Vince Gilligan did not want the name of Apple TV show to be Pluribus. Here is what he wanted 

Vince Gilligan's Pluribus is his latest success after shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. As much as the show's iconic name has contributed to its success, it's not what Gilligan initially wanted to achieve.

The title comes from e pluribus unum, a nod to a world where humanity has become one massive hive mind. It is fitting, yes, but Gilligan had something else in mind.

In a previous interview with TechRadar, the creator said,

"This was the single hardest thing I've ever created, to title. It took years to come up with this title. Breaking Bad came easily, Better Call Saul came even quicker, and El Camino, that wasn't hard either."

For Gilligan, the problem with the title was also what it accidentally promised. Because the word comes from the United States motto, Gilligan worried viewers would assume the show was about America, politics, or democracy, when it is not. He then talked about how he didn't like the title at all, as he added,

"We'd be working on the show, and every week or so I'd say, 'We gotta come up with a damn title for this thing. What is it?' We had a list of over 100 titles. We had 'Pluribus' pretty early on, and I said, 'No, it's gotta be something else'. And then we came back to it after about two years. I could not think of a title that really satisfied me, but now that we've lived with it for a while and now that it's out in the world, it, it seems to me like, yeah, 'Why was that so hard?'"

What is Pluribus about?

Pluribus is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama that feels unsettling precisely. Created by Vince Gilligan, the Apple TV series follows novelist Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn, after an alien virus turns most of humanity into a peaceful hive mind known as the Others. Carol is one of just 13 people immune, and that immunity makes her dangerous.

The virus spreads through saliva and aerosol, killing millions during the initial “Joining.” The Others insist they are benevolent, honest, and nonviolent, yet they still plan to assimilate the immune once they figure out how. Worse, Carol’s anger overwhelms the hive mind and can trigger global seizures, killing millions more.

Across nine episodes, Carol investigates the Others, uncovers horrifying truths about how the Others sustain themselves, learns they can convert the immune with consent, and realizes they are already preparing a custom virus using her frozen eggs. The show leans into mysterious science fiction themes and has been much appreciated by fans because of its plot, originality, and, of course, Gilligan's work.

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Pluribus is available to stream on Apple TV.

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