Pluribus (Apple TV+) 

By: Rachel Brodeur

Apple TV+ tackles the apocalypse in its world-ending invasion series Pluribus. From creator Vince Gilligan, the mind behind hit series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Pluribus offers a fresh take on disaster concept sci-fi. 

Pluribus doesn’t feel like a horror or even a science-fiction show. The lighting is bright, the colors are vibrant, the New Mexico setting is ordinary. However, the series starts with an ominous clock counter opening each scene, and with that timer, audiences know that catastrophe is imminent. What Pluribus does well, is build off of some of the more common horror tropes. Viewers will recognize elements of zombie or outbreak films: the initial signs of potential contagion, the exponential spread as characters start to realize that something is amiss, and the inherent panic of trying to clutch onto a semblance of a civilized world. Pluribus, though, is not a show about a zombie virus; the infection of Pluribus is something altogether different. 

In Pluribus the monsters know your name; they still look like your neighbors, your coworkers, even your family. They seem oddly happy and oppressively helpful, but most importantly, they are not themselves. The only one who seems to be fighting against this wave of contentment and unity is main character Carol, played by Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul). Carol, at the best of times, approached the world with a sardonic lens of jaded discontent, and it is that bonding with others through complaints about mild annoyances that is perhaps the most relatably human thing about her. Seehorn plays an angsty Carol with thinly veiled frustration and masked aggression that manages to still be likeable, because at her core, Carol is still kind. Seehorn’s performance carries each scene, as Carol seems like the last bastion of sanity in the quickly changing world. She is the center as all other characters orbit around her. Seemingly simple events like employees stocking a grocery store are expertly choreographed as hundreds of extras move as if of one mind, perfectly spaced, never getting in each other’s way as they weave in and out of aisles. The effect is eerily beautiful. 

Pluribus is a show that raises questions. There are some that are sweeping and existential about the essence of personhood; large in scope like what would you want to hold on to about your home. Other questions are small and mundane, like what rules would you break if no one was looking, or what show would you watch on repeat to bring you comfort when the world ends. Audiences can draw parallels to how the world responded to the pandemic, and some will see signs of Gilligan’s hatred of AI produced art expressed through satirical dialogue. This is a show built for conversation, pushing back against the simplicity of if you’re not with us, you're against us. 

Rachel’s Rating: 8.5/10

Pluribus (Apple TV+) delivers a bright, unsettling twist on the apocalypse, where an uncanny wave of unification leaves one woman isolated in her humanity. The series blends suspense with social commentary, inviting viewers to reflect on identity and true community.