Vince Gilligan, the creator of the ever-popular shows “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” has done it again. “Pluribus,” Apple TV’s newest foray into science fiction (which, in my opinion, is its strongest genre — just see “Severance”), is Gilligan’s first science fiction story and his third New Mexico–centric show. As someone who grew up in New Mexico and has grown used to hearing people immediately say “Breaking Bad?” any time that I mention where I’m from, I was curious to see how Gilligan, who masterminded one of the most influential shows of the 2010s, was going to present New Mexico in a universe completely disconnected from that of Walter White and Saul Goodman, which is the setting Gilligan’s recurring crew has been working in for the better part of two decades. My biggest question: How would New Mexico be shown?

To say the least, I was not disappointed.

“Pluribus” tells the story of Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn, and follows her when she becomes one of 13 people in the world to be immune to “the joining” — an alien virus that scientists at the Very Large Array in New Mexico discover which creates a hivemind across the globe. The show dives deep into human psychology, exploring loneliness, loss, the value of independent thought and what an imperfect person might do when they have everything in the world at their disposal. Since the show only finished releasing episodes a few weeks ago, I won’t do a full spoiler review here, but know that there are twists at every turn throughout the season. 

One of the biggest draws of the show is the main character, Carol, because she feels very human in a way many TV characters fail to achieve. Seehorn’s performance is hypnotizing — if you want Emmy Award predictions, keep an eye out for her; she’s already received the Critics' Choice and Golden Globe awards for best actress in a drama. Carol is angry, makes some wrong decisions, occasionally misinterprets the information she learns about saving the world and is very stubborn. Every choice she makes, even when frustrating for the audience to watch, is absolutely justifiable because of who her character is shown to be from the beginning of her screen time. Carol feels more realistic than Walter White in “Breaking Bad,” largely because the position that Walter White finds himself in — building a meth lab and getting dragged into deeper and deeper drug schemes — is more challenging to imagine relating to than the alien virus pandemic that Carol is facing. All of this makes Carol, in my opinion, a better representation of general New Mexico. 

But why New Mexico? 

Albuquerque being at the center of the story, rather than a bigger city such as Los Angeles or New York City, adds a lot to the impact of the show’s biggest questions about loneliness and creates an interesting setting. Carol’s house and the entire cul-de-sac were built specifically for the show, but to the viewer, they perfectly fit the aesthetic of upper-class Albuquerque housing. I’ve seen other shows set in New Mexico where the housing is stereotypical to a fault, as showrunners try to fit the New Mexico “style.” Gillian and his production designer, Denise Pizzini, spent a lot of time making sure that where Carol lived was not just an interpretation of New Mexico, but an accurate rendition of where Carol could live due to her wealth and lifestyle. Albuquerque is not a gigantic city, and Carol living in the suburbs increases the feeling of her desolation, since she is not surrounded by any of the “joined” people moving around the center of the city. 

The show also captured New Mexico’s energy by hiring actors from all around the state as extras, even giving the actual mayor of Albuquerque a cameo. These extras, even if they are playing members of a hivemind, feel like people I would run into on the street in Albuquerque — every city has its distinct people, and Albuquerque is no exception. 

Whether or not you are from New Mexico, there is no denying that “Pluribus” is a very intriguing puzzle, and I, for one, am already theorizing about what is coming in future seasons. If you get the opportunity to watch it, I cannot recommend it enough; it has fun and realistic dialogue, great cinematography and takes the “apocalypse from a virus” genre in a different direction than almost anything else I have seen previously.