Rhea Seehorn in between two shelves full of prescription pill bottles in Pluribus Episode 4.Image via Apple TV
By
Anja Djuricic
Published 47 minutes ago
Anja Djuricic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1992. Her first interest in film started very early, as she learned to speak English by watching Disney animated movies (and many, many reruns). Anja soon became inspired to learn more foreign languages to understand more movies, so she entered the Japanese language and literature Bachelor Studies at the University of Belgrade.
Anja is also one of the founders of the DJ duo Vazda Garant, specializing in underground electronic music influenced by various electronic genres.
Anja loves to do puzzles in her spare time, pet cats wherever she meets them, and play The Sims. Anja's Letterboxd four includes Memories of Murder, Parasite, Nope, and The Road to El Dorado.
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Vince Gilligan has proven once again, with Pluribus, that he has the skill and creativity to relaunch his career over and over. Just when we thought he'd forever be the Breaking Bad guy, he surprises us with a quirky science fiction series that is often a dark comedy and a character drama. The appearance of these elements is actually very on-brand for Gilligan, as all of his works have the hint of humor in darkness and a personal touch within a bigger picture.
The only downside at the moment is the seven-day wait between the episodes of Pluribus on Apple TV. We got spoiled by binge-streaming options that it's hard to stay patient when a show is as good as this one. Luckily, there are plenty of TV shows to watch in between episodes of Gilligan's new masterpiece, so here are the sci-fi shows to watch if you love Apple TV's Pluribus.
1 'Black Mirror' (2011–)
Toby Kebbell as Liam Foxwell with cloudy eyes in the Black Mirror episode The Entire History of You.Image via Netflix
Black Mirror may not be the most similar thing to Pluribus, but it's still science fiction that heavily examines the effects of technology on modern society, using a quintessential sci-fi premise to ask philosophical questions and create dilemmas. Black Mirror is an anthology series that has inspired numerous shows after and even some real-life events that seemed too far from reality in the show. They say art imitates life, but in the case of Black Mirror, it predicts it, or, even worse, inspires it.
Black Mirror is an anthology series created by English comedian and writer, Charlie Brooker, and each episode follows a different narrative. The episodes have one thing in common—each depicts a certain technological advancement that usually drives its protagonists crazy or somehow ends up being harmful despite being presented as harmless. Like Pluribus, this show dives into possibilities and their consequences; both shows are also visually beautiful and bold.
2 'Rick and Morty' (2013–)
Rick smiles at Unity in the Rick and Morty episode "Auto Erotic Assimilation.Image via Adult Swim
Rick and Morty is an adult animation/sci-fi, and it has some things in common with Pluribus, starting with the elements of dark comedy and absurdism. Rick and Morty has two protagonists, though Rick (Justin Roiland and Ian Cardoni) is the obvious lead from time to time. Rick, like Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka, is angry, sarcastic, stubborn, and self-destructive, sometimes to the point of harming others. Both shows depict overly self-aware individuals with a mean streak who wish to be left alone most of the time; as funny as that can sometimes be, it feels like we want to give them a hug, too.
Rick and Morty follows the mad scientist, Rick, and his grandson, Morty (Justin Roiland and Harry Belden), as they travel through different dimensions and solve intergalactic crimes and cases. The events in the episodes often refer to Rick's past life and adventures, showing to Morty and the viewers who Rick used to be once. The show takes wild turns and is often emotional, and though Pluribus is yet to take serious emotional risks and become so heavy, the plot is leaning towards its emotional gravity more and more. Don't be fooled by animation; Rick and Morty is a heavy show.
3 '3 Body Problem' (2023–)
Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand, Eiza González as Auggie Salazar looking up in episode 101 of 3 Body Problem.Image via Netflix
3 Body Problem is an interesting sci-fi series based on the Chinese show and novel of the same name; the novel was written by computer engineer, Liu Cixin, and it's a thorough investigation into the possibilities of alien life, as well as a fun, if not philosophical, depiction of potential arrivals of extraterrestrials. It's similar to Pluribus in that respect, though 3 Body Problem theorizes the aliens' arrival rather than landing them on Earth. The show was created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and stars Jovan Adepo, Eiza González, Benedict Wong, and Jonathan Pryce, among many others.
