Apple TV+ continues to demonstrate, year after year, why it’s one of the best streaming services. While the streamer doesn’t offer nearly as much content as others like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+, the ratio of quality to quantity is off the charts. You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show on Apple TV+.
The hits continue, and one of the upcoming series is poised to be named among the streamer’s biggest hits this year. Pluribus, premiering on November 7, 2025, with its first two episodes and running for a total of nine, has a lot of people excited, and for good reason.
‘Pluribus’ Creator Vince Gilligan Made One of the Best TV Shows Ever
Pluribus, also stylized as PLUR1BUS, has earned its first checkmark as one of the best shows on Apple TV+, thanks to the talent working both behind and in front of the camera.The series is created by Vince Gilligan, best known for creating both Breaking Bad and its prequel series Better Call Saul, as well as the sequel film El Camino. Before that, he showed off his expertise in the sci-fi genre as a writer, director, and producer for episodes of The X-Files. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the movie Hancock.
With four Primetime Emmy Awards and two of the best-reviewed shows of this generation — one often cited as among the greatest TV shows of all time — the bar is high for Pluribus. Gilligan is not only the creator but also serves as showrunner and executive producer.
Switching focus to in front of the camera, the series stars Rhea Seehorn in the lead role, someone who is already familiar to Gilligan and fans of his work. She starred as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul, the friend and eventual girlfriend of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), a.k.a. Saul Goodman. She was integral to the story, and by the end, the reason Saul chose to turn himself in and serve time for his crimes.
Seehorn earned two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role, one of her best performances, along with many other accolades. Acting since the late ’90s, she has appeared in movies like Bad Boys: Ride or Die and done voice work in series such as Invincible, My Adventures with Superman, Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, and Win or Lose. But fans are excited to see her back on the small screen in this project, in which she seems to be joined only by a small list of other core characters.
Proving she can command the screen and tackle complex subject matter and mysterious, hard-to-read characters in Better Call Saul, Seehorn seems tailor-made for the role. Based on Gilligan’s track record in casting, we can’t imagine Seehorn not nailing this role.
What Is Apple TV+’s ‘Pluribus’ Even About?
Now that we know who is behind it, the second reason Pluribus is gearing up to be one of the biggest shows this year is its premise. As a sci-fi drama, the story centers on Carol Sturka (Seehorn), a historical romance author who finds herself in an apocalyptic-like event. But the world hasn’t been overtaken by flesh-eating zombies or a virus that mutates, turning people into monsters. Rather, the virus attacks and makes people happy and optimistic. Wait, what? The twist is that Carol is the only person who seems to be immune to it. She has literally become the most miserable person on Earth.
There have been promises of a massive twist in the first episode and a genre-bending focus overall, so the sci-fi classification may only be the tip of the iceberg. The show has Severance vibes written all over it, combined with a dash of Silo, two other fantastic Apple TV+ series. If there’s any truth to those comparisons, it’s no wonder fans are curious to dive right in.
Teasers Have Been Purposely Vague to Build Curiosity
Beyond this short description, what has everyone talking about Pluribus is that not much else is known. One short and creepy teaser clip led to more questions than answers. In it, a woman in a dark room picks up donuts one by one and licks them as the camera pans down to a note that reads “help yourself.” It’s one of those clips that makes you say “WTF” out loud, but also draws you in, dying to know more.
In another clip released in early October, Carol watches as a drone arrives to take out the trash, albeit it’s having a bit of trouble doing so. Again, the clip leaves no indication of the show’s tone, storyline, or even what Carol is like. The intention is clearly to build intrigue, and it’s working.
In mid-October, the official teaser video was released. In this minute-long video, Carol is talking to someone on the phone who is trying to help her through this difficult time. She needs to hunker down and wait it out while they figure out what makes her different. The camera pans to the person, who appears to be the President of the United States, and she wants to fix her so she can “join us.” When he asks if she has any questions, she starts with, “What the f**k?” Viewers aren’t the only ones raising that question after getting glimpses of what’s going on. It’s like an apocalyptic event and cult series rolled into one with a clever sci-fi twist we likely haven’t even begun to understand yet.
It doesn’t end there. Apple TV+ has released many more teaser videos showing Carol exploring the city and encountering various people and situations. None of them have any dialogue, and they are under 15 seconds long. But somehow, they give you chills. In one of the videos, a phone number pops up on the screen (202-808-3981).
If you call, you’ll hear a message intended for Carol. “We’re so glad you called,” the voice says. “We can’t wait for you to join us. Dial zero, and we’ll get back to you via text message.” Do as it says, and you’re assured (as Carol) that your “life is your own” and that you “have agency!” It then asks you to reply “yes” to sign up for Apple TV+ updates (marketing ploy? Probably, but who cares!) If you oblige, you’re told that “they” only want to make you (Carol) happy and will be in touch soon. Hilariously, you can text “STOP” to stop or “HELP” for help.
And finally, on October 22, the full trailer for Pluribus was released, featuring Albuquerque locations reminiscent of Breaking Bad. However, the two-minute trailer refuses to answer any of the big questions we have before the premiere.
Less Is More With Deeper Allegories in ‘Pluribus’
As the saying goes, sometimes less is more. All we have gotten so far are small snack-sized bits of details and crumbs of information. But based on who created it, who stars in it, and what the basic premise is, Pluribus can’t possibly be a flop. Gilligan doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would create such intrigue around a show without being confident it will exceed expectations.
He is even running a campaign that will seemingly integrate viewers into the story. In a Reddit message, Gilligan calls for fans to create a video for the chance to “be included in an official video from Apple TV.” All you need to do is directly address the camera, say one of the four provided prompts, and then post it to a social account using the hashtag #pluribus. All the prompts relate to encouraging Carol to join you/them. In the video, Gilligan’s shirt reads “happiness is contagious.”
This smartly adds yet another dimension of intrigue and curiosity. It also shows how the show could have a much deeper meaning than it might seem on the surface. Gilligan may use the show as social, even political, commentary. Pluribus literally translates to “more” or “many” in Latin. Most people are familiar with it from the phrase “E pluribus unum,” which means “out of many, one.” It can’t be a coincidence that this is a motto of the United States, meant to signify the 13 colonies uniting to become a single, united nation. The idea behind the phrase reinforces that people from different backgrounds have come together to create a country literally built on unity. It’s no secret that the country that once lived by these words is ironically more divided than ever. This may have inspired the concept for the show.
Thus, perhaps the story is meant to be an allegory for something else. Carol is different and finds herself amidst a sea of people who are all the same, seemingly happy, perhaps blissfully ignorant of the negative realities around them. What is the cost of happiness? What does it truly mean to be happy? Is it really healthy to be happy all the time? What’s the line between unwavering happiness, naivety, and perhaps even sociopathy?
There are so many directions this show could go, but the fact that theories are running rampant before it has even aired is a good sign. We hope that Gilligan will have found the right narrative, and that Seehorn is the right person to bring it to life. Will you watch Pluribus? Do it. We want to make you happy. Join us. Stream Pluribus on Apple TV+.
- Release Date
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November 6, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV+
- Writers
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Ariel Levine
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Carlos Manuel Vesga
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