Parijat Ghosh 
What happens when the Breaking Bad guy decides to make a sci-fi comedy about happiness? You get Pluribus — a brand-new Apple TV+ series where the apocalypse comes wrapped in a smile. We need to talk about this.
The World Is “Too” Happy
The story kicks off with Rhea Seehorn (yep, Kim Wexler from Better Call Saul) as Carol Donovan — a romance novelist who’s somehow the only miserable person left on Earth. Everyone else? Cheerful to the point of insanity.
Turns out, a mysterious virus has infected the planet, but instead of turning people into zombies, it’s made them permanently positive. Like, “good-morning-neighbor-let-me-hug-you-forever” positive.
Carol, being the only unaffected person, sees the world for what it truly is — uncomfortably weird. Imagine everyone smiling like a creepy toothpaste ad while you’re just trying to drink your sad cup of coffee in peace.
When Misery Becomes a Superpower
Gilligan described the show as a mix of dark comedy, emotional drama, and mind-bending sci-fi. Carol’s misery suddenly becomes her biggest weapon in a world that’s aggressively joyful. Doctors try to “cure” her, neighbors smother her with kindness, and even her own family acts like they’ve joined a cult of sunshine.
It’s the kind of setup only Vince Gilligan could pull off — a world that looks perfect but feels deeply wrong. He takes everyday happiness and twists it into something uncomfortably hilarious.
The People Behind the Smiles
Seehorn leads the show with her usual sharp humor and emotional depth. The cast also includes Karolina Wydra (Sneaky Pete), Carlos-Manuel Vesga (The Hijacking of Flight 601), and guest stars like Samba Schutte and Miriam Shor.
Gilligan, who gave us Walter White and Saul Goodman, reunites with Sony Pictures Television for this project. Apple TV+ reportedly greenlit two seasons right from the start — meaning they’re that confident in the idea of contagious happiness.
Vibes: “Black Mirror” Meets “The Good Place”
The trailer is pure chaos — pastel colors, fake smiles, and Carol desperately trying to act like she belongs. It feels like Black Mirror got drunk with The Good Place and woke up in a Stepford-style nightmare. There’s an unsettling energy throughout — like something awful is hiding behind all those happy faces. But the humor is sharp, the dialogue crackles, and Seehorn seems born for this weird, paranoid optimism-gone-wrong world.
Pluribus premieres November 7, 2025, on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes dropping together, followed by weekly releases. So if you’ve missed Gilligan’s knack for mixing dread with genius storytelling, your watchlist just found its next obsession. Forget meth labs and moral meltdowns — Vince Gilligan is now experimenting with joy. And like everything he touches, Pluribus turns even happiness into something thrillingly dark.
Because if everyone’s happy… something’s definitely wrong.
And, if you have any questions regarding Pluribus, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe, and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
