Minnesotan plays pivotal role in ‘Pluribus,’ fall’s most buzzed about TV show

Following up an acclaimed TV drama with another hit is as difficult as winning back-to-back World Series. Just ask “Deadwood” creator David Milch, who flopped with “John From Cincinnati,” or “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner, who fell short with “The Romanoffs.”

So you can imagine the pressure Vince Gilligan felt stepping outside of the “Breaking Bad” universe with “Pluribus,” a sci-fi series that has almost nothing in common with “Bad” and its prequel, “Better Call Saul.”

“It’s nice to prove to myself that I’m not a one-trick pony,” Gilligan said last month in a Zoom interview. “But you’re leaving the safety of this world that people loved.

“There’s always fear. You either let it stop you or you don’t,” he said. “At a certain point, you have to jump off the cliff and let gravity take over.”

Gilligan needn’t worry about a crash landing.

“Pluribus,” now streaming on Apple TV with new episodes dropping every Friday, is one of the most compelling series of the year. It’s almost certain to earn its creator another invite to the Emmy Awards ceremonies.

Rhea Seehorn, who also starred in “Saul,” plays Carol Sturka, a narcissistic romance novelist who discovers she’s one of only a handful of Earthlings whose mind hasn’t been melded by some kind of alien force. It’s now a planet of Stepford Wives with intentions far nobler than cooking the perfect pot roast.

The plot harkens back to Gilligan’s days as a writer on “The X-Files,” and even evokes memories of “The Twilight Zone,” which the creator still binges every New Year’s Day.

It’s a twist on the trendy apocalypse theme: Could the end of the world as we know it lead to an upgrade?

“There’s lots of touchstones to sci-fi and horror, like ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers,’ but we do our best to turn them on their ear,” Gilligan said. “You think you know what you’re going to get, but we’re going to go in a different direction.”

That goal is catnip to a veteran actor like Miriam Shor, who was born in Minneapolis but spent most of her childhood bouncing between Europe and Detroit. She’s best known for her work in both the stage and film productions of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch‚” as well as being a cast member on TV Land’s “Younger.”

As Sturka’s supportive wife, Helen, she’s in only a few scenes, but they are essential to the plot. Helen is the only person she seems to care about. When she’s out of the picture — for reasons we won’t spoil — Sturka is truly alone.

“They got along like gangbusters,” Gilligan said. “Miriam is whip-smart and funny as hell.”

Shor, 54, is used to making the most out of small, but pivotal parts in high-caliber projects. In 2023 alone, she popped up in “Maestro,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3″ and “American Fiction.”

“I have to trust that the storytelling helps me make your couple minutes on the screen have all the importance in the world,” Shor said earlier this week from her home in New York that she shares with her husband, actor Justin Hagan, and their two daughters.

In the Zoom interview, Shor displayed a self-deprecating wit, especially when gushing about Gilligan.

“It’s like he crawled into my head searching around what’s left in there and created a show for me,” said Shor, who described herself as a “huge dorky dork fan” of “The X-Files.” “‘Pluribus’ has big ideas that ask you to participate as a viewer. I’m lazy in every part of my life, but not when it comes to what I read and watch. Make me work. I want to be a part of it.”

“I would imagine he was nervous. I was freaking out for him. But he never showed it,” Shor said. “When Vince Gilligan is captain of the ship, everyone feels respected and he maintains his humanity.

“That shouldn’t be remarkable, but it’s quite a feat,” she said. “I’d follow that guy to the ends of the Earth.”

The first season of “Pluribus” consists of nine episodes. Gilligan made it sound like he was prepared for lots more if Apple renews it. It seems like a given that it will.

And what about a return to the “Breaking Bad” world?

“Never say never, but I don’t have any plans right now to do anything else,” he said. “As much I’d love to revisit that universe, I’m also deathly afraid of exhausting the audience. Beating a dead horse is my biggest fear.”