There’s nothing worse than diving into a television show only to have it fall apart halfway through the season. Some series have the problem of filler episodes that mess with the pacing or meandering plots that go nowhere. It can be super frustrating to devote precious hours of your time to a binge-watch that feels disappointing in the end. Luckily, the brain behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has created a new series that will never fail to have you glued to your screen.
What Is ‘Pluribus’ About?
Vince Gilligan‘s Pluribus premiered on Apple TV back in November 2025, but it’s definitely still top of mind when people are listing their favorite shows that have come out within the last year. Just moments into the very first propulsive episode, the viewer realizes that they’re in for a wholly unique and inventive show. Pluribus opens with an incredibly creepy and fascinating sequence that suggests some kind of extraterrestrial virus has ended up on Earth. Then we meet Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a romance novelist who seems to hate her life. On one seemingly normal night, Carol’s existence — as well as the entire world — is upended when an odd and incredibly eerie event occurs.
‘Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn leads Vince Gilligan’s new sci-fi drama.
Without spoiling too much, almost every surviving person on Earth is joined into one hivemind, but Carol, along with only about a dozen others, is somehow immune. In an ordinary series, Gilligan would have Carol fight to survive this apocalyptic scenario while trying to escape from the Others in a horror-themed narrative. Instead, in a genius twist, the Others actually want Carol to be happy. As Pluribus‘ first season unfolds, Carol learns to navigate this strange new normal that is full of surprises.
‘Pluribus’ Season 1 Is Thrilling From Beginning to End
Pluribus is a brilliant sci-fi show because of its creative storytelling. The first episode, in all its strangeness, is one of the best series premieres ever, amping up the action in a short amount of time. While the rest of the season adopts a much slower pace, this storytelling choice is intentional. That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of twists and turns; the cliffhanger in Episode 5, for instance, will have you scrambling to find out what happens next. The writers of Pluribus always make sure that you never know exactly where the storylines are heading next, and the finale will leave you anxiously awaiting Season 2. There are zero filler episodes or boring side plots to be found. Every scene in Pluribus immerses you in its wild world, making it a perfect season from beginning to end.
As brilliant as the writing of Pluribus is, the show would have fallen apart without its talented cast. Seehorn was born to play Carol, with a deep pain that lies beneath her stoic surface. Few other actors can transmit a range of complicated emotions with a simple gesture or brief facial expression as Seehorn does. As much as this is Carol’s story, the supporting actors are every bit as essential to the storytelling. Karolina Wydra is utterly captivating as one of the Others who becomes Carol’s connection to this new world. Carlos-Manuel Vesga plays Manousos Oviedo, another immune survivor, with a quiet determination that ripples off the screen.
Because there are no bad episodes in Pluribus, the desire for another installment has only grown since the first season premiered. The show was originally slated for a Season 2 return in late 2027, but even that might be optimistic. The good news is that Pluribus is such a fantastic series that it’s still worthy of a binge-watch, even if you’ve already watched it.
Pluribus
- Release Date
-
November 6, 2025
- Network
-
Apple TV
- Directors
-
Adam Bernstein, Zetna Fuentes, Melissa Bernstein
- Writers
-
Ariel Levine
