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Vince Gilligan’s science fiction series “More” has an intriguing and dark premise. After some astronomers discover a mysterious signal from space, scientists are using it to develop an RNA sequence. It turns out that the sequence is actually an alien virus that causes almost all infected humans to mentally connect and form a single consciousness. When most people become infected, they either go into a coma for a few minutes and wake up as part of the hive mind…or they die. Due to an outbreak, the virus is rapidly spreading across the world, but here’s the problem: being psychically connected causes infected humans to develop a sense of euphoria, peace, and unity. There are no more individuals, the planet can now function in true harmony.
The main character of “Pluribus” is Carol (Rhea Seehorn), a bitter alcoholic. author of trashy fantasy novels. Carol is one of 12 people on Earth not affected by the virus, and she is rightly horrified. Finding the idea of losing her individuality extremely distasteful (and wracked with grief when someone close to her becomes one of the millions who do not survive the infection), Carol fends off the hive mind’s attempts to seduce her and the 12 other survivors and bring them into the fold.
The title of “Pluribus” is of course a Latin word derived from the motto “e pluribus unum”, which means “among many, one”. While everyone on Earth is part of a hive mind, many have become one. It’s an apt title. However, when Gilligan spoke with Technical radar in October 2025, he revealed that “Pluribus” was actually one of 100 tracks he and his collaborators had considered for the series. He also confessed that he didn’t like the title “Pluribus”, but he couldn’t find a good alternative.
Vince Gilligan couldn’t find a good alternative title for Pluribus
It’s worth noting that there’s an additional twist to the series: When Carol becomes angry, her emotions overwhelm the placid populace…and can kill them. At the start of the series, one of its explosions results in the deaths of 11 million people. Carol, obviously, tries to keep her cool upon learning this, but she still values her individuality and refuses to be, essentially, assimilated by Borg Happiness. “Pluribus” tells the story of a sad and horrified woman who must resist the onslaught of placid happiness. It’s a new premise for a series.
Gilligan admitted, however, that neither he nor his hard-working team of writers could come up with a title that pleased him personally, even after years of developing the series. As he explained:
“We were working on the show, and every week or so I’d say, ‘We need to come up with a fucking title for this thing. What is it?’ We had a list of over 100 titles. We got “Pluribus” pretty early on, and I said, “No, it must be something else.” And then we came back after about two years. “
Because it is part of the motto of the United States, Gilligan noted that the title “Pluribus” would lead viewers to assume that it is a series specifically about America. In truth, as he observed, this is clearly a global spectacle. This is not about American democracy, but about a global community…and a hive mind. Indeed, many non-American actors appear in the series. “Pluribus” simply means “many”.
