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Pluribus is one of the best new shows on television due to its bold premise — but it was almost even bolder, with the majority of its cast once set to appear nude.
“We talked about [how] they didn’t need to wear clothes at all, but we’re not working for HBO,” series creator Vince Gilligan revealed of the show’s hivemind, which consists of nearly every human being on Earth, while speaking during a panel at South By Southwest (thanks, Deadline). “But then we thought, we can’t do that to all these extras.”
Ultimately, clothing was chosen to instead be functional for the hivemind. “We figured, they strictly wear clothes for protection against the sun and against cold or whatnot,” he added
Jennifer Bryan, the show’s costume designer, elaborated on the thought process behind moving away from the mass nudity concept and the reasoning behind the clothing the hivemind ended up wearing in the series. “Eventually, days pass, and obviously, people have to change clothes. And then all of those mores for clothing disappear,” she explained during the panel. “There’s no reason for them to impress you with their clothes.”
If there’s anyone who is glad that concept changed as the show was being created, it’s lead actress Rhea Seehorn. “Oh my God, thank you,” she hilariously quipped during the SXSW panel. “Can you imagine… if I had to try to act with 300 naked people?”
Pluribus really took the world by storm when it premiered in November 2025, but it appears fans will have to wait a while for season 2. “It takes a long time to come up with these episodes. We are deeper into the process at this moment than I would like, considering how few episodes we have figured out,” Gilligan explained during an Apple TV press event last month. “But it takes some time, just as it did in the first season. And we appreciate everybody’s patience. But it ain’t gonna be The Pitt coming back every year. I wish it would be ’cause I think that’s an awesome show.”
The first season of Pluribus is available to stream via Apple TV+.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
