Vince Gilligan gives us gripping sci-fi on Apple TV+

Review of PluribusVince Gilligan’s new sci-fi series for Apple TV+ with Rhea Seehorn as the main protagonist. Premieres on November 7th.

He did it again! Apple TV + makes us eat out of our hands with the premiere of Pluribusthe new science fiction series created by Vince Gilliganthe architect of Breaking Bad and Better call Saul. And it’s a fantastic addition to a catalog already full of quality with series like For all humanity, Separation, Silo any Foundationfor landing only on the platform’s flagships.

The series is made up of 9 episodes of around 50 minutes in length that will arrive at a rate of one per week every Friday, although two were released today to give the viewer not only a taste of the pilot episode, but also an extra dose of attention-grabbing. Therefore, the broadcast will end on December 26th. The wait will be worth it.

The first thing to note is that Gilligan refers to a long tradition of the genre. The plot will bring to mind films like The last man alive any When destiny catches up with us but it adds much more than just science fiction to the mix: there is also horror, dark humor, intimate drama and even an acidic social criticism that permeates the narrative from the beginning..

The pace, as always, is slow, but halfway through the first episode, events have already accelerated and the gears are turning so much that we can’t stop looking at the screen. The previous context was necessary to get to know our distressed protagonist and the conflicts she faced before the outbreak of the epidemic.

The individual versus the hive mentality

Pluribus It begins by showing how a group of scientists receive a signal from deep space. After analyzing it intensely, they deduce that it is more than a communication code and set out to replicate a genetic sequence in the laboratory. The experiment gets out of control.

Months later, we are introduced to Carol Sturka, a writer who was content with her great publishing success, but who aspires to launch something more transcendental and interesting on the market than her “romantasia” works. She is on tour with her literary agent and friend Helen when everyone around her starts having seizures.

Helen collapses and dies soon after, but after a while the rest of the people begin to repair the damage in a coordinated way and speak in chorus. Terrified, Carol goes to a hospital where the same situation repeats itself.

With growing dread, he goes home, where he barricades himself next to Helen’s corpse as he tries, unsuccessfully, to search for information of any kind. Is she the only one who has not fallen victim to the virus that infects the rest of humanity? What can you do to get your life back?

Pluribus It hits three targets simultaneously: it is interesting for its background, shape and tone. An almost perfect combination.

It arouses curiosity about what happens and about the main character, played by an actress as talented and charismatic as Rhea Seehorn. We snuggle with her on the couch, feeling the same existential anguish for what she doesn’t understand and plunging her into greater loneliness.

Gilligan’s direction is also very peculiar. He remains attentive to details, with complicated plans and a peculiar aesthetic in which color theory prevails. Carol is delimited by the color yellow, the others by pastel tones which, instead of inspiring calm, serve as an oxymoron to achieve the opposite effect.

It’s a simple but effective visual metaphor for the series’ message: behind the apparent calm, behind these hive-mentality individuals, there is a need to lure Carol into her “happiness.” The virus needs to replicate until it occupies everything and becomes a barrier to achieving the desired total unification.

So, thinking a little more about the subject, Pluribus It talks about the disintegration of the “self” in favor of a complete union of species but at the cost of losing what makes us human, which is individuality and free will.

It’s a pleasure to welcome you a series that captures curiosity and intellect, without losing sight of a certain degree of experimentation and the taking of narrative and formal risks. Pluribus It is one of the great titles of the year and without a doubt a new jewel for the Apple TV + catalog that plays its cards perfectly to be at the forefront of quality compared to its competitors.