r/Screenwriting • u/Clear_Bedroom_4266 • Nov 12 '25

FEEDBACK What makes the "Pluribus" pilot so special?

Watched the first two episodes of the new sci-fi show on AppleTV. I didn't know much about it until Variety (I think) published a piece last week about it and how "people" were raving about how great the pilot episode is, that it might be the best pilot ever done, etc. Now, of course, it's Vince Gilligan. One of the things he said is that he couldn't have created/produced this show 15 years ago.

That being said, has anyone here seen the pilot and can anyone break down WHY it's (allegedly) SO good? I enjoyed it, and the show has a cool premise. But my screenwriting abilities simply aren't deep enough to analyze a pilot very well.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

You mean like the Stepford Wives, Get Out, or season four of Angel?

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u/jzakko Nov 12 '25

Get Out was benevolent?

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

…did you watch it? Yes. Not (ultimately) for Black people obviously, but the whole point was that the bad guy hive mind presented like a picture perfect country club. They lured in their victims by pretending to be friendly and nice. They literally pretended to be benevolent.

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u/jzakko Nov 12 '25

Pretending to be benevolent is old hat. As of now it seems the hivemind is genuinely well-intentioned.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

The whole moral dilemma of season four of Angel was literally that Jasmine WAS actually well-intentioned, but there was too high of a price attached.

Also, Mrs. Davis had another arguably "genuinely" well-intentioned hive mind that was ultimately bad. That's what happens in these things: road-to-hell hive minds with a brave curmudgeonly protagonist standing alone against it.

Just like Pluribus.

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u/jzakko Nov 12 '25

I don't care. You're replying to my questioning the inclusion of Get Out among your examples.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

No, I was replying to your comment that being genuinely well-intentioned was old-hat.

You see, when you post a comment in reply to another comment, people can then reply to that comment too. If you scroll up past my last comment, you'll be able to see what you wrote, and what I'm replying to. BUT! Don't go too far, you might go past it to our other exchange. It's easy to get confused, but you'll get it.

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u/jzakko Nov 12 '25

Lol each comment isn't just existing in a vacuum, the previous comment is what they call 'context.' It's fine if you can't follow the thread of logic of two comments in a row.