Apple TV's Pluribus Has A Connection To Breaking Bad (But Don't Expect Any Crossovers)

Vince Gilligan has returned with "Pluribus," a sci-fi series that represents his first major project since "Better Call Saul" wrapped up in 2022. Coming as it does from the man who also created "Breaking Bad," this latest series is, as you might expect, highly anticipated. Adding to the hype is the fact that, like Gilligan's other series, the new Apple TV show is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. What's more, "Pluribus" stars former "Better Call Saul" actor Rhea Seahorn, who played Kim Wexler on the AMC series. But fans should probably temper their excitement for a possible crossover between Gilligan's previous shows and this one, as the creator has now shut down any such possibility.

Speaking to The Verge, Gilligan clarified that he decided to set his new show in Albuquerque simply due to the fact he could use the same crew that worked on his previous projects. As the outlet notes, several members of that crew have been working alongside Gilligan for nearly two decades, not only helping to bring "Breaking Bad" and its spin-off to fruition but also contributing to 2019's "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie." At first, the setting may seem like yet another connection between the Apple TV series and its predecessors, but Gilligan made sure to throw cold water on the idea of a crossover. "Don't hold your breath," he said. "You'll turn blue."

"Pluribus" follows Carol Sturka, author of schlocky romance fiction who becomes jaded about the kind of work she puts out and its seemingly undiscerning yet devoted fans. Soon, however, she finds herself surrounded by an entire world of similarly unctuous automaton-like humans after a virus transforms the global population (except her) into a collective hive mind of docile, contented minions.

Despite Vince Gilligan's comments, fans will no doubt remain hopeful for some sort of "Breaking Bad"/"Better Call Saul" crossover in "Pluribus" — and they may still get it. The main thing separating "Pluribus" from Gilligan's other two major TV projects is the fact that this series is a full-on sci-fi thriller. The virus that infects the human race is seemingly transmitted to Earth from an unknown extra-terrestrial source, and there's plenty of scope here for some sort of sci-fi shenanigans that possibly link worlds together.

In other words, with "Pluribus," Gilligan is embracing his sci-fi roots as a former "X-Files" writer, and as such, surely anything can happen? That's not to say we'll get a full-on crossover with the "Breaking Bad" universe. God knows, the concept of the multiverse has been very much exhausted by recent superhero efforts that treated the concept less like an interesting storytelling device and more as a commercial tool to leverage nostalgia. But there very well could be some sort of homage, reference, or nod to Gilligan's previous shows at some point given this is a world where the entire population has been co-opted by some sort of fantastical alien virus.

Otherwise, "Pluribus" is very much a standalone series, and that's sort of a good thing, given the aforementioned cynicism with which many creators have approach the whole multiverse idea lately. As such, this is one series we can surely enjoy on its own merits without wondering how everything is interconnected.