Vince Gilligan, the mind behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, returns with a bold new sci-fi drama that explores what happens when the world suddenly becomes blissful — and one woman refuses to join in. His latest series, Pluribus, stars Rhea Seehorn as a sharp-tongued novelist struggling to make sense of a global shift that turns society eerily cheerful overnight.
The result is a compelling mix of mystery and satire, blending the unsettling tone of Invasion of the Body Snatchers with the dystopian edge of George Orwell. Packed with Gilligan’s signature blend of character-driven storytelling and surreal twists, Pluribus may be one of the year’s most inventive shows.
A World That Won’t Stop Smiling
The story centers on Carol Sturka, a bestselling romance author who lives in an affluent Albuquerque neighborhood. When a strange event occurs, the people around her begin behaving as though every day is the best day of their lives — always calm, happy, and perfectly content.
Carol, however, doesn’t change. Cynical, annoyed, and openly unimpressed with the world around her, she becomes one of the few people unaffected by the shift. Her inability to join in the collective joy sets the stage for a gripping mystery.
A chilling clue arrives early. A mysterious figure speaks directly to Carol through her television — by name — signaling that the change may be more personal than global. Gilligan uses that unsettling moment to signal that the rules of reality have shifted, and Carol must now figure out why.
An Unlikely Heroine
Rhea Seehorn’s performance drives the series. Known for her award-winning role as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul, Seehorn takes on a new kind of character in Carol: sarcastic, guarded, and deeply skeptical.
Before the world changed, Carol was already far from cheerful. Though she writes massively popular romantic fiction, she dismisses her fans as “a bunch of dummies” who devour her dramatic stories. Her prickly personality contrasts sharply with the people around her, who now act like cheerful caricatures.
“Nobody sane is that happy,” she insists — a line that captures both the underlying threat and her refusal to surrender to it.
Though the series leans into the fantastic, Seehorn’s grounded, often funny performance makes the show feel believable and human.
Part Sci-Fi, Part Satire
Gilligan describes the show as a modern echo of The Twilight Zone and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The comparison is fitting: both examine what happens when the familiar becomes strangely hostile.
Gilligan’s earlier work explored crime, morality, and transformation. Here, he brings similar complexity to a story about forced joy and conformity. The sci-fi elements are unmistakable — but always in service of character. Even as the series leaps into the surreal, it remains anchored in Carol’s emotional journey.
The tone shifts between humor, tension, and quiet sorrow. At times, the show recalls the thoughtful comedy of The Good Place, while other scenes lean toward the existential unease of HBO’s The Leftovers.
A Return to Albuquerque — With Hidden Clues
Pluribus is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the same city that serves as the backdrop for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. While the stories do not connect, fans will immediately recognize the setting — and may even spot a few playful nods to Gilligan’s previous hits.
The choice of location gives the series a familiar texture. But this time, the focus is on suburban normalcy twisted into something unnerving.
Gilligan also brings back the sci-fi flavor of his early career on The X-Files, using familiar genre techniques but subverting them with humor and emotional clarity. The show acknowledges the classics that inspired it; Carol even comments that “we’ve all seen this movie and we know it does not end well,” a wink to longtime fans.
A Story About Humanity Beneath the Sci-Fi
While Pluribus features unsettling moments and unexplained phenomena, its emotional core never strays far from Carol’s personal struggle. Her isolation, suspicion, and determination push the series forward.
Gilligan explores themes of:
- Conformity
- Individual identity
- Emotional authenticity
- Social pressure
- The fear of losing oneself
By surrounding Carol with people who appear blissfully happy — yet unsettlingly uniform — the show raises questions about whether constant positivity can become a form of control.
Seehorn’s balance of vulnerability and humor keeps the series from feeling bleak, and instead turns it into a thoughtful examination of what makes us genuinely human.
Conclusion
With Pluribus, Vince Gilligan once again challenges traditional storytelling, using science fiction to explore powerful ideas about emotion, autonomy, and truth. Fueled by Rhea Seehorn’s standout performance, the series blends suspense, dark comedy, and social commentary into a unique viewing experience.
Fans of Gilligan’s past work will recognize his flair for mixing the ordinary with the extraordinary, while new audiences will find a compelling mystery at the heart of a world that suddenly feels too happy to be real.
