How Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus Reverses Walter White’s Breaking Bad Story

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The creator of Breaking Bad is taking a different approach with their new show on Apple TV+. Unlike Breaking Bad, which centered on an anti-hero, this new series appears to be a smart flip of Walter White’s story.

Following the huge success of shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan became known for telling compelling stories about flawed characters. He became particularly skilled at showing how regular people can gradually become corrupted by crime, and this became a hallmark of his work. Because of this, many viewers naturally wondered if his new sci-fi show on Apple TV would explore similar themes.

Vince Gilligan, known for his previous work, takes a surprising turn with his new Apple TV sci-fi show, venturing into completely different territory. The main character in this new series seems to be the opposite of Walter White, the complex anti-hero from Breaking Bad.

Carol’s Story In Pluribus Flips Walter White’s Breaking Bad Narrative

Many viewers saw Breaking Bad as celebrating flawed characters, particularly through Walter White’s descent into immorality, and the show’s popularity influenced a wave of similar TV dramas. However, Vince Gilligan’s new series, Pluribus, feels like a shift away from that trend. While Breaking Bad focused on a character ‘breaking bad,’ Pluribus centers on Carol, who is compelled to make ethical choices and ‘break good.’

Both Breaking Bad and Pluribus explore characters facing extreme circumstances. In Breaking Bad, Walter White’s turn to crime slowly erodes his morality, showing how inner darkness can destroy a person. Meanwhile, in Pluribus, Carol is left as the sole person who retains any sense of happiness after everyone else loses it. Ultimately, Breaking Bad illustrates a descent into inhumanity, while Pluribus focuses on one person’s struggle to survive a world devoid of joy.

In the world of Pluribus, things are quite different. Carol starts out deeply unhappy because a virus has infected nearly everyone, keeping them constantly and excessively happy. Unlike everyone else, Carol realizes this happiness actually makes people emotionally numb. She then embarks on a quest to use her own more negative emotions to restore genuine feeling to humanity.

Walter White’s Weakness In Breaking Bad Is Carol’s Strength In Pluribus

Many viewers discuss whether Walter White started with good intentions but became corrupted by his criminal life. However, the show hints that he always possessed a degree of ego and pride, traits that simply became more pronounced later on. The main character in Pluribus shares a similar characteristic.

Before the world falls apart at the start of the show, we see Carol as a successful author with a complicated relationship with her fans. Similar to Walter White, she secretly dislikes the life she’s created. But while both characters struggle with inner turmoil, they deal with it in very different ways.

Walter White slowly transforms into a dangerous figure as he becomes increasingly consumed by his desire for power. His ambition in the criminal world blinds him, causing him to lose touch with everything he once valued. Carol, however, confronts her own struggles and uses them to find meaning and balance, essentially turning inward instead of outward like Walter.

Everyone else has fallen into a kind of collective consciousness, giving up their own thoughts and identities. But Carol is different – she bravely challenges what’s happening instead of simply accepting this new, unsettling reality.

Pluribus Would Have Been Far Less Interesting If It Emulated Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul’s Formula

Vince Gilligan is a skilled storyteller, as demonstrated by his success with shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, particularly when it comes to complex, flawed characters. But lately, we’ve seen a lot of these types of characters in TV and movies. Another show similar to Breaking Bad might have felt repetitive and unnecessary.

Unlike Walter White from Breaking Bad, Carol’s story in Pluribus isn’t predictable, which is a good thing. This difference makes the Apple TV sci-fi show fresh and helps it stand out within the genre.

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2025-11-09 07:38