'Pluribus' Creator Says 'The Pitt' Is "Kicking Our Butts" in Brutally Honest Season 2 Update

2 weeks ago 14

John Cena holding up a small milk carton in Pluribus

Published Mar 19, 2026, 6:51 PM EDT

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For a show as carefully built as Pluribus, you might assume Vince Gilligan had every single move mapped out long ago. Apparently not. The Apple TV sci-fi drama ended its first season with a pretty huge escalation, and now Gilligan is admitting that even he and his writers are still feeling their way through what comes next. That does not mean Season 2 is in trouble, but it does mean the creator of one of TV’s most talked-about new dramas is being very honest about the fact that figuring this show out is not exactly easy.

Speaking in a new interview at SXSW alongside star Rhea Seehorn, Gilligan said the writers’ room thought it had a handle on Carol Sturka’s big Season 1 cliffhanger, only to start second-guessing itself once the real work began. “We thought we knew what we were gonna do. And then you get into it and you’re like: Do we? Do we really know?” Seehorn then added that the writers should perhaps just ignore the gigantic weapon of mass destruction that was left on her drive at the end of Season 1. As for Season 2? Don't expect it any time soon.

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When Will Season 2 of Pluribus Be Released?

Gilligan said the writers have been working on Season 2 for months, but progress has been slower than he would like, and a previously floated late-2027 return may not be realistic after all. In one of the interview’s funniest moments, he compared Pluribus’ pace to The Pitt and sounded genuinely annoyed that another show could move so much faster.

“The Pitt kicking our butts in every award show. They managed to make a great show and bring it in one year later, on the day, for the new season.… How frigging long is this gonna take? I don’t know. We’re doing our best. It takes forever, making this thing. I wish it was faster. We appreciate everybody’s patience very much, more and more as the months drag on. But thank you, anyone who likes the show. We are honest to God doing our best.”

Gilligan also pushed back on the idea that Pluribus is some giant puzzle-box series headed toward a massive gotcha reveal.

“If you’re waiting for everyone to pull their faces off and magically it’ll be reptilian evil, don’t hold your breath. You might already know everything you need to know. If you’re really into those [mystery-box shows], watch something else other than Pluribus.”

Pluribus Season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV.