Vince Gilligan is a genius, and ‘Pluribus’ is fresh proof

In Pluribus, Gilligan trades drug empires for alien viruses and the apocalypse for absurdity. The show follows Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a cranky bestselling author of cheesy romance novels who suddenly becomes one of only handful people around the world who are immune to a mysterious hive-mind infection sweeping the planet. The rest of humanity turns creepily cheerful after exposure, forming a global collective that’s all smiles and zero free will. Between mourning her girlfriend, dodging psychic chain reactions that can kill millions, and plotting to save the world, Carol might be the grumpiest (and funniest) last hope humanity has left.

Breaking Bad is the story of what happens when a mild-mannered high-school chemistry teacher, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), decides that the cure for his midlife crisis and cancer bills is…crystal meth. With a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), as his chaotic sidekick, White dives headfirst into the drug trade, transforming from suburban dad to full-blown criminal mastermind. As the lies pile up and the power surges, so does the body count. It’s Shakespeare in Albuquerque, just with more explosions, fewer soliloquies, and a lot more blue meth.

Before Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) was the sleazy lawyer cleaning up Walter White’s messes, he was Jimmy McGill, a struggling attorney with a heart of gold and a moral compass held together by duct tape. Better Call Saul traces his slow, hilarious, and heartbreaking transformation into the smooth-talking con man we know too well. Between legal loopholes, scam artistry, and emotional gut punches, the series is both a prequel and a masterpiece in its own right. It’s a tragic origin story wrapped in courtroom chaos, proving that every good villain starts with good intentions—and a really bad idea.

Before Pluribus and long after Breaking Bad, Gilligan teamed up with House creator David Shore for Battle Creek, an underrated buddy-cop dramedy that deserved way more love than it got. Set in the small, scrappy town of Battle Creek, Michigan, the show pairs cynical local detective Russ Agnew with overly charming FBI agent Milt Chamberlain. Their oil-and-water dynamic fuels a mix of crime-solving, character clashes, and dry humour that’s pure Gilligan—moral grey zones, flawed heroes, and small-town chaos all wrapped in slick dialogue. It only lasted one season, but Battle Creek proved that even Gilligan’s “misfires” are smarter, funnier, and more human than most TV hits.

Before creating his own groundbreaking shows, Gilligan sharpened his sci-fi skills on The X-Files (he came onboard from season two), writing and producing some of its most memorable episodes. Among them was ‘Pusher’ (season three, episode 17), where Mulder and Scully chase a dying man with the eerie ability to bend others to his will, often with deadly results. He also co-wrote the Emmy-nominated ‘Memento Mori’, a poignant episode that follows Scully’s cancer diagnosis and Mulder’s relentless efforts to save her. Gilligan later co-created The Lone Gunmen, an X-Files spin-off that quietly came and went after just one season.