“Pluribus” is very much its own thing, demonstrating an originality that’s rare in the modern age. But aspects of it are clearly influenced by other works, such as a moment from its first episode in which two creepy young siblings embody the spirit of the twins from Stanley Kubrick’s Stephen King movie “The Shining.”
Apple TV+ has some great shows that nobody is watching, but everyone should be paying attention to “Pluribus.” The new sci-fi thriller series from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Giligan is a superb and intriguingly peculiar creation unlike anything else currently on TV. That doesn’t mean it avoids mining inspiration from other sources, of course. Indeed, a major example comes up during the show’s pilot, ‘We Is Us,” in which Rhea Seehorn’s romantasy author Carol Sturka watches society unravel as humankind becomes infected with a mysterious virus.
After widespread chaos breaks out in her hometown of Alberquerque, New Mexico, Carol returns to her house in the episode, only to discover she’s lost her keys and is locked out. Soon, however, two kids from the house next door emerge and stand side-by-side before reminding Carol that she left a spare key under the pot on her porch. Despite the fact these creepy siblings, played by Teagan Sucherman and Isak Tufic, reassure Carol they’re not there to hurt her, they project a deeply unsettling aura similar to the real-life twins from one of the most unforgettable moments in “The Shining.”
Explaining the show’s influences to Letterboxd, Gilligan confirmed he was inspired by the master, writing, “Quick, which classic image did the first episode of ‘Pluribus’ borrow from ‘The Shining?’ I’ll give you a moment to ponder that,” before going on to reveal, “Yes — we borrowed the image of those creepy neighbor kids from Kubrick’s even creepier twin girls.”
The Shining influence goes beyond the creepy siblings in Pluribus
Though it feels wholly fresh, “Pluribus” is really the latest spiritual remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” and that’s fine. The show does an excellent job of updating a well-worn sci-fi trope with its alien invasion via virus storyline (at least, that’s what appears to be going on so far). But this being a Vince Gilligan show, there was always going to be some Stanley Kubrick influence at play. The creator has snuck similar homages into his work before, writing in his Letterboxd piece, “Kubrick’s the master, so who am I to nitpick?” He added, “Bonus trivia: the axe the Salamanca Cousins carry in ‘Breaking Bad’ is inspired by ‘The Shining’ as well.”
With “Pluribus,” however, the influence goes beyond the creepy siblings. As Gilligan went on to explain, the fact the show is based around “a writer, alcohol, and profound isolation” essentially means it has the same premise as “The Shining,” wherein Jack Nicholson’s author Jack Torrance deteriorates mentally while isolated at the haunted Overlook Hotel. “Man, do I love this movie,” Gilligan said of “The Shining,” adding, “But here’s a question: why does Nicholson play Jack Torrance as insane before he arrives at the Overlook Hotel? Even in his job interview, Jack is so obviously bats***-crazy that Barry Nelson might as well hand him a fire axe along with the keys to the building.”
Is Gilligan telling us something about “Pluribus” with that last comment? Are we witnessing the unravelling of Carol Sturka’s mind in the Apple TV show rather than actual events? Considering “Pluribus” is keeping its true meaning close to the chest, it’s all one big mystery at this point, but Gilligan’s comments may hint at something unexpected.
“Pluribus” is streaming on Apple TV.
