The Real Reason Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka Is A Romance Author In Pluribus

Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka is the unlikely hero of "Pluribus." The romance author is quickly thrown into chaos when she becomes one of only a handful of people able to resist the effects of an alien virus that turns humans into contented, hive-mind drones. For creator Vince Gilligan, writing a show where the hero was a romance author was about finding the most inconvenient and awkward protagonist for a sci-fi thriller possible — plus, he finds romance authors more fun than other writers. 

"Pluribus," is a superb and intriguingly peculiar sci-fi series anchored by yet another great performance from Seehorn. But there's no doubt the show has a lot more going for it than a former "Better Call Saul" star reminding us all why she's so great. "Pluribus" seems like a particularly timely show, and as it unfolds, it will surely have a lot to say about its themes of enforced happiness and group-think. None of that appears to have played into Gilligan's decision to have his protagonist be a writer, however.

Speaking to the AV Club, the creator said he "just liked the idea of a writer trying to save the world a lot," adding, "I was thinking about different professions. Like, what if she were a florist or something instead? When you think of someone who saves the world, you'd want a Liam Neeson or a Tom Cruise. You don't want a writer. That's about the last person in the world you want tasked with saving humanity because we're all a bunch of inept idiots." The creator went on to clarify that last statement, adding, "Okay, we're not all idiots, but if you spend your whole life doing that, it means you don't want to be in charge of something of this scale."

"Pluribus" will reveal more about its core message as the show goes on, but what does seem to be of concern to creator Vince Gilligan and his writers (aside from a very clear anti-AI stance) is the idea of group-think. In addition to the alien virus turning the global populace into telekinetically linked minions, there are also the fans obsessed with Carol Sturka's writing, who act as a grim portent of things to come in the season 1 premiere. 

The show begins with Sturka hosting a live reading of her latest romance novel, attended by adoring fans who know far too much about her work, to the extent that she leaves the event feeling somewhat defeated. Sturka is dismissive of her own books, which she evidently feels to be tawdry and trivial, until her manager and partner Helen L. Umstead (Miriam Shor) reassures her that her work makes people happy. 

Right from the jump, then, the show seems interested in exploring the difference between art and entertainment, the rabid fandoms that have cropped up in recent years, and the feigned happiness showcased by everyone trying to present their best selves in the social media age. All of which suggests that Gilligan wrote Sturka as an author in order to facilitate that exploration, when in fact, it sounds like he just found the idea of a writer tasked with saving the world kinda funny — especially one like Carol. Explaining why he gravitated more towards making his protagonist a romantasy author, Gilligan said, "I can say from 30-plus years of experience that screenwriters are boring. And romance authors just seem more colorful, fun, and interesting."

"Pluribus" is streaming now on Apple TV.