Apple TV has hit it out of the park again with Pluribus, a chilling post-apocalyptic sci-fi psychological thriller that really does combine a bit of every single one of those genres. The series, which stars Rhea Seehorn and hails from Vince Gilligan, is arguably among the best new TV shows this year. While Apple TV released the first two episodes at once to whet viewers’ appetites, the remainder of the episodes will be released weekly on Fridays, through December 26, 2025. That means fans will be looking for a show to watch, or re-watch, while waiting for the next chapter in the story. 10 ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008-2013) Breaking Bad was also created by Gilligan, so those who appreciate the tone and pacing of Pluribus will fall in love with all the seasons of this neo-Western crime drama as well. Bryan Cranston is at the center as Walter White, a meek high school chemistry teacher who, upon receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, begins to work with former drug-dealing student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to concoct what turns out to be the purest meth any criminal underworld dealer has ever seen. Walt slowly climbs up the ranks to become a drug kingpin and descends into a very different, darker version of himself. The idea of a solo protagonist with a sort of sidekick, Zosia (Karolina Wydra) for Carol (Seehorn) in Pluribus, rings true for both shows. Both people are miserable cynics faced with seemingly impossible situations, yet they somehow come out of them. This isn’t, however, without leaving collateral damage in their wake. 9 ‘Better Call Saul’ (2015-2022) A prequel to Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul marks Gilligan’s first project with Seehorn, where she plays Kim Wexler, colleague, friend, and eventually romantic interest to smarmy lawyer Jimmy McGill, a. k. a. Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). Her deadpan style is in stark contrast to Carol’s more animated yet still dark and sarcastic personality in Pluribus. Watching Better Call Saul is worth it not only because it’s a fantastic show, but it will also provide insight into Seehorn’s incredible acting range. She melds into this character so deeply that, at times, you forget she’s acting. She’s deeply relatable in both roles, and it’s easy to imagine that Kim and Carol might have been friends in a different world. 8 ‘The X-Files’ (1993-2002) Pluribus has creepy sci-fi elements that are reminiscent of The X-Files, and that’s not unintentional. Gilligan also previously worked as a producer on The X-Files, and his styling crosses over to this series. Even for those who have already watched The X-Files, it’s worth going back and re-watching the episodes that Gilligan worked on. His work is from Season 4 onwards of that show, in many of the most essential episodes. He also wrote the teleplays for 30 episodes of the series from 1995 through 2002, including Season 2, Episode 23, “Soft Light” and Season 9, Episode 18, “Sunshine Days.” It’s a nice way to look back at his earlier work and compare the style and handling of material to this show. 7 ‘Orphan Black’ (2013-2017) Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) doesn’t encounter hive-minded people in Orphan Black, but she does come across several clones of herself. They all look like her but have distinct personalities, styles, and interests. Each one is also played by Maslany. While it’s not about a collective mind, it is another show about a lab toying with DNA and going against human nature. Both shows are sci-fi thrillers and focus on a strong female protagonist trying to right the wrongs of society that is toying with what it means to be a human and, most importantly, a free-thinking individual. What’s interesting about Orphan Black is that every clone was created from the same DNA, but their life experiences have made them very different from one another. Ironically, in Pluribus, every person has different DNA, but this sequence has made them exist as one. 6 ‘Black Mirror’ (2011-Present) As far as fantastic dystopian sci-fi thrillers go, Black Mirror is among the best. Every must-watch episode of the anthology series is a different compartmentalized story about the risks of society taking our reliance on technology too far. But there are a few episodes in particular that are perfect viewing in between episodes of Pluribus. Season 2, Episode 1, “Be Right Back,” explores the idea of what it truly means to be human when a woman orders a lifelike replica of her deceased boyfriend. She discovers that despite it being programmed based on every aspect known about him, it still isn’t “him.” In Season 7, Episode 1, “Common People,” a woman undergoes a revolutionary brain surgery that purports to save her from dying. But she becomes a slave to the company’s ever-changing contracts and fees, unable to be who she actually is without bleeding her savings dry. 5 ‘Severance’ (2022-Present) While not quite as strange as Severance, Pluribus is just as unsettling. It’s no surprise that a lot of people have drawn comparisons to the two shows, especially considering both are on Apple TV. Severance is a sci-fi psychological thriller that also explores the idea of what it means to be human and in control of your emotions and individuality. Mark Scout (Adam Scott) has undergone a voluntary procedure to sever his brain in two. When he’s outside, he doesn’t remember anything from work, and when he’s at work, he doesn’t remember his personal life. The idea was to help deal with the grief of losing his wife, but the situation is far more nuanced and complicated than that, particularly when Mark’s innie (his work persona) begins to develop a personality of his own. Both shows tackle the idea of individualism, having agency over your own life, and what it feels like to have that threatened. While Carol faces losing herself at the hands of a hive-minded society, Mark’s biggest adversary is, well, himself. 4 ‘Silo’ (2023-Present) Silo is yet another hit show from Apple TV with a strong female character at the center of the story, working to go against an oppressive force. In this sci-fi dystopian drama, Earth has seemingly become an uninhabitable wasteland. Survivors reside in underground silos, completely detached from “relics” of the old world. Like Carol, Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) goes against the grain, not liking what she’s seeing and being suspicious of the motivations and truth behind this seemingly utopian society. The series is just as gripping throughout all its best episodes. Though it’s different in its story and tone, it’s cut from a similar cloth. 3 ‘Maniac’ (2018) The psychological black comedy drama Maniac tells the story of Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill), two people who decide to participate in a pharmaceutical trial that takes them on various hallucinatory journeys. While in these alternate realities, they and others effectively become other people, leading to questions about what makes a person human and who they truly are. With just 10 episodes, it’s easy to weave in between new installments of Pluribus each week. 2 ‘Westworld’ (2016-2022) In Westworld, humans enjoy time alongside humanoid androids in an adult playground where they can live out their every desire. The androids, known as Hosts, are biomechanical robots, programmed to be reset every time they “die” and play out the same realities again and again. They aren’t sentient. Or are they? Where things get complicated is when they begin to become sentient. There’s also a major revelation that the company behind this adult theme park has been storing the human consciousnesses of its patrons, toying with the concept of what it really means to be human. It’s easy to see how Westworld is a perfect next watch for fans of Pluribus. 1 ‘Humans’ (2015-2018) This underrated sci-fi series that premiered a decade ago tackles the idea of AI, robots, and how co-mingling with these technological beings can impact real life. While the people Carol interacts with in Pluribus are still technically human, they have robotic sensibilities, unable to engage in free thinking like they should. They have effectively been reduced to robots of a kind.
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