3 Body Problem follows a group of Oxford scientists who are contacted by an alien race through a virtual reality video game. Their task in the game is to find a way for their civilization to survive in certain environments, and the most prominent scientists try to help solve the problem and establish great living conditions in-game. There are also several depictions of characters working on the same problem throughout history, including the ensemble's private lives, dilemmas, and choices. It's a thinking person's series, and a greatly interesting premise.
4 'Foundation' (2021–)
Lee Pace as Day pressing his hand to a bloody stomach wound in the Foundation Season 3 finale.Image via Apple TV
Within Apple TV's massive catalog is a defining sci-fi series that's been on rotation for fans of operatic space wonders—Foundation. Besides Pluribus, this show depicts the idea of being a part of something bigger, but also losing one's individuality within the hive mind and collectivism. Whether we're too ambitiously alone these days or find ourselves not being alone enough, Pluribus and Foundation recognize this and follow individuals who want to march to the beat of their own drum. For both, this is nearly impossible and often leaves them alienated, but also poses them as the only people who can do something different.
Foundation is set in a distant future, when most of the galaxy is conquered and ruled by a despotic empire, consisting of clones of the first Emperor, Cleon. When a math genius, Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) opens a galaxy-wide contest to solve his mathematical problem, young prodigy Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) applies and wins the contest. She becomes Hari's protégé, and finds herself amid a conflict between him and the Empire. Foundation is slick and stylish, and a beautiful sci-fi series to watch in between the Pluribus episodes.
5 'Utopia' (2013–2014)
Adheel Akhtar as Wilson Wilson in Utopia holding a gun.Image via Channel 4
The British series Utopia is one great ride, and like Pluribus, it's visually stunning. Utopia is easily one of the shows with the most compelling visual identity, completing its hard sci-fi premise with brilliant character arcs and plot twists. The show combines two opposite, yet often complementary narrative ideas: everything is a conspiracy and bigger than just one person, and one person can be crucial to the collective. This mirrors Pluribus in some respects, and if you missed out on Utopia, I envy you—you'll get to watch that masterpiece of a show for the first time.
Utopia is set in the present time, and depicts a group of superfans of a graphic novel called 'The Utopia Experiments'; they believe that this graphic novel predicted numerous global events, including various diseases. They learn an unreleased manuscript has even more open secrets, but after meeting up, they become targets of a mysterious organization called The Network, which seeks to kill them before they find out more. Conspiracies, thrills, and dark humor make Utopia a great watch in between Pluribus episodes.
6 'The X Files' (1993–2018)
The X-Files is Gilligan's first experience with sci-fi, and whoever was surprised to see him make a show with a distinct sci-fi feel, doesn't know his origin story. Gilligan was a writer and executive producer on The X-Files, so it's no surprise that he created something like Pluribus before—outerworldly, alien, and, most notably, bizarre. The X-Files is the cornerstone of science fiction, a definitive series that shaped numerous other shows over the years, and helped make science fiction and the belief in aliens cool.
The X-Files follows FBI agents who work for the "X-Files" department in the Bureau, one that's little known of and even less talked about. The two agents who lead and define the department are Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), a believer in alien life and a "truth out there," and his partner, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a more methodical and skeptical agent who approaches everything with a grain of salt. Their dynamic turns out to be perfect for the X-Files department's success, and the show's, as it turned out. The X-Files is a cult series that's Pluribus' predecessor, if only through Gilligan's love of sci-fi.
7 'Orphan Black' (2013–2017)
Tatiana Maslany as Krystal in a blue sweatshirt gestures with her hand, talking to someone in Orphan Black.Image via BBC America
Orphan Black is a greatly beloved cult series that follows a woman's lead, much like Pluribus. The hard sci-fi show that went from being a hidden gem to a cult classic is one of the best examples of a simple premise growing more complex over time, yet still maintaining the same quality and effort from both the showrunners and the cast. Like Rhea Seehorn in Pluribus, Tatiana Maslany is the center of Orphan Black, and both shows are great at following their protagonists' leads throughout.
Orphan Black follows Toronto-based con artist, Sarah (Maslany), who meets a woman identical to her on the subway. After Sarah witnesses the woman's suicide, she takes her identity; soon, though, she realizes there's a bigger conspiracy at play, and the woman wasn't Sarah's only lookalike; rather, Sarah has numerous clones across the country. Maslany portrays five different clones in the show, all with a distinct style and personality; she does an amazing job as each woman, and the show revolves around her characters (just like in Pluribus).
8 'Russian Doll' (2019–2022)
Natasha Lyonne with her hands up against the glass doors of a subway in Russian Doll.Image via Netflix
Russian Doll is another brilliant female-led series, and like Pluribus, it takes turns being funny and serious; it's unexpected, but Pluribus sometimes becomes hilarious, and it's often either Seehorn's performance or the absurdity of the situation that makes a scene stand out. In Russian Doll, the comic relief is provided by the ever-charming Natasha Lyonne, whose signature raspy voice and scattered acting style deliver a compelling lead character you cheer for more and more, with each episode.
Russlan Doll follows Nadia (Lyonne), a New Yorker who, on the eve of her 40th birthday, dies. However, Nadia wakes up at one particular moment at her party again, and that goes on in a loop, as she equally discovers creative ways to die and just as many to survive. Russian Doll is a sci-fi comedy that's like Groundhog Day and Pluribus in one, boasting a funny leading lady, an inescapable situation, and impossible odds that both women (and Bill Murray) still try to overcome.
9 'Life on Mars' (2006–2007)
Life on Mars' Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler ready for action.Image via BBC
Life on Mars might seem like a wild pick, but the protagonist brutally and without warning wakes up in a completely different world from his own. He tries to adapt, but also wants to solve the mystery of "Why him?" If this sounds familiar, yes, I'll say it, it's just like Carol in Pluribus. Life on Mars is a British miniseries that has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating (and 99% audience rating), and stars John Simm, a familiar face from numerous essentials of British film and television (Human Traffic, Doctor Who, 24 Hour Party People).
Life on Mars follows the Manchester detective Sam Tyler (Simm) in 2006, who is hit by a car one day, and upon waking up, finds himself in 1973. This unexplained phenomenon takes over Sam's life, and he must find a way to adapt to the environment without seeming suspicious or malicious. Sam wakes up as himself, again as a detective, but the only different thing is the era he lives in. Season 1 is known as Life on Mars, while Season 2 is more of a standalone sequel series starring Keeley Hawes, and it's called Ashes to Ashes; both seasons were named after David Bowie's songs.
10 'Severance' (2022–)
Severance is another Apple TV original series that dominated streaming when it came out, is still widely talked about, and has all the predispositions to become a future classic—drawing a parallel with Pluribus. The only difference is that Pluribus is still airing, while Severance has had two seasons so far; there's time for Pluribus to establish itself on the same level as Severance, though. Currently, Severance is probably the number one favorite for fans of science fiction, techno-thrillers, and just plain great shows.
Severance follows Mark S. (Adam Scott), an employee of Lumon Corporation, who is one of many working on Lumon's "severed" floor. "Severed" means that the employees have chips that divide their consciousness between their work and private lives; while Mark has a deeply personal reason for opting for this, his curiosity about what goes on at Lumon gets the better of him, and he begins rebelling. Severance is the prime example of one versus a crowd and individuality versus collectivism, but it also poses questions of identity and the self—it's just really, really good.
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Severance
TV-MA
Drama
Mystery
Science Fiction
Release Date
February 17, 2022
Network
Apple TV
Showrunner
Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
Directors
Ben Stiller
Cast
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Adam Scott
Mark Scout
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Britt Lower
Helly Riggs
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