Vince Gilligan Ditched a Male Lead for Pluribus: Why He Chose Rhea Seehorn

Vince Gilligan built two of TV's all-time antiheroes. With Apple TV+'s Pluribus, he flips the script to tell a straight-up hero story — and the switch started because he really, really didn't want to let Rhea Seehorn go.

How the lead turned from him to her

Gilligan says Pluribus was originally written around a male lead. Then Better Call Saul happened. While they were making that show, he saw what Seehorn could do and rethought the whole plan. He told Rotten Tomatoes' Mark Ellis that getting to know her pushed him to stretch and write a female protagonist, and he told The Hollywood Reporter he moved fast because someone else was obviously going to scoop her up at the end of Saul.

"I just love Rhea, and I wrote this thing for her. I selfishly wanted to work with her again."

There's also a mission statement baked in. After Walter White and Saul Goodman, Gilligan wanted to write a hero again — someone trying to do right in a broken world. He also points out the tired double standard where male villains are often treated as cool (think Scarface), while women doing similar things get labeled unlikable. His answer? Center Rhea Seehorn as Carol, an imperfect person aiming to help, even if she's described as the most miserable person on Earth.

So what is Pluribus?

Short version: it's a sci-fi drama-thriller set after a cosmic signal triggered an extraterrestrial virus event called "The Joining." Most of humanity fused into a peaceful hive mind known as "the Others." Carol Sturka is one of only 12 people immune. Peaceful doesn’t mean harmless: the transformation and its ripple effects have already led to over 886 million deaths. Carol meets the other survivors, tests the limits of resisting a global collective consciousness, and stares down some heavy moral choices.

• Title: Pluribus
• Creator: Vince Gilligan
• Lead: Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka
• Platform: Apple TV+
• Genres: Sci-fi, drama, thriller; plays like a psychological thriller with sci-fi horror edges
• Premise: One of 12 immune humans fights to keep her individuality after "The Joining" turns most people into "the Others"
• Body count: Over 886 million deaths tied to the global shift into the hive mind
• Setting: Post-apocalyptic world reshaped by a cosmic virus signal
• Themes: Hive mind vs. free will, survival, what it means to be human when humanity changes
• Notable characters: Carol Sturka; Zosia, a sort of butler-style envoy; Koumba Diabate, a hedonistic survivor

Early reception and the awards cloud hanging over it

Pluribus premiered with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes — an eye-catching start with only two episodes out. That immediately throws Seehorn into the awards conversation. She was nominated at the 74th and 75th Primetime Emmys for Supporting Actress on Better Call Saul, while that series infamously went 0-for-53 overall despite being as consistently great as Breaking Bad (which won 16). If Pluribus keeps this heat, Seehorn has as good a shot as she's ever had to finally snag an Emmy.

The takeaway

Gilligan spent nearly a decade collaborating with Seehorn, and instead of letting that partnership end, he rebuilt an entire show around her. The result looks like classic Gilligan tension with a new compass: a messy, determined hero up against a world that wants to absorb her. Pluribus is now streaming on Apple TV+ in the U.S.