Apple TV is a relatively young player in the world of streaming, but in recent years, the streamer been pushing out some of the finest sci-fi and fantasy shows around. Look no further than Foundation, Silo, and Severance, and now its latest sci-fi offering, Pluribus.
The whole concept of Pluribus is downright bizarre. The show’s tagline, “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness,” quickly and effortlessly sums up the weird journey it takes fans on. To expand on that, Pluribus follows Carol (Rhea Seehorn), one of only a handful of people unaffected by a mysterious virus that turns the human population happy by "joining" everyone in a planet-wide hivemind. She's constantly surrounded by the hivemind virus, as it ardently abides by her every wish and demand (even if she doesn't want it to).
Some people doubted Pluribus, but since the series is created by esteemed TV writer Vince Gilligan — creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul — a lot of us gave it a chance. Plus, Apple TV had no issues from the outset, ordering the series for two seasons, although we imagine there will be more than that given the show's success.
Suffice to say, Gilligan has another winner on his hands. According to Deadline, the two-episode premiere of Pluribus managed to surpass Severance season 2 to become the biggest global drama series launch cross Apple TV in over 100 countries, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, India and France.
“Rarely has keeping the secret of a show we love so much been as fun or as rewarding an experience as it has been with Pluribus,” said Matt Cherniss, the head of programming at Apple TV. “Vince’s strikingly inventive premise blew us away from the second we read it, and witnessing the brilliance with which he has brought this series to life is truly remarkable.”
He added: “It’s a thrill to watch audiences worldwide get hooked on this thought-provoking, insightful and darkly funny show rooted in humanity by an exceptional cast led by the talented Rhea Seehorn, and we can’t wait for viewers to dive deeper into the mystery.”
One of the most surprising things about the success of Pluribus comes from the immense secrecy of the show prior to launch. From its inception through to filming, details were pretty muted. It garnered a lot of intrigue from viewers.
If you’re not watching Pluribus, you’re certainly missing out. Episode 5 is now streaming on Apple TV. New episodes debut weekly, with the finale arriving on December 26.