“All of mankind becomes united”: Pluribus fans are convinced the show takes inspiration from the classic novel Finnegans Wake

Another day, another search down the rabbit hole for Pluribus fans. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has done it again and his fans can't help but fish out clues and theories from the recently released two-episode premiere of his dystopian sci-fi thriller series on Apple TV.

This time, Reddit fans are convinced that Gilligan's latest series takes inspiration from James Joyce's classic novel Finnegans Wake. Written in an allusive and experimental style, the 1939 novel is considered to be one of the most difficult (to read and understand) works in literature. The depth and language of Joyce's Finnegans Wake are so complex that there is not even an official plot synopsis for the novel. Structured in a dreamlike narrative, the novel follows the Earwicker family and explores humanity’s eternal rise, fall and rebirth through the family's dreams.

Much like Pluribus, which follows humanity's transformation into a collective and happy hive-mind, Joyce's elusive story follows the story of humanity's rise and fall through a single family's dreams.

Theories floating on Reddit are not baseless as the novel is even name-dropped in Pluribus Episode 1:

"You ever read, um, Finnegans Wake? All I know is it made me miserable trying to get through it. I figure… you make even one person happy, maybe that's not art. But it's something".

More on this in our story.

Reddit fans find thematic connections between Pluribus and Finnegans Wake

A Reddit user started this conversation by stating this thematic similarity between Pluribus and Finnegans Wake. Like the Apple TV series, Finnegans Wake also follows a story about collective human consciousness, their rise and fall, through the Earwicker family. The user wrote:

''There is a Finnegans Wake reference in the first episode. It made me think Vince Gilligan probably got some inspiration for the show from the book. Slight spoilers but in the show all of mankind becomes united as one consciousness, kind of like how it's written in the Wake during sleep.''

This sparked a frenzy of interest & theories and fans started to fish out similarities between the two. While the idea might look far-fetched, the book is literally name-dropped in the Pluribus premiere, suggesting these theories are not baseless. One of the users joins the conversation:

''Yes...the mental Apocalypse starts when Finnegans Wake is name-dropped in a public house! Those infected by the mind virus black out, but Carol does not black out until she returns to her own home and drinks whiskey. The Wake is Woke!''

In another subreddit, one fan even theorized how Gilligan has likely mimicked the infamous structure of Joyce's work that concludes with an unfinished sentence, which is intended to be completed by the first sentence of the book. This uniquely experimental style neatly lies with the larger theme of the book, ie, the cyclic nature of human birth and rebirth. The user wrote:

''We've already been told how the show ends. The book 'Finnegans Wake' is known for having it's last sentence lead directly into the first...We all know Vince likes to bake in foreshadowing in casual lines.''

After looking at all the clues and the opening lines of Pluribus, the fan theorized how Season 1 might end by sending a signal from Earth, mimicking the opening moments:

''By the end of the series she'll want them to build satellites to send out radio signals which mirror the ones received by humans in Episode 1, but these will contain information about how to avoid/stop the virus...I think this show ends with a radio signal leaving Earth.''

Many fans have since actively joined these subreddits to share their theories about the similarities between Finnegans Wake and Pluribus.

''All the in-depth predictions are a little "whatever who knows," but I do agree mentioning Finnegans Wake was surely no coincidence.'' a user wrote

''She [Carol] has "Work In Progress" / incomplete manuscript of a more serious work to publish that is discussed at the same time as the Finnegans Wake name drop.'' wrote another user, referencing the working title of Joyce's novel, which was "fragments from Work in Progress"

While Gilligan has not mentioned Joyce's Finnegans Wake as one of the inspirations behind Pluribus, the Reddit theories are certainly strong and rooted in deep research and fan love. Additionally, Carol's mention of the novel in the opening episode might hold a larger significance that will unfold in the upcoming episodes.

Pluribus releases weekly episodes every Friday on Apple TV.

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Also Read: Silver Jack's Saloon in Pluribus has a special connection to Breaking Bad

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