Apple TV's Pluribus and Breaking Bad have a mysterious connection

It's been a very strong year for sci-fi shows – here are the 7 best all-new series to watch – with Apple TV's Pluribus becoming the streamer's most-watched show of the year.

The show is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and there's an unrelated yet apparent – mysterious, even? – thread that connects its landscape and the show creator's (Vince Gilligan) stories.

Pluribus' protagonist, Carol Sturka, is played by actress Rhea Seahorn. She also stars in Better Call Saul – the spin-off show of Breaking Bad – as the titular character's partner, Kim Wexler.

Pluribus — Official Trailer | Apple TV - YouTube

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All three of those shows are created by Gilligan and all three are set in Albuquerque. Yet each weaves a very different narrative across that now almost familiar landscape – even to those who, like myself, have never visited (nor intend to).

So much so, that I felt invested enough to purchase the full Breaking Bad series on Blu-ray – to revisit and reflect on its story in a new light, more than 12 years after its finale aired.

I know, I could just watch Breaking Bad on Netflix. But when I recently reviewed the latest Philips OLED 910 TV, I had dabbled in some older physical boxsets, with Boardwalk Empire becoming the backbone to that particular review.

It got me thinking about how much I'd enjoyed going through each of the discs in order, not distracted by any other shows – as I would be if opening the myriad best streaming services – just as I'd done for The Sopranos and The Wire in years prior.

It's been as tense as it has disconcerting to re-watch Breaking Bad. It's easy to forget just how harrowing the opening trio of episodes are in particular, yet how essential they become in key character building.

It's easy to glean the show's action and tension as being its greatest moments – especially with some of the best characters to ever appear on TV – but, actually, those subtleties, those vulnerabilities, are a cornerstone to the show's direction.

It's the same in Pluribus. Gilligan might lean on sci-fi or action as the backbone of a show – but the beating heart, in every case, is the human essence to which we can all relate. His shows are as gentle as they are harsh, a real juxtaposition.

Albuquerque in each instance becomes its own character, in a way. It's like the nervous system to that backbone and heart; the landscape that threads everything together – physically, emotionally, and cinematically.

Better Call Saul | Series Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube

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Albuquerque has been described as delivering a "post-modern Western" setting. Whether that's for face-offs, for alien takeovers, or in familiar cityscapes, it offers a distinctive canvas for cinematography.

It's easy to see why Breaking Bad remains one of the highest-rated shows ever, with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Better Call Saul isn't far behind, with 96%. And I think Albuquerque is a significant part of the equation.