager and partner, Helen. While out one night, Carol witnesses everyone around her suddenly convulsing and collapsing, including Helen. She rushes Helen to a hospital, only to find it in chaos and everyone there already infected. Helen later dies from her injuries. Carol discovers she is one of only eleven people in the world immune to the virus. A man from the White House contacts her, explaining the situation and warning that the hive mind wants to assimilate the remaining immune individuals .
The second episode, “Pirate Lady,” sees Carol approached by Zosia, a member of the hive mind. Zosia explains that all infected humans share one consciousness and its memories. Carol learns that her anger can overwhelm the hive mind, causing physical convulsions in the connected population. She demands to meet the other immune survivors, but becomes frustrated when she discovers they have accepted the new world order. The episode ends with Carol making a bold decision to stop a plane from taking off, a move that tests the limits of the hive’s control .
Apple’s Response and Service Restoration
Apple officially acknowledged the outage on its system status page. The company listed the problem as an ongoing issue and worked to restore service. By approximately 11:38 P.M. ET, Apple had resolved the outage, and all services returned to normal operation . The status page was updated to show a “Resolved Outage” note for Apple TV, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade .
This incident occurred at a challenging time for Apple, as its services division, which includes Apple TV, is a key growth area. The division recently reported a record $28.8 billion in revenue for the September quarter . High-profile launches are critical for maintaining subscriber growth and competitive standing against rivals like Netflix and Amazon .
Also Read: Vince Gilligan’s New Series ‘Pluribus’ Premieres on Apple TV+ This Week
