Apple TV’s Pluribus arrived in November 2025 with a lot of secrecy, and for good reason: The series is about an alien invasion that converts a majority of the world’s population into a “hive mind.” Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol Sturka, a reticent romance novelist who survives “the Joining.” In what is essentially a one-woman show, season 1 begins at the time of the life-altering event as Carol comes to understand what the hive mind wants, tracking her bouts of loneliness and desire for human connection along the way.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan is the brains behind the must-watch series, which is a thinly veiled metaphor for society’s adherence to uniformity. By the end of season 1, it’s clear that the show has a lot more to say and explore, and is only just getting started. Below, we’re breaking down everything we know about Pluribus season 2.
Is 'Pluribus' renewed for season 2?
Yes, Pluribus will return to Apple TV for a second season. The streamer greenlit the Vince Gilligan project with a two-season straight-to-series order, meaning that Gilligan skipped the traditional pilot development phase as Apple committed to producing two entire seasons from the beginning.
When will 'Pluribus' season 2 come out?
Sorry, Pluribus fans: It might be a while before new episodes are available. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter following the release of the season 1 finale, Gilligan told the outlet that, although a writers's room is open, the team behind the series is in no rush to fast-track production.
"It’s going to frustrate some folks, just to be honest. We work at the speed we work at, much like glaciers melt at the speed that they melt at," the showrunner told the outlet. "For my own sake, as much as anybody, selfishly, I wish we could get this job done quicker because I don’t know how many years I’ve got left. I still want to do more things, but I go slower than I used to. So it’s going to be a while between seasons; it just is. Unless we invent a time machine or figure out how to stop time, it’s just the nature of the beast."
With that in mind, it's possible that Pluribus season 2 could follow the same schedule as season 1. The first installment experienced delays related to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, but filming began in February 2024, and then it wasn't released until November 2025. Should writing last throughout this year and production to begin in late 2026 or early 20227, it may not be until late 2027 or early 2028 that we see more of Carol and The Others.
Who in the 'Pluribus' cast will return for season 2?
The show is built around Rhea Seehorn, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance on the show, so she is certain to return, along with Karolina Wydra, as Carol’s hive mind companion, Zosia. The first season finale sets up a partnership between Carol and Manousos, two of the handful of immune individuals left on earth, which means Carlos-Manuel Vesga will also return as a major part of season 2.
Earlier in the season, Carol meets a few of the other English-speaking immune survivors, including Koumba Diabaté (Samba Schutte) and Laxmi (Menik Gooneratne). Now that Carol is working with Manousos, we’d expect these other survivors to be recruited for their plot to save the world.
Sadly, Carol’s partner, Helen, died during the alien invasion and has only appeared in limited flashbacks, meaning Miriam Shor would only return for season 2 in a minimal capacity. Season 1 guest stars, such as Jeff Hiller, Karan Soni, and John Cena, are unlikely to return.
What will 'Pluribus' season 2 be about?
Season 1 ends with Carol’s heartbreaking realization that she can’t ignore reality: Zosia is no longer fully human and, therefore, not a plausible life partner. The notion dawns on her when Zosia tells Carol she has only a month before “they” will use her frozen eggs to harvest stem cells, which would turn her into one of them. Reluctantly, she leaves the paradise she built with Zosia and returns to her Albuquerque home to meet Manousos, who has been trying to uncover the mystery of what happened by studying various radio frequencies to crack a code. Carol arrives with an encased atom bomb and tells him, “You win. We save the world.”
The second season will become a two-hander, as Carol and Manousos take his findings about the radio signal to figure out who’s behind the attack, how to stop it, and if they’re able to reverse its effects. We can assume that saving the world isn’t up to just them—we know there are other immune individuals out there—but seeing how they’re both loners forced to work together, it’s doubtful they’ll let anyone else into their circle quickly.
Gilligan has revealed that the team behind the series has "a pretty good idea" where it's going next. While speaking to THR, the show's creative team shared their thoughts on what Manousos's failed experiment might mean. Writer/executive producer Gordon Smith said, "An experiment within the scientific method, generally, moves through failure, and it keeps moving through failure. You learn more from saying, 'That's not right. It did not stop them from being joined, but I did learn something. So what did I learn?' What he learned and what he can do with it is hopefully going to be brought out in season 2."
Gilligan, meanwhile, confirmed the signal was not the same as the one that started the Joining.
With season 2 being a ways away, at least we have time to keep scratching our heads at all the lingering questions.
