David Bianculli

And so on.

Vince Gilligan was a writer and producer on The X-Files, and his love of the genre comes through loud and clear here, like a radio signal from across the universe.

And what he's doing in Pluribus, while having fun with themes from The Twilight Zone and classic sci-fi films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, somehow is paradoxically bordering on unique.

Yes, he and his creative team of writers and directors dip into Gilligan's familiar bag of tricks.

Beautiful photography, long extended set pieces and montages, intense and lengthy conversations among characters.

But the way those characters are introduced and dealt with here, and the way the plot widens and deepens to say so much about so many big-idea topics, it's as singularly and hypnotically odd in its way as Twin Peaks was.

It's disturbing, unpredictable, and alternately funny and creepy.

And while Ray Sehorne doesn't carry all of the weight of Pluribus, other co-stars, including Carolina Wydra and Carlos Manuel Vesca, are wonderful too.

Her Carol is a character you'll relate to, laugh at, and buy into completely.

The opening episode, written and directed by Gilligan, takes her on a wild and crazy ride, and we go right along with her.

And Gilligan and Pluribus ask a larger question as well.

Fighting for life and liberty, that's a given.

But what if the pursuit of happiness is vastly overrated, maybe even dangerous?

On Monday's show, Academy Award winner Tim Robbins talks about Topsy Turvy, the new play he wrote in response to pandemic isolation.

From the Shawshank Redemption to founding the Actors Gang, Robbins discusses how his commitment to creating politically relevant art has shaped his four-decade career.

I hope you can join us.

To keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews, follow us on Instagram at NPR Fresh Air.

Fresh Air's executive producer is Danny Miller.

Sam Brigger is our managing producer.

Our senior producer today is Roberta Shurock.