🔗 Share this article Award-Winning Creator Gilligan Himself Unveils His Sci-Fi Influences For His Upcoming Show Titled Pluribus Following a long break from the science fiction genre, Vince Gilligan is staging a return back to where he began. Launching his career with The X-Files Series, in which he wrote three dozen installments, and also writing the script behind the superhero comedy Hancock, Gilligan devoted recent years immersed in the universe of Breaking Bad Universe. Now, with his new Apple TV series Pluribus, he’s coming full circle to sci-fi which kicked off his career. A Mysterious Plot and Vague Trailers The storyline and premise of Pluribus are closely guarded. The trailers and previews are intentionally vague. In one, a brief scene depicts a woman by herself at work after hours calmly lifting pastries out of a container marked “Feel free!” and licking each one prior to placing them carefully back in the box. Reviewers aren’t allowed to say anything regarding the show’s thrilling first episode, beyond the fact the narrative kicks off as our modern world changes dramatically. Gilligan’s Science Fiction Watchlist Since specifics about the story or development were off-limits, Gilligan fielded an innocuous inquiry: Which additional science fiction series or movies should viewers see to prepare for Pluribus? “Each of the 1956 and 1978 adaptations from Invasion of the Body Snatchers; that’s an excellent reference point,” he states. “The Twilight Zone, that's always my go-to. The Thing, the John Carpenter version. I enjoy both versions, though I especially like the John Carpenter version.” An Homage for Sci-Fi Fans If you’re a fan of sci-fi or horror, you will probably recognize the tales inspiring Pluribus. Its inspirations are far from understated — which is exactly the idea. Gilligan says his aim for the new show was to play with sci-fi tropes. “My thought process involved of all the sci-fi clichés and horror-movie trope I could throw into the series, before flip each one onto their head,” Gilligan says. “ That was what tickled me.” Put simply: Pluribus is a sci-fi show for genre lovers. Therefore, if you’re coming the show being a Breaking Bad superfan who isn’t typically much for sci-fi, you may want to complete some preparation in advance. Gilligan just provided the essential watchlist. Pluribus premieres Nov. 7 on Apple TV+.