THE STORY – Carol Sturka might be the most miserable person on Earth. She also may be the only one who can save it.
THE CAST – Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos Manuel Vesga, Miriam Shor & Samba Schutte.
THE TEAM – Vince Gilligan (Showrunner/Writer/Director)
This review is only of the first seven episodes of the season.
When “Better Call Saul” came to a close, it was clear that Vince Gilligan was ready to step away from the world of “Breaking Bad.” That period of his career yielded four Emmys, two acclaimed series, a feature film, and a near-unattainable benchmark for television storytelling. Now, with “Pluribus,” Gilligan is creatively recalibrating. The series is a far cry from the meth-cooked chaos of Albuquerque’s criminal underworld, signaling a return to his genre-driven roots not seen since his days on “The X-Files.” Though it shares the sun-bleached deserts of the Southwest as a backdrop, “Pluribus” feels wholly different in tone and texture. Whether Gilligan can stick the landing remains to be seen, but his gift for keeping audiences immersed in the unknown makes “Pluribus” fascinating from the start. If the pilot is any indication, Gilligan may very well have another hit on his hands.
Among the many wise choices Gilligan makes, one stands out: putting one of “Breaking Bad’s” most underrated talents front and center. After earning two Emmy nominations for her stellar performance as Kim Wexler on “Better Call Saul,” Rhea Seehorn proved herself a masterful and magnetic performer. Seeing her now lead “Pluribus” is a thrill and fitting, given how much her character, Carol Sturkas, mirrors the complexity Seehorn brings to every role. Carol is a bestselling author who, despite outward success, may be the unhappiest person alive. Her hit “Winds of Wycaro” fantasy series has made her wealthy and visible. Still, it has also trapped her in a creative rut, churning out content for BookTok instead of pursuing her true artistic ambitions. Her growing dissatisfaction with her career, her world, and everyone but her devoted partner and manager, Helen (Miriam Shor), eventually becomes her defining strength as she’s forced to adapt to a world slipping further beyond the bounds of normality.
It’s difficult to describe “Pluribus” without slipping into ambiguity, but that’s intentional, since Gilligan thrives on mystery. The show’s enigma is its beating heart, and overanalyzing its narrative threads only dulls its effect. Viewers are meant to be as disoriented as Carol, following her through barren Albuquerque streets and beyond as she attempts to restore some semblance of meaning to her unraveling life. Seehorn, for her part, embraces the absurdity with biting humor and an emotional precision that’s a joy to watch. Beneath her character’s sharp wit lies a woman quietly reveling in her own anguish, a tension Seehorn explores beautifully across each episode. As the series unfolds, “Pluribus” becomes a true Seehorn showcase, with Gilligan’s writing giving her room to reveal new layers of Carol through every cryptic encounter, including with Karolina Wydra’s mysterious Zosia.
Gilligan’s signature storytelling remains intact: a nonlinear structure, patient character development, and the slow unfolding of secondary storylines that eventually intertwine. Carol’s alienation fuels much of the show’s momentum, as her inner doubts collide with a world of people who are too self-absorbed or indifferent to offer her help. The series starts strong but grows richer and more assured as it progresses, much like Carol herself, who finds her footing in a strange new reality.
Whether Gilligan can sustain the mystery through the finale, or across future seasons, will be the real test of his range. We’ve seen other conceptually driven shows, like “Severance,” wrestle with the limits of long-form mystique. Yet few showrunners are as reliably consistent as Gilligan. With “Pluribus,” he’s once again casting a spell, and the result feels like one of the fall season’s must-watch series.
THE GOOD – A is a hilarious mystery that descends into a descent to reclaim normalcy, bolstered by a terrific Rhea Seehorn performance and Vince Gilligan’s steady hand as a showrunner.
THE BAD – There may be some who find there little beneath the central mystery fueling Carol’s journey.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series & Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
THE FINAL SCORE – 8/10
