Becoming The Muse

Pluribus Series Review

Pluribus (stylised as PLUR1BUS) is a post-apocalyptic science fiction television series created by Vince Gilligan for Apple TV. It premiered on Apple TV on 7 November 2025.

The story follows an Albuquerque-based author Carol Sturka, who must save the world from a virus that makes people happy.

The Good

Its from Vince Gilligan, the creator of the cult classic Breaking Bad, and fans are curious to see if another masterpiece is created… There’s a couple of callbacks to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Rhea Seehorn delivers a compelling performance as Carol Sturka, a middle-aged best-selling author of The Winds Of Wycaro a romantic fantasy novel series, who ends up as one of 13 people immune to the virus that’s affecting everyone.

The series explores interesting themes about sacrificing individuality for mass ideology as well as body autonomy, in a narrative that’s creatively reminiscent of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

The Bad

If you are expecting a slow burn series that builds up to Breaking Bad type of tension, then Pluribus might come across as a shaggy dog joke that goes on and on, in a repetitive loop that confirms things you already know without adding any critical narratives.

Watching the series can be frustrating for viewers who are looking for instant gratification instead of appreciating the scenic route.

The protagonist Carol isn’t exactly likeable or someone you would root for, which can make it challenging to get invested or sympathise with her plight.

The Ugly

After investing in the series, it essentially ends right where it should have started in the first place, making the whole series a convoluted choreography for a second season.

At its core, Pluribus confronts an uncomfortable truth about extremist philosophies where people are expected to conform to views which wipe away the individual and results in the suffering of those who cannot or do not conform, this could be a political ideology or any other social construct which we labour under; in a critique that is sharp, unsettling and can feel heavy-handed.

Final Thoughts

Pluribus is one of 2025’s most talked-about sci-fi series, bold, unconventional, and rich with ideas, and depending on one’s preference; it’s either a masterpiece rewarding those who invest their attention or a frustratingly slow show. This polarising show has no middle ground, either you will watch all 8 episodes or you struggle to get past a single episode.

Have you watched Pluribus, does it sound like something you would watch. Regardless where you stand its been on one Apple TV’s most-watched shows and has been renewed for a second season.