Rhea Seehorn in 'Pluribus.' Apple TV+ Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text For several years, you could set your watch by a series of recurring columns written by TV critics. In June, there was, "Why Emmy Voters Would Be Dumb To Ignore Better Call Saul Star Rhea Seahorn!" followed in July by, "Why Emmy Voters Were Dumb to Ignore Rhea Seehorn!" That evolved in the AMC drama's last two seasons to, "Holy Cow, Emmy Voters Nominated Rhea Seehorn!" and finally "Man, Emmy Voters Really Loved Not Giving Emmys to Better Call Saul!" It was a roller coaster. One person who didn't need the annual reminder, of course, was Better Call Saul co-creator Vince Gilligan, frequent up-close beneficiary of the wry, romantic, tormented brilliance that Seehorn and Kim Wexler contributed to the Breaking Bad prequel. Related Stories TV Vince Gilligan Was Tired of Writing Bad Guys After Seeing People "Taking Their Cues" From Walter White. So He Created 'Pluribus' TV 'Pluribus' Creator Vince Gilligan Needed a Hero, So He Called Rhea Seehorn Pluribus The Bottom Line An intriguing and sometimes hilarious star showcase. Airdate: Friday, Nov. 7 (Apple TV)Cast: Rhea SeehornCreator: Vince Gilligan Like several of my peers, I had concerns about the kind of parts that Seehorn might be offered once Better Call Saul ended. When Gilligan announced that she would be the star of his follow-up series, his first creation or co-creation outside of that television universe since The Lone Gunman in 2001 (unless you count CBS' Battle Creek, which you probably shouldn't), it was cause for celebration. If anybody knew how to make a Rhea Seehorn vehicle, it would be Gilligan. Right? That question can be answered simply: Correct! Pluribus, which premieres its nine-episode first season (a second was part of the original pickup) Friday on Apple TV, is a Rhea Seehorn vehicle through-and-through. It's a pure and, at times, solo showcase that might have worked to some degree with other actresses of a similar quality, but delivers its blend of emotional drama, broad comedy and unsettling horror thanks to Seehorn's versatility. That's the easy answer to the easiest question one can ask about Pluribus and perhaps the last time I'll be able to give you a straightforward answer on a show announced, developed and promoted with great secrecy by Apple. Pluribus simultaneously benefits from audiences not knowing EVERYTHING about it going in, but may not be designed to bear up under the pressure of Gilligan-based expectations or the weight of a complete and total blackout. It's a big target to put on a show and I think audiences and readers probably benefit from knowing... a bit. If you want to go in knowing nothing other than its basic auspices, prepare to stop reading. It's an extremely funny, somewhat unsettling, impressively odd show that gains in confidence across the seven episodes sent to critics. Expect a new ritual of "Why Emmy Voters Would Be Dumb To Ignore Pluribus Star Rhea Seahorn!" pieces starting next spring. There you go. Nothing spoiled. I promise the rest of this review will say more, but the actual, tangible spoilers, especially related to anything after the first episode, written and directed by Gilligan, will be kept to an absolute minimum. But curious readers will probably still have questions. What, in broad strokes, is Pluribus about? Well, Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, author of a series of successful novels that bookstores describe as "speculative historical romance literature." Think Diana Gabaldon. As the show begins, Carol is completing the tour for her latest book, accompanied by Helen (Miriam Shor), her manager and life partner. Carol is tired of writing speculative historical romance literature. She's tired of answering dumb questions from dedicated fans. She's tired of keeping her relationship with Helen a bit of a secret and tired of the fact that she has to blow into a breathalyzer to start her car. Carol is just tired. She has aspirations of finally completing a "serious" novel, but she knows her publisher isn't excited to have her branch out beyond her popular Wycaro franchise. Actually, that's not entirely how Pluribus begins. It begins with a countdown and with scientists at a listening post receiving a message from deep in space. The message contains instructions. The instructions lead additional scientists to research. And the research leads to the moment the countdown reaches zero, which happens to be the moment when Carol and Helen return home to Albuquerque. Very quickly, Carol realizes that the people of Albuquerque are a little changed. The people of the world are a little changed. Carol may, in fact, be one of the few people who remains the way she used to be, which is ironic, because before all of this happened, Carol wasn't especially comfortabl