After creating one of the greatest TV shows of all-time, and following it up with a prequel series that almost matched its storytelling and popularity, Vince Gilligan may have been nervous about how releasing a new sci-fi series that leaves behind his Breaking Bad universe would go down with those fans who just want more of his greatest creation. He need not have worried, as Pluribus continues to hold a Rotten Tomatoes score that exceeds his biggest show and is dominating Apple TV a week after its release.
Pluribus does have a face familiar to fans of Gilligan’s Better Call Saul at the center of its story, with Rhea Seehorn playing the “most miserable woman in the world,” who finds all the people around her becoming ridiculously happy for no reason. In a unique take on the end of the world scenario, Gilligan’s show essentially asks whether a world being transformed into a completely happy and helpful place of ultimate unity is something that anyone would really fight against…and for Seehorn’s character, the answer is yes.
For critics, the series has done something very few new shows do and scored a 100% Tomatometer rating based on 86 reviews. It seems at a point where it would be a brave critic that would want to be the misery who spoiled the fun party, right? Many of the shows considered the greatest of all time, including Breaking Bad among them, didn’t get off to a perfect start like Pluribus, and the main problem now is going to be keeping momentum going in what seems like a no-brainer second season.
Seehorn’s performance, which has been called “stellar” and is already being hailed as the role that could finally put her Better Call Saul snubs in the past and give her an Emmy, is unquestionably a driving force of the series. However, Pluribus is clearly more than that. Jack King of GQ says “I can’t remember the last time I so gluttonously wolfed a show down.” Paste Magazine’s Lacy Baugher adds, “I’m not sure if Pluribus is the best show of the year, but it certainly seems safe to say it’s already a darn close thing,” Dana Han-Klein of We’re Watching What? simply starts her review with all you need to know:
“Pluribus is perfection.”
What Are Audiences Saying About ‘Pluribus’?
It would be very unusual for audiences to completely agree with critics, which is why the perfect rating for Pluribus has not quite transposed to the other side of the coin. However, the reviews are still very strong, although not as strong as they were for both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. However, that is just fine.
While the worst reviews call the show “incredibly slow” and Seehorn’s character “one of, if not the most, unlikable characters ever conceived,” the vast majority have continued the theme that Pluribus is “magnificent,” “wildly entertaining,” and “the best series of the year.” The premise alone has sold the show for many people, and that comes from Gilligan’s name being right there out front.
Pluribus is exactly the kind of show Apple TV subscribers have come to expect from the streamer. From Slow Horses to Severance, the quality of Apple TV’s shows is hard to knock, and with the platform also being known for allowing shows to run their course, we can probably expect to see more from Gilligan’s latest show in the future…and that will make everyone but the show’s protagonist happy.
- Release Date
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November 6, 2025
- Network
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Apple TV
- Directors
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Adam Bernstein, Zetna Fuentes, Melissa Bernstein
- Writers
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Ariel Levine
