Proving that you can't please everyone, Apple TV's Pluribus has faced something of a baptism of fire. Coming from the brilliant mind of Vince Gilligan, the fact that he's known for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, being regarded as two of the best shows of all time, means there were high expectations for his next outing to perform.
Still, while Better Call Saul was a direct tie to the legacy of Breaking Bad, Pluribus lacks that established fandom.
More than just being a record-breaking hit for Apple TV, some have dubbed the Rhea Seehorn-led series the best TV show of 2025. On the opposite end of the spectrum, others complain that it's chugged along without much happening in its nine-episode run. This is evident from the show's Rotten Tomatoes score, as while critics have awarded it a near-perfect 98%, those notoriously difficult audience members have given it a more paltry 67%.
The good news is that Pluribus was quickly renewed for season 2 as a chance to prove those haters wrong, although we've been repeatedly told it'll likely be a long way off.
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Now, Gilligan has grabbed the bull by the horns and spoken out against those who haven't enjoyed Pluribus' freshman outing.
The biggest complaint of Pluribus has been its pacing, and despite the likes of episode 7 ("The Gap") that focused on Carlos-Manuel Vesga's Manousos Oviedo being a fan-favorite, it's currently got the season's lowest rating on IMDb.
Speaking to the Ringer TV podcast, Gilligan spoke about all things Pluribus with Seehorn and wasted no time in silencing its critics: "There's a whole world of people like 'this show sucks. This show, all she does is wander around', you know, like but I mean, that is as it should be.
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“That's not a bad thing that if the audience was monolithic, the world would be the Others.”
For Gilligan, this division isn't something that he's losing sleep over, adding: "Better that than everybody being like, it’s okay. But we don't need everyone on Earth. I don't even know what we need.
“That's Apple in their wheelhouse, not mine as far as how many viewers they need to make something worthwhile."
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Saying he has confident that Pluribus can be enjoyed by many, he continued: "I have confidence in that it is very watchable. And I have confidence in that is the truth. And I have confidence in that people uh there is an audience for this. It's not every human being on Earth, but it's enough.”
Much like how Seehorn's Carol Sturka is among those who aren't drawn into the hive mind of 'The Others', and is happy for it, it sounds like Pluribus was never going for universal appeal. Also, while there are many a TV critic and audience member alike who can likely argue that Breaking Bad is the 'best' show of all time, there are sure to be others who it just didn't resonate with.
With Gilligan already mapping out a three-season arc for Pluribus, this is one sci-fi spectacle that could still surprise its critics and turn things around.