A South American nation has quietly become essential to one of streaming television’s most successful series. Paraguay’s fingerprints are all over “Pluribus,” Apple TV Plus’s record-breaking science fiction series.
The series, created by Vince Gilligan and starring Rhea Seehorn, became the platform’s most-watched show in its entire history. “Pluribus” follows Carol Sturka, a writer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a mysterious phenomenon transforms humanity into a peaceful hive mind. Carol is one of only thirteen people immune to this transformation. Among these survivors stands a man living in Asunción, Paraguay, a detail that emerges with narrative significance as the season unfolds.
The record nobody expected
Apple TV Plus announced in December 2025 that “Pluribus” had become the most-watched show in its history, surpassing “Severance.” The series premiered on 7 November to immediate global success across more than one hundred territories and secured two Golden Globe nominations for best drama and best actress for Rhea Seehorn.
The Paraguayan who builds worlds
Christian Díaz De Bedoya is a Paraguayan location manager who has become indispensable to Vince Gilligan’s creative vision. Over nearly fifteen years, he has shaped the visual landscape of Gilligan’s most significant projects: all 62 episodes of “Breaking Bad,” all 63 episodes of “Better Call Saul,” and the 2019 film “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story.”
The Sandia Mountains, which rise northeast of Albuquerque, became instantly recognisable to audiences of “Breaking Bad” through Díaz De Bedoya’s meticulous location work. He transformed New Mexico’s landscape into an iconic character within Gilligan’s universes.
When Gilligan decided to film “Pluribus” in Albuquerque, he chose to bring Díaz De Bedoya back because certain collaborators become irreplaceable. During an appearance on “The Watch” podcast, Gilligan stated: “I wanted to keep working with my same old crew. They are some of the best people I have ever worked with.”
Building Carol’s world
Gilligan and Díaz De Bedoya faced a practical problem born from “Breaking Bad’s” success. The house used as Walter White’s residence became so iconic that homeowners faced constant trespassing and harassment from fans. Gilligan was determined not to repeat this.
The solution was radical: construct an entire residential cul-de-sac from scratch. According to Decider, a major entertainment website covering television and streaming, Gilligan explained: “I wanted to have a great view of the Sandia Mountains. Our location manager Christian Diaz de Bedoya and his location scouts looked for months to find the perfect location. We leased it long term and built a real cul-de-sac with real concrete curbs and seven real houses. The project was a major undertaking, ideas are easy, but turning them into reality is far harder.”
This constructed neighbourhood required months of preparation. Seven functional houses were built with authentic materials on a field west of Albuquerque. The result is arguably Gilligan’s most ambitious production achievement: an entirely artificial street that feels entirely real.
When a Colombian chose Paraguay
The character of Manousos Oviedo emerges late in the first season of Pluribus as one of thirteen people immune to the hive mind phenomenon, living in Asunción, Paraguay.
Colombian actor Carlos-Manuel Vesga portrays Manousos. When Vesga first read the script and discovered the character’s location, he immediately contacted a producer with concerns. Perfecting a Paraguayan accent within the tight production timeline seemed impossible. In an interview, Vesga recalled: “If they had asked me for a Mexican, Argentine, or Cuban accent, I could have attempted that. But a month was not sufficient.”
The solution came quickly. The executive producer clarified that Manousos is a Colombian who has immigrated to Paraguay. This detail transformed how Vesga understood the character. Rather than a Paraguayan national, Manousos becomes a man who left his country to build a life elsewhere, someone whose immigrant experience carries deeper meaning in a world transformed by forces beyond individual control.
What Paraguay represents
For viewers in Paraguay, the series presents an interesting paradox. Manousos lives in Asunción according to the narrative, yet his scenes were filmed in the Canary Islands, Spain. This geographical separation highlights how global productions operate, locations are suggested through dialogue and storytelling rather than authentic filming sites.
Still, Paraguay’s presence in “Pluribus” is twofold. The character Manousos introduces Paraguay into the world of the series, and location manager Christian Díaz De Bedoya ensures that Gilligan’s visual language carries the fingerprints of a Paraguayan professional shaping what audiences see.
What comes next for Pluribus
Apple TV Plus has ordered a second season. The finale aired on 26 December, leaving multiple narrative threads unresolved. Gilligan has indicated the series could span approximately four seasons, depending on how the narrative unfolds.
