Apple TV's Pluribus came into existence already confirmed to run for at least two seasons, but showrunner Vince Gilligan's recent update about the second batch of episodes saps some of the enthusiasm out of the wait. I'm happy to patiently bide my time ahead of more from Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka and company, and it's a good thing I am. Because, from the sound of things, that's exactly what we're going to have to do.
Speaking recently at the first-ever Apple TV press day (via The Hollywood Reporter), Gillian answered the question of when Pluribus season 2 would arrive. Although he referred to The Pitt's rapid-fire release schedule, he only did so to make it clear that Pluribus "ain't gonna be like The Pitt, coming back every year." While he did confirm that writing was well underway for the next batch of Pluribus episodes, he made it very clear that fans shouldn't get their hopes up about a 2026 comeback.
"We're plugging away," said Gilligan. "My writers are plugging away. All the folks, if you like the show, thank you for getting us here on this stage. It takes a long time to come up with these episodes." He went on to clarify: "We are deeper into the process at this moment than I would like, considering how few episodes we have figured out. But it takes some time, just as it did in the first season.” The most solid update from Gillian is that Pluribus will "come back the same month" as season 1, but that the year isn't yet confirmed. If accurate, this would mean season 2's arrival in December of 2027 or beyond.
Why a multi-year delay between Pluribus seasons is so surprising
Vince Gilligan is no stranger to TV. His followers will know him best from his time making Breaking Bad (2008-2013) and Better Call Saul (2015-2022). When both shows were on the air, there wasn't a single year when there wasn't new content from the Breaking Bad franchise. While Better Call Saul did take a break in 2019, the El Camino movie was released that year, which explained the prequel's brief hiatus.
So, if Pluribus season 2 does only arrive in 2027 or later, it'll certainly be new ground for a Gilligan-run show. It's especially disappointing because season 2 was greenlit at the same time as season 1. This double-season order never happened with either of Gilligan's Breaking Bad shows, and yet he continued to deliver something new each year the saga was active.
The Pluribus delay further highlights a big shift in the TV industry at large
Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul were made for AMC, but Pluribus is being produced for a streaming service. While that may not seem important to point out, it is. AMC is a far more traditional TV studio that prioritizes shows being renewed and put into production on an annual basis. That's never really been at the forefront of the streaming model. In fact, there are often multiple years between seasons on Apple TV and similar platforms. For example, Severance season 2 infamously took THREE years to arrive.
With the biggest and best shows routinely being made by streaming services, multi-year gaps are becoming far more commonplace. If Pluribus were an AMC show, I imagine season 2 would be much further along in the process than it currently is. This could be viewed as a bad thing, but the truth of the matter is that Pluribus is a far more cerebral show than Gilligan's iconic crime saga. Pair this fact with the showrunner's preference to adopt a relatively improvisational approach, and Pluribus probably benefits massively from not being hurried along.
Pluribus season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV.