Some days, it feels like you’re the only one who’s not in a good mood. For Rhea Seehorn in “Pluribus,” that’s actually true.
Apple TV released the trailer for its upcoming series from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” creator Vince Gilligan. “Pluribus,” created and showrun by Gilligan, reunites the acclaimed TV auteur with his “Better Call Saul” co-lead — this time, with a science fiction twist.Gilligan’s new world is infested by people who can’t help but be happy and at peace.
Everyone except for Carol Sturka. You can watch the trailer below.
This trailer marks the first full look at “Pluribus,” which had mostly sustained audiences on viral marketing and cryptic teasers up to this point. Only weeks remain until the show’s Nov. 7 premiere, with fans largely relying on the show’s brief longline from Apple TV for information: “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.”
Seehorn stars in “Pluribus” as Carol, a perpetually unhappy author of romantic fiction. Like Gilligan’s work in the “Breaking Bad” franchise, “Pluribus” takes place in a fictional version of Albuquerque, NM. While the ABQ of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” was populated by drug kingpins and slippin’ lawyers, this one is instead teeming with dreaded optimists.
The creepy, comical trailer shows Carol in a series of empty public spaces, the only one lacking the cheeriness that’s infected her world. In a key scene, a man (presumably the President of the United States) addresses Carol from her television, asking her to “Join us” and be happy like the rest. While everyone else is looking for a way to make her cheery, however, Carol is seemingly set on reverting everyone else to their normal lives of mixed emotions.
“How do I reverse all this?” she asks a woman on an empty commercial plane.
“Pluribus” is a departure from Gilligan’s most recent projects, but it doesn’t mark the showrunner’s first swing at sci-fi. In the late ’90s and early 2000s, Gilligan was a writer, director and executive producer for “The X-Files,” joining the show during its fourth season and staying on for the remainder of its initial nine-season run. His most recent significant genre outing was Will Smith’s 2008 film “Hancock,” which Gilligan co-wrote with Vy Vincent Ngo. Peter Berg directed.
“Breaking Bad” fans will be happy to see Gilligan return to television, especially with Seehorn in tow. The actress received broad acclaim for her performance as Kim Wexler on “Better Call Saul,” the equally tortured other half of the titular criminal lawyer (played by Bob Odenkirk). Seehorn received two Emmy nominations for her work on the show, which garnered 53 Emmy nominations in total. It didn’t win a single one, making it — despite rave reviews — the “losing-est” show in Emmys history.
“Pluribus” will premiere on Apple TV Nov. 7. The show has already been picked up for a second season.
