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The creative mastermind never anticipated that his new science-fiction series would turn into a massive hit. “God bless the fans,” Gilligan says. “It was unexpected the show being as talked about as it is, and it makes me overjoyed.”

As the debut season of the hit series wrapping up—and a second season officially in the works—Gilligan and his team opened up about the fan response and whether it will impact the narrative path of Pluribus.

About the Overwhelming Viewer Reception

It would be easy to get swayed by the widespread acclaim and fan theories about Pluribus. He is striving to steer clear of all that.

“It's like being constantly eating your favorite dessert and being tickled to death,” he says. “It's amazing, but I hear about it anecdotally, and that's by design. I have never looked myself up on the internet, nor do I ever plan to. Not because I don't care. It's a bottomless pit I know I would fall into and then I'd be living in squalor from Home Depot and I'd rarely emerge from my living room.”

Regardless of trying to stay away, there’s no escaping the overwhelmingly positive response to the series. The only approach for the writers is to acknowledge it humbly and try not to let it influence the direction of the show.

“It is not our goal to tailor anything,” says co-executive producer Alison Tatlock. “The narrative we craft is not impacted by online forums.”

“Better to keep our heads down and working,” Gilligan adds.

The Central Mystery: Does the showrunner See the Ending of Pluribus?

So if the creative staff aren’t being guided by audience theories, does that mean they have mapped out how Pluribus will reach its endpoint? The answer is yes… with some caveats.

“There are some potential directions about the ultimate destination,” Gilligan says. “yet we stand ready to abandon a solid concept for a better idea. That philosophy has guided us in good stead on Better Call Saul and on Breaking Bad even before that. We throw stuff out when we get a better idea and I expect we'll continue doing that.”

Alternatively, if all else fails, Gordon Smith has a rather amusing idea to use as a backup.

“I keep pitching that everything takes place within a snow globe, and that we'll reveal the snow globe and that's where they've been all along,” Smith jokes, “though the idea hasn't gained traction.”

Then again, why not reference the legendary finales?

“I want Carol to open her eyes beside Bob Newhart,” he jokes.

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Pluribus is currently available on the streaming service.