While widely praised, there is one lingering critique of the early seasons of Breaking Bad — and some are wondering if <em>Pluribus</em> is suffering from the same problem. Pluribus is a new Apple TV sci-fi series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, and while the premise is a departure from Gilligan’s crime stories, his fingerprints on the show are evident.

The Pluribus cast is led by Better Call Saul‘s Rhea Seehorn, who plays Carol Sturka, a disillusioned romantasy novelist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose life is — as she sees it — ruined by a genetic mutation of alien origin. Carol proves to be one of 13 people worldwide immune to the virus that links the brains of everyone else on Earth, turning them into a hive-mind.

The pilot episode is tense and action-packed, as Carol races to get help for her manager/girlfriend Helen, who collapsed in a fit of seizures. Carol soon discovers everyone else in town is suffering the same fate — that is, until they regain consciousness in eerie unison, with uncanny personal knowledge about Carol herself. It’s a gripping first episode, but Pluribus risks venturing into controversial Breaking Bad territory.

Key Insights on Pluribus

• Slow Development: The pacing of Pluribus has been notably slow compared to its action-packed predecessors.
• Main Character: Rhea Seehorn’s character, Carol Sturka, faces unique challenges due to her immunity.
• Thematic Shift: The show explores deeper philosophical questions rather than relying solely on action.
• Synchronized Minds: The “pod people” present a new dynamic that shifts the narrative focus.

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Since its eventful pilot, Pluribus has seen a lot less seizing, explosions, and frantic driving around in stolen cars. Pluribus‘s third episode 3, “Grenade”, spent several minutes on a stylized montage of the “pod people” (as Carol calls them) restocking her grocery store. Before that, episode 2, “Pirate Lady”, spent most of its time on a conversation between Carol and the five other immune English-speakers.

The pod people’s synchronized declaration of “We just want to help, Carol” was suspenseful — even scary — in the pilot. But from episode 2 on, it quickly became clear that they do, in fact, just want to help. This creates a significant tone shift, allowing Pluribus to begin peeling back the curtain on its real purpose, which is much more of a thought exercise than an action adventure.

Even still, the nuances of Pluribus‘s world and thematic impact are still being unspooled. In her meeting on Air Force One, it was pointed out to Carol that she hadn’t asked the pod people a single question about what they’re experiencing. It’s only in “Grenade” that Carol begins engaging with them in earnest, and the result only reveals how much more there is to explore.

Did Breaking Bad Also Start Slow?

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No, it didn’t. Admittedly, the later seasons of Breaking Bad had many more heists, explosions, and deaths. But this isn’t the only indicator that things are happening in a series. By the end, the series had doubled, tripled, and quadrupled down on Walter White’s outrageous behavior — being a bystander to Jesse’s girlfriend’s overdose, poisoning a child, the list goes on.

Arguably, much more occurred on the front-end to get a meek high school chemistry teacher into the headspace to do these things. The early stages of that evolution were less flashy but still marked significant developments in the story.

Walt’s first experience cooking meth, Jesse’s first attempt to get sober, Walt’s cancer reveal to his family are all things that changed the status quo of the characters and the world. This is the true mark that things are happening in a show and that it’s moving forward, explosions or no explosions.

Should You Expect Pluribus To Be an Action-Packed Show?

In Breaking Bad, the explosions came later. In Pluribus, they may never come — and that’s okay. It’s not the heart-pounding, run-and-gun kind of sci-fi. It’s the “ponder this“, more akin to Severance or Black Mirror than Breaking Bad or The Last of Us.

At this point, we know the situation. It’s safe to believe that the pod people are who they say they are — and who they are is harmless (at least until they figure out how to give the immune Carol their happiness virus). What is continuing to develop is Carol’s attitude and the extent of the implications of this new reality.

In “Pirate Lady”, an offhand comment revealed that some of the pod people had freed all the animals in the zoos, even the lions and tigers who mauled them to death in the process. Later, they confirm that they are pacifists and vegetarians they will eat and serve the meat that already exists on Earth but will not kill another living creature (even in self-defense).

The introduction of the pod people’s lack of self-preservation is a key development that affects the big question of how Carol should feel about them. This is explored more deeply in “Grenade”, which does ironically have an explosion.

When asked if she needs anything, Carol responds with miserable sarcasm that she needs a hand grenade. They actually bring her one. Carol not believing that they would do such a thing pulls the pin and blows up her front yard critically injuring Zosia (the pirate lady), who threw herself over Carol to protect her.

Carol stunned probes further. The pod people clarify that they would give Carol a gun tank or even an atom bomb if she asked for one. While this episode mostly consisted of Carol watching Golden Girls DVDs and going grocery shopping her newfound knowledge of the extent of the pod people’s subservience to her will is a notable progression of the story.

Their complete and utter lack of hostility towards Carol essentially removes the possibility of violent confrontation on Pluribus, despite Carol’s guardedness. The show instead becomes a challenge of Carol’s belief system raising philosophical questions about the cost of free will and advantages of a completely communal society.

The exploration of these ideas — and how they change Carol’s values — is the type of “action” we’re in for as Pluribus continues. And that’s a good thing.