The Pluribus family is growing.
“Carol, guess you’ll be seeing more of me,” Samba Schutte wrote on social media on Friday after being promoted to series-regular status for Season 2 of Apple TV‘s Emmy-winning sci-fi series.
The fan-favorite actor appeared in multiple episodes of the first season as Mr. Diabaté, a Mauritanian man unaffected by the alien hive-mind virus who chooses to embrace the worldwide chaos. Schutte was frequently spotted on the Emmy campaign trail for Season 1 alongside his fellow cast and crew members, so his promotion feels like a natural next step.
“This is such an honor and I cannot wait to show you more of Mr. Koumba Diabaté,” Schutte posted. “Thank you Vince for creating this character (the first Mauritanian character on an American TV show), for believing in me and letting me play in your fascinating, genius world. … We cannot wait for you to see what’s cooking for Season 2! This little kid who grew up so far far away is overjoyed.”
Due to the high-concept nature of the apocalyptic series, which premiered in November 2025, creator Vince Gilligan has been warning fans that there would be long delays between cycles. He wasn’t bluffing. Season 2 finally began filming on Halloween 2026 and is expected to last for many months. There is no word yet on a premiere date.
Read on for everything to know about Pluribus Season 2.
THE FILMING UPDATE
According to Production List, film and TV’s premiere tracking service, Season 2 began filming in Albuquerque, N.M., on Oct. 31. That’s the same city Gilligan’s shows have used since Breaking Bad set up shop there in 2008. Pluribus created its own sets two years ago, including Carol’s neighborhood, and will likely use many of them again in addition to creating brand-new set pieces.
“It took us a while, but we figured out Season 2,” Gilligan said backstage at the 2026 Emmys on Sept. 15. “It is technically not all written; it is broken, which is the hard part. We figured out the plot of all the episodes. The first two are written. The rest of them are at various stages of being written. But we know what the whole season is.”
THE CAST
The main trio is returning for Season 2: Rhea Seehorn as fantasy author Carol Sturka, who’s immune from the hive-mind virus; Karolina Wydra as Zosia the “Other,” Carol’s personal chaperone; and Carlos-Manuel Vesga as Manousos, Carol’s human ally. In addition, Samba Schutte as Diabaté has been promoted from a guest star to a series regular.
Emmy-nominated guest stars Miriam Shor as Helen and Jeff Hiller as Larry have also expressed interest in returning to the show at some point.
THE PLOT
Pluribus follows Carol, a fantasy author and the most miserable person on Earth who is somehow immune from a mysterious virus. At the end of Season 1, Carol’s quest to save the world was momentarily sidetracked by a romantic affair with Zosia. But when she realized the “Others” had access to her stem cells through her previously frozen eggs, and could therefore make her one of them, she was back on track.
The first season ended with Carol telling Manousos that she was now in possession of an atom bomb, but what will she use it for? Is it simply a way to exert power over her enemies? Or will she perhaps try to blow up a radio tower in order to interrupt the hive-mind’s combined consciousness? Stay tuned.
THE RELEASE DATE & TRAILER
High-concept shows regularly take two or more years between seasons — see: House of the Dragon, Severance, and Stranger Things. With Season 1 of Pluribus ending on Dec. 24, 2025, our educated guess is that Season 2 will drop on Apple TV in late 2027 or early 2028. That should give the production team enough time to film the story they want to tell. Understandably, a trailer is still months away from being released.
AWARDS PROSPECTS
Season 1 of Pluribus received 18 Emmy nominations and won six: lead actress (Seehorn), writing (Gilligan), theme music, picture editing, production design, and sound mixing. Seehorn also won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for playing Carol. Unless Season 2 significantly tanks in quality — something that has never happened for a Gilligan show — expect Pluribus to once again dominate the awards cycle … whenever it eventually airs.
This item was originally published on Oct. 19; it was updated on Nov. 13 with casting information.
