Pluribus Episode 6's Insane Cameo Reveals The Show's True Potential

This article contains spoilers for "Pluribus" season 1, episode 6.

You've got to feel sorry for Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn). She really thought she finally had something to use against the "Pluribus" sci-fi hive mind, and why wouldn't she? Finding a whole cold storage filled with vacuum-packed human body parts intended for consumption will do that. Yet, a trip to Koumba Diabaté's (Samba Schutte) newfound Las Vegas base pulls the rug from under her righteous fury in mere moments. 

Since Koumba has been far happier to, uh, interact with the hive mind than Carol, he's managed to acquire plenty of information well before Carol. This means that while he also finds the concept disturbing, he's fully aware that the hive mind's inability to end animal or plant life has led to a dire food shortage, which in turn has forced it to find nourishment wherever it can. Carol's utter disbelief as she discovers that her cannibal scoop was old news soon turns into a full-on absurdist comedy moment when Koumba wheels out an explainer video featuring none other than "Peacemaker" star John Cena. 

Up until now, the show has largely avoided familiar faces, to the point that Davis Taffler (Peter Bergman), the White House representative in episode 1, was specifically a D-string no-name politician who just happened to be suited up and nearby when the need to communicate with Carol arose. However, Cena dropping by for some crucial exposition about the hive mind's need to use dead bodies as part of their nutrient slurry is a shocking reminder that Pluribus can feature literally anyone in the world as part of the hive mind, and is also willing to do just that. From this point on, there's literally no telling who the show decides to bring in next.

If you've been paying attention, you might already know that John Cena isn't the first public figure cameo on "Pluribus." In episode 4, Carol notices that one of the people cleaning up her property after the grenade explosion is Tim Keller, the Mayor of Albuquerque, who politely remembers to thank Carol for her vote. The fact that "Pluribus" has already featured an elected official and one of the most famous professional wrestlers-slash-movie stars on the planet implies that while the show is happy to deploy cameos, it does so only when it makes sense. 

Keller is an Albuquerque guy, and therefore logically a part of the hive mind's worker ants in the area. Meanwhile, hive mind Cena was already hanging out with Koumba, so he was a natural choice for the explainer video. Apart from being a bona fide celebrity, he has a well-known history as a good, trustworthy dude, thanks to his real-life Guinness World Record for most wishes granted through the Make-a-Wish foundation. This makes Cena the exact type of famously nice guy the hive mind would choose to communicate a subject as tricky as situational cannibalism to a tough customer like Carol.

The combination of Keller and Cena sums up the rules for "Pluribus" cameos, as far as I can tell: No one is necessarily off the table, but the appearance needs to make sense in the context. It's anyone's guess where "Pluribus" will take things and who will turn up, but after Cena, it's easy to see fans drafting "