AppleTV+ is easily one of the most underrated television studios working today. From major comedy hits like Ted Lasso to sci-fi spectacles like Severance, their TV show hit rate is extremely high compared to other streaming services. The fact that Vince Gilligan, famed creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, decided to take his talents to the phone company turned streaming service brought lots of anticipation, as the studio is not only known for its high-quality shows, but their push for original stories. All the pieces pointed toward Pluribus being a new masterpiece, so did it live up to the hype?

The show follows Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn, a fantasy romance novelist who becomes one of the only survivors of an alien invasion. Unlike most alien attacks, they lack a physical presence and instead act as an infection, taking over other humans’ bodies. Unable to infect Carol, the season follows the aliens attempting to find a way to assimilate her, while Carol grapples with the reality of her situation, struggling with the idea of living a life of solitude or accepting her fate.

The show opens with what is easily one of the strongest pilot episodes in recent memory. In a brisk 56 minutes, the show beautifully sets up its lead character while showing the dangers of the situation. The invasion occurs in an instant, with the infection of an astronomer snowballing into world domination within hours. From bodies collapsing onto the ground to fires raging in small towns, watching Carol witness the collapse of her world was an invigorating way to start the show. While the danger never reached the spectacle of the first epsiode in the rest of the season, the looming dread carried over, making for a season that will keep you on your toes for its entirety.

The cinematography is another bright spot in the pilot and remains great throughout the season. Each shot feels entirely calculated, with a lack of dolly shots that helps convey the characters’ containment. There is almost zero empty space in every shot of Pluribus, representing how the show is constantly delivering something resonant, even if it’s not always apparent. Whether it’s a wide landscape shot or a two-shot of characters simply talking, the cinematography plays a key role in building the story, and it does so wonderfully.

Rhea Seehorn is incredible as Carol, portraying the complexities of humanity in a nuanced and digestible manner. Unlike most shows about aliens, she consistently makes smart decisions, putting her survival first. Carol is a character who is always on edge, and justifiably so given her world-ending circumstances, and Seehorn portrays that frustration wonderfully. While her anger may be off-putting at times, it is always justifiable, making her a complex character easy to root for. She exhibits Stockholm syndrome throughout the series, which is usually something audiences oppose, but the show’s strong writing makes her decision-making believable.

The show may be centered on an alien invasion, but part of the beauty of Pluribus is how you can tie so many different ideas and themes into its story. It could be depicted as a fight for morality, with the aliens representing how our world is becoming increasingly devoid of values and emotions towards others. The show could also be interpreted as a dissection of AI; how our world has so quickly become reliant on the technology, with Carol’s arc representing society’s question on whether to accept it or destroy it by any means necessary. For a show with a fairly simple premise, it’s impeccable how littered with ideas it is, allowing every viewer to take away something different from it.

One of the most significant talking points about Pluribus is its pacing, which I found both a highlight and a detriment. The slow pace builds a sense of uneasiness for the season, but there were times when it felt that the story wasn’t progressing as much as it could have. Episodes in the middle chunk of the season felt like a blur, with aspects of the story repeating themselves instead of moving forward. This is especially apparent in its episode-ending cliffhangers, which teased major reveals but never amounted to anything significant. This was most apparent at the end of episode five, where Carol makes a discovery about how the aliens obtain food. While the moment was made to be shocking, it is reduced to nothing within the first 10 minutes of the next episode. While some may be put off by the slow pace, it wasn’t enought to detract from the series as a whole.

Pluribus may not be like other alien-invasion thrillers, but it has more than enough compelling filmmaking and thematic depth to make it worth the eight-hour experience. With an astounding lead performance from Rhea Seehorn and the most gorgeous framing of any show this year, Vince Gilligan proves once again to be a master of his craft. AppleTV+ has shown to be an incredible streaming service for years now, and Pluribus cements that idea even more.

All episodes of Pluribus are now streaming on AppleTV+.

Rating: 8/10