The Real Reason Rhea Seehorn’s Carol Sturka Is A Romance Author In Pluribus

Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn, is the unlikely heroine of “Pluribus.” The romance writer soon spirals into chaos when she becomes one of the few people able to resist the effects of an alien virus that turns humans into contented drones with hive minds. For creator Vince Gilligan, writing a show where the hero was a romance author was about finding the most annoying and awkward protagonist for a sci-fi thriller possible — plus he finds romance authors more interesting than other writers.

“Pluribus” is a wonderful and interesting sci-fi series, anchored by another great performance from Seehorn. But there’s no doubt that the show has a lot more to offer than the former “Better Call Saul” star reminding us all why she’s so great. “Pluribus” feels like a particularly timely show, and as it develops, it will certainly have a lot to say about its themes of forced happiness and groupthink. However, none of that seems to have played a role in Gilligan’s decision to have his protagonist be a writer.

Speaking to AV Club, the creator said he “I liked the idea of ​​a writer trying to save the world a lot,” adding: “I was thinking about different careers. Like, what if she was a florist or something instead? When you think of someone saving the world, you want Liam Neeson or Tom Cruise. You don’t want a writer. This is about the last person in the world you want to entrust with saving humanity because we’re all a bunch of misfits.” Idiots.” The creator went on to clarify the latter statement, adding: “Well, we’re not all idiots, but if you spend your whole life doing that, it means you don’t want to be responsible for something that big.”

“Pluribus” will reveal more about its core message as the show goes on, but what seems to concern creator Vince Gilligan and his writers (aside from the very obvious anti-AI stance) is the idea of ​​groupthink. In addition to the alien virus that turns the world’s population into telekinetic minions, there are also the obsessed fans of Karol Sturka’s writing, who serve as a grim harbinger of things to come in the season 1 premiere.

The show begins with Sturka hosting a live reading of her latest romance novel, in the presence of adoring fans who know so much about her work, that she leaves the event feeling somewhat defeated. Sturka rejects her own books, which she clearly feels are trite and trivial, until her manager and partner Helen L. Omstead (Miriam Shor) reassures her that her work makes people happy.

From the first jump, the show seems interested in exploring the difference between art and entertainment, the rabid fanbases that have emerged in recent years, and the feigned happiness displayed by everyone trying to put their best foot forward in the age of social media. All of this suggests that Gilligan wrote Sturka as an author to facilitate this exploration, when in fact he seems to have found the idea of ​​a writer tasked with saving the world rather funny – especially a writer like Carroll. Explaining why he gravitated more towards making his protagonist a romance author, Gilligan said, “I can say from over 30 years of experience that screenwriters are boring. Romance authors seem to be more diverse, fun, and interesting.”

“Pluribus” is now streaming on Apple TV.