Not everyone needs or uses subtitles to fully enjoy a TV show, and Pluribus can be watched by many without the need for the characters' dialogue to appear at the bottom of the screen. However, Apple TV+ has provided a cool reason to watch the show with subtitles. The easter egg doesn't influence the story in any way, but it does reveal the level of detail that's been put into making the show.
Pluribus' two-episode premiere set the sci-fi project on the road to success with a pair of fantastic installments. Apple TV+'s promotional material ahead of the show's debut gave very little away about Vince Gilligan's first project since Better Call Saul ended in 2022, and the decision to keep so much under wraps has ultimately benefited the show's shock factor a great deal. For all of the big reveals and mind-bending worldbuilding, Pluribus shines just as brightly for its tiny little bells and whistles.
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead about Pluribus' general premise.
The Pluribus subtitles are yellow on Apple TV+, matching them to the show's aesthetic
Generally speaking, subtitles on streaming services tend to be white, rather than anything too flashy. There are a few reasons for this trend, but the biggest ones are that it's a neutral color that struggles to clash with very much, and its often stands out well against whatever's in shot. Pluribus, however, is something of an outlier in this respect. When watching with subtitles, you'll notice that the text is yellow rather than white.
It's a little jarring at first, as the expectation is to see white captions at the bottom of the screen. After a few moments, the yellow subtitles stop standing out quite so much. In fact, they start to look incredibly at home. Pluribus' color palette uses yellow a great deal, with the color permeating the show in way that it's easy to become accustomed to. So, it's not just an arbritary color choice for the subtitles. Instead, it's a way of making the captions blend in more with Pluribus' tone. Honestly, I'm surprised more shows haven't done something similar before now.
Why yellow is used so heavily in Pluribus
Apple TV+'s Pluribus branding has gently implied the show will be a glorious ray of sunshine due to the constant use of bright yellow in the promotional material. From a creative standpoint, it's certainly lived up to the billing so far. That said, Pluribus' tone is decidedly pessimstic. While the viral spread of contentment has taken the Earth by storm, the infection has bypassed characters like Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka, leaving them to witness the phenomenon from the outside.
As Pluribus' main character, the story is largely witnessed through her eyes. As someone who generally views things in a negative light, Carol's perceptions color the audience's views on what's happening in the show. As such, the ubiquity of such a bright and cheery color like yellow brilliantly highlights the more macabre elements of Pluribus' storyline.
You can watch the first episodes of Pluribus season 1 on Apple TV+ now. New episodes will drop every Friday until the finale on December 26, 2025.
Editors Note: Pluribus' themed yellow subtitles only display on certain playback systems.