What Pluribus: "Grenade" Can Teach Working Writers About Story, Scale, and Staying Vague (On Purpose)
Note: spoilers ahead for Pluribus episode three, "Grenade."
Gordon Smith's path is a case study in how to build a career from the inside: office PA on Breaking Bad, assistant to Vince Gilligan, writers' assistant, staff writer on Better Call Saul, then a decorated run as writer-director. Now he's a writer-director-EP on Pluribus and the mind behind episode three, "Grenade."
For writers, this episode and Smith's process offer a handful of practical reminders: theme without lectures, clarity within massive scope, and a character-first engine that doesn't need a neat slogan.
1) Don't write a thesis. Write a question.
Viewers are reading Pluribus as a take on AI, political division, addiction, even the cost of celebrity. Smith doesn't swat any of it down. He actively keeps space open. The point isn't a single metaphor-it's tension.
- Let multiple readings coexist. It keeps the story alive.
- Avoid one-to-one metaphors ("the monster is trauma"). That flattens TV.
- Build scenes that force disagreement in the room. The debate writes the drama.
2) Character pain is the engine-don't sand it down
Carol's alcohol use isn't a plot accessory. It's a pattern. The Xanax-with-vodka moment reads as habit, not stunt. That nuance makes her choices scarier and more honest.
- Write coping mechanisms as routines, not one-offs.
- Let consequences compound. Don't rescue your character from themselves.
- Make "peace" tempting but complicated-the Joined offer that, and it's unsettling.
3) Antagonists aren't mustache-twirlers-give them a code
The Joined caused near a billion deaths. Yet they're not simple villains. They'd give Carol weapons out of "love," but they have lines they won't cross. That ambiguity lets the audience argue culpability-especially when Carol's rage becomes lethal.
- Define the moral boundaries of your adversary. What will they do? What won't they do?
- Let the protagonist's emotions create real danger. That's agency with weight.
- Shift sympathy without preaching. Put your thumb on the scale, then step back.
4) Big premise, bigger limits-write to what you can show
The Sprouts sequence looks huge because it's focused. A working grocery store was emptied, refilled, stitched with VFX, and coordinated across locations. Many "cool shots" were cut because they didn't improve the story-to-cost ratio.
- Ask: does this beat change anything? If not, cut it.
- Never reference an amazing set piece you can't show. It cheapens the world.
- Scale by specificity: one strong visual can carry the weight of ten.
5) Timelines are story tools, not trivia
Pluribus uses a countdown/count-up to anchor viewers around the event and Carol's position relative to it. It's less about date stamps and more about rhythm.
- Use time markers to manage tension, not to show off continuity.
- Keep the audience oriented so they can focus on character.
6) Blank canvas ≠ easy mode
Smith notes that building outside the Bad/Saul timeline was freeing, but it demanded heavier lifting up front. Casting tweaks and new information reshaped episode three midstream.
- Expect the early episodes to be the hardest. You're defining rules and feel.
- Stay flexible as production realities collide with story intent.
7) How writers actually move up
Smith didn't assume a spot on Pluribus. He kept irons in the fire, said yes to a mini room, then took on more directing than expected. Proximity plus usefulness created luck.
- Don't bank on automatic invites. Keep options alive.
- Be the person who can answer the question today-not next week.
- Help steer the room. Seniority is often earned by handling the messy middle.
8) Easter eggs are seasoning, not story
Small nods (FionaCom, Wayfarer) exist, but they're not an invitation to map universes. The team avoids anything that turns the show into IP algebra.
- Use callbacks to reward attention, not to carry the narrative.
- If an Easter egg steals focus, cut it.
9) Practical checklist you can apply this week
- Rewrite three "statement" lines as questions that spark disagreement.
- Pick one character habit and make it a repeated choice with consequences.
- Trim one set piece by half. Keep the beat, lose the bloat.
- Add a simple time anchor to one episode or chapter to guide the reader.
- Define your antagonist's hard "no." Write a scene that tempts it.
Why this matters
Pluribus works because it refuses to be about one thing. It lets the audience do the last 10% of the work. That's the space where obsession starts-where your show lives in someone's head overnight.
Further exploration
- AI tools for copywriting: a curated overview (know the tools you're critiquing-or using-so your take lands).
Your membership also unlocks:
