Pluribus Writer Refuses to Explain the Sci-Fi Metaphor — Says It Would Make the Show Meaningless
A curt sign-off to Carol turned an answer into a put-down — and sparked questions about tone and respect.
Pluribus is the rare sci-fi show that refuses to hand you a thesis statement. And according to the guy running the thing, that is exactly the point.
"There are themes that come to mind, but it is less rich to say, 'Oh, this is a show about fill-in-the-blank.' If I said that it is a metaphor about not using your phone, you do not need to watch the show," writer-director Gordon Smith told The Hollywood Reporter. "The show becomes useless. The show becomes meaningless. There are AI proponents that are going to watch the show, and they might feel attacked or they might feel supported. But for us to say, 'No, it should just be this one-to-one correspondence,' it limits both the storytelling and the availability of the show to ask questions that people are going to be interested in. This is such a conceptual show, and my hope is that it makes people think about and feel different things in different ways."
So no, he is not going to tell you what Pluribus is "about." If he stamped a label on it, you could skip the ride. And honestly, where is the fun in that?
What the show is actually doing (without ruining the mystery)
Set in New Mexico, Pluribus trails Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a romantasy author who seems to be one of the only people immune to a strange virus. Everyone else? They have drifted into an unnervingly serene collective called the Others. Think hive mind, but with a smile that does not quite reach the eyes.
The series peppers in little nudges that practically dare you to theorize. The end credits even flash the sentence "This show was made by humans," which has some viewers connecting the dots to our steady embrace of AI. Is the show poking at that? Maybe. Maybe not. Smith and creator Vince Gilligan clearly want the conversation, not a book report.
Where things stand right now
- Creative brains: Creator Vince Gilligan, with writer-director Gordon Smith steering episodes
- Setting and lead: New Mexico, with Rhea Seehorn as author Carol Sturka
- The hook: A mysterious virus folds almost everyone into a calm hive called the Others; Carol appears immune
- That cheeky credits card: "This show was made by humans" (fueling plenty of AI speculation)
- Status check: We are not even halfway through Season 1 yet, and Apple greenlit Season 2 before the show premiered
- How to watch: Streaming on Apple TV Plus with new episodes dropping weekly
Bottom line: Pluribus is playing the long game. The ambiguity is not a bug; it is the feature. If you are waiting for a neat little metaphor to be handed to you, Smith is telling you not to hold your breath. And I am fine living in the questions for a while.