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It’s been over six months since Pluribus came out, and it’s still living rent-free in my mind. So why isn’t it for everybody else?
When the post-apocalyptic Apple TV Plus show from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan first landed, it seemed to make a sizeable splash.
Bells clanged for the streaming network’s ‘most watched show’ in its history (360 million minutes viewed post-finale), beating the streamer’s megahit Severance to the top spot (even if this is still comparatively lower than other streaming service numbers).
That’s not its only accolade. It boasts a 99% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score based on a whopping 184 reviews, and lead star Rhea Seehorn has deservedly scooped up a Golden Globe and Critics Choice award.
Now the star, 54, is celebrating an Emmy nomination alongside a total of 18 for the dystopian series where her moody and cynical character, Carol, is left unmoored when the rest of the world is swept up by a virus which makes them all perpetually happy.
You may think that, given all the show has going for it, I wouldn’t be able to move for praise for the actress, discourse about the show and recommendations from friends.
After all, this is what has happened to other major Apple hits like Severance, which burst into the mainstream with a bang, so even people who hadn’t seen the series could recognise Britt Lower as Helly from a mile away. Britt notably went on to win the Emmy that Rhea is now up for.
Seriously, I must have watched that scene of Adam Scott running through the corridors in Severance’s season two opener more times than I’ve seen my parents this year.
The show remains a staple of TV-loving conversation and, when the series finale took place, there was endless chatter about theories, love triangles and the existential doom it posed.
All of this buzz was well-deserved, and it’s firmly earned its place in the zeitgeist. So, with similar levels of acclaim, I can’t understand why Pluribus hasn’t made the same leap.
Especially when it comes to lead star Rhea, who delivers one of the best performances on TV this year. Yet when I mention the show to friends and family, I normally encounter the glazed-over look of someone who has no idea what I’m talking about.
Best case, I hear an apathetic: ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that show, not watched it’.
Vince Gilligan on Pluribus
The creator spoke with Metro about how the show came into being:
‘People don’t realise how damn long it takes me to come up with things. It’s been the better part of a decade.
‘When COVID hit, I remember thinking, oh, damn, everybody’s going to think this is about COVID.
‘And then I guess, luckily, it took me so many years to get this thing on the air because I’m so damn slow, so mercifully that is fading into the rearview mirror for all of us, I hope.
‘But then AI comes along, and, I all I can say is I wasn’t thinking of either of those things actively. But if people watch Pluribus and they say to themselves, “It’s about AI, or it’s about viruses infecting the world”, more power to them. It’s up to the viewer to decide what it means.’
Even comparing it to the kind of cultural capital Breaking Bad has accrued, it’s crickets.
As for other major Emmy nominees this year, I’ve heard far more about The Pitt, stars like Matthew Rhys for his performance in The Beast in Me, Euphoria and its star-studded cast and viral shows like Ryan Murphy’s Love Story than I have about Pluribus. It’s not even a competition.
It’s clear Pluribus hasn’t been everyone’s cup of tea, plateauing at a 68% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, with the most common complaint accusing it of being ‘boring’ and too much of a ‘slow burn’ to get into.
I agree that the show does have a slower pace and takes its time building this new world Carol is plunged into, but I would argue that for those who stick with it, this makes it all the better.
As a character, Carol is far more than a grumpy writer who loathes her fanbase. She’d known love, desire and had found her slice of happiness before it was cruelly snatched away from her.
She is desperately human in all the worst ways and, unlike the hardy heroes of many other post-apocalyptic dramas, succumbs to her weaknesses.
Yes, Carol is utterly unlikeable, especially at the beginning, but that’s what makes the actor’s endearing portrayal all the more impressive.
Rhea does a masterful job of portraying the grief Carol goes through, both for humanity and for her own life, as well as her genuine panic at ‘well, what the hell do I do now?’
Not to mention the utterly compelling dynamic between Carol and the virus-infected Zosia (played by fellow Emmy-nominated Karolina Wydra), whose will-they-won’t-they romance raises a whole host of moral conundrums.
Yet, aside from a handful of fellow fans, I’ve been bereft of the juicy, widespread debates about the twists and turns of the plot, Rhea’s award-winning turn, and everyone’s theories about season two.
Instead, I’ve been surviving on fan edits on TikTok and the occasional viral tweet that might spark some chatter. This is a call to all those Apple TV viewers to come out of your shell. Don’t be shy!
I can only hope more people switch on before the second season arrives and Rhea has to win the Emmy to make it so, then so be it!
Pluribus is available to stream on Apple TV Plus now.