‘Pluribus’ Review: It’s the End of the World As We Know It

As the end of 2025 nears, TV series are being released, adding to the case that this year is among, if not the best, years of television programming ever. Alien: Earth, Task, and It: Welcome to Derry have entered the conversation of best offerings of the medium in the latter part of 2025.

However, acclaimed Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan has entered the chat with the new sci-fi series for Apple TV+ — Pluribus. It has been a long three-year wait for Gilligan to grace the audience with his presence on screens at home. Was it worth the wait? Let’s dive into our Pluribus spoiler-free review and see.

What Is Apple TV’s ‘Pluribus’ About?

What happens when a best-selling fantasy-romance author named Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), who doesn’t appreciate the great life she has, is one of the sole survivors of an event that changed the world? Is she humanity’s only hope, or is Earth doomed from the start? Carol travels the globe to find a solution to this world-ending problem, seeking allies, but eventually realizing she is alone in her endeavor. Specifics of this apocalyptic event must remain under wraps until the series airs, but the audience should go into the series as blind as possible to experience this wacky yet emotional journey as Gilligan intended.

Pluribus takes place mostly in Albuquerque, New Mexico, just like Gilligan’s previous work in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Fans won’t be seeing Walter White (Bryan Cranston) or Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in this series — Gilligan just wanted to work with the same crew he’s worked with for years. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some clever Easter eggs from that world for eagle-eyed fans to discover, so keep a lookout.

‘Pluribus’ Provides a New Take on Apocalyptic Storytelling

Although there is no intergalactic war, no laser swords, no infection that turns humans into mushroom creatures or versions of the undead, what happens to the world in Pluribus is very serious. However, it’s presented in a far more grounded manner than your typical sci-fi fanfare. The inciting incident is a fitting element for a horror movie, which is amplified by the world in the show feeling like it could be our own. While the show is rooted in reality, the threat is certainly something viewers have never experienced in the real world.

The tagline of Pluribus may label Carol as the most miserable person in the world, but the series reveals that she really just didn’t realize how beautiful her life was before it disappeared before her eyes. Most of Pluribus focuses solely on Carol and her mission to save the world, making it almost a one-woman show that showcases Seehorn as an acting powerhouse. Fans will see her distraught, angry, unhinged, cunning, resourceful, devastated, and even at times, happy. Rhea Seehorn is a shoe-in for Emmy nominations once the time comes next year.

Despite Seahorn stealing the show, Pluribus is full of rich supporting characters as well. Carol’s partner, Helen (Miriam Shor), as well as Zosia (Karolina Wydra) and Koumba (Samba Schutte), are all key characters in the story, but their involvement in the narrative will unfold on viewers’ screens. The series is far more zany than Gilligan’s previous work, but it still packs a big emotional punch by putting the fragility of life through one main perspective at the forefront. Pluribus is very similar to Severance in tone, featuring a mysterious sci-fi premise set in normalcy, anchored by incredible dramatic acting that blends seamlessly with the odd, dark comedy that emerges from the circumstances.

‘Pluribus’ Is One of the Best TV Series of 2025

Pluribus is a surprising apocalyptic journey about the pursuit of happiness. It’s a strange yet wonderful exploration of how the beauty of life can be taken away from you at any moment. Vince Gilligan has delivered yet another incredible piece of iconic TV. This time, he gets to flex his sci-fi muscles and embrace the absurd, all while telling another story about self-discovery and individuality. However, this story features an unlikely hero, one determined to save the world. Even knowing deep down that if she succeeds, things will never go back to how they were.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see if humanity survives Pluribus, with a Season 2 already greenlit. The only thing holding this review back from a perfect score is that the screeners provided were only 7 out of 9 episodes, and I need to see if they conclude the season on a strong note before giving it the high praise it might deserve. The series is not Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul, but if it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors and delivers continuous seasons of greatness, it has the potential to be in the same conversation when the series eventually concludes.

The first two episodes of Pluribus debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, November 7, with new episodes dropping every Friday. Follow the Agents of Fandom socials for the latest entertainment news and reviews.