“Pluribus” is a fascinating Rorschach test

With “Pluribus,” Vince Gilligan has what most series creators would envy: a show that generates constantly evolving conversation. Those who watch are careful about spoilers, often refusing to discuss the show with anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.

Once a viewer is indoctrinated, however, they may find it difficult to refrain from puzzling over its message. Is it a parable about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence and the fawning tendencies of large language models? That we can answer with a firm “No,” since Gilligan said as much in several interviews, including a recent Variety profile. When he first conceived of the show nearly a decade ago, ChatGPT didn’t exist.

Perhaps it’s one long defense of being a hater, as a Forbes story published a few weeks ago posits. Or maybe hatred is