Vince Gilligan, widely recognized for his work on critically acclaimed crime dramas like "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," has a lesser-known but significant history with the science fiction genre. Before crafting the complex narratives of Walter White and Saul Goodman, Gilligan honed his writing and directing skills on Chris Carter's iconic series, "The X-Files," contributing to several beloved episodes. His much-anticipated return to science fiction, with the new Apple TV+ series "Pluribus," has been a project nearly a decade in the making, as Gilligan revealed in a recent interview.

"Pluribus" introduces a captivating premise: a mysterious phenomenon leaves nearly every survivor on Earth psychically linked. However, a small, unexplained cohort of individuals remains immune to this "joining," among them Carol Sturka, a romance writer portrayed by "Better Call Saul" star Rhea Seehorn. The two-episode premiere quickly reveals the cause of this global psychic connection to be extraterrestrial technology. The central enigma, however, revolves around why Carol and the other few are unaffected, and whether they can maintain their individuality and self-determination in a world where everyone else experiences unprecedented happiness and unity.

The genesis of "Pluribus" dates back approximately eight or nine years, emerging during the nascent stages of "Better Call Saul." Gilligan described the ideas as arriving in "fits and starts," often during walks around Toluca Lake. Initially, the concept involved a male character who was inexplicably loved and well-treated by everyone. This intriguing thought gradually evolved, coinciding with Gilligan's desire to collaborate further with Rhea Seehorn, whose versatile acting talent he deeply admired during their time on "Better Call Saul."

Gilligan recounts his realization that the show didn't "have to be about a guy," challenging his own default to male protagonists and opting instead for a female lead. Thus, Carol Sturka came to be, with Seehorn embodying the role. A whimsical detail added for Carol's character is her profession as a speculative historical romance author, penning the "Wycaro" series. Gilligan found particular enjoyment in crafting an excerpt from one of her fictional books for the first episode, even joking about the possibility of the "Wycaro" books surpassing "Pluribus" in popularity.

From a production standpoint, "Pluribus" presented "nothing but technical difficulties," according to Gilligan, who described it as having a "bigger scope than anything I've ever done before." The series demanded extensive global filming, with significant portions of Season 1 shot in Spain, the Canary Islands, and Las Vegas. The inherent challenge of portraying a unified, telepathically-linked hivemind required innovative solutions, including the hiring of Nito Larioza, the show's first-ever movement coordinator or designer. Larioza's brilliance was crucial in executing complex scenes where characters had to act in perfect sync, such as a scooter driving sequence or individuals performing actions in unison. Gilligan emphasized the stark contrast between the ease of writing such scenarios and the immense difficulty of their practical execution, highlighting the profound collaborative effort required for television production, which ironically echoes the show's theme of interconnectedness.

Apple TV+ demonstrated significant confidence in "Pluribus" by ordering two seasons upfront. Gilligan shares a long-standing relationship with Apple executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, who were instrumental in greenlighting "Breaking Bad" years prior when they were at Sony Pictures Television. While Gilligan initially tends to underestimate the potential length of his projects (famously predicting "Breaking Bad" would run for three seasons before it stretched to six), he expresses openness to more than two seasons for "Pluribus," currently estimating at least three seasons, but acknowledging that the true duration will unfold as the story progresses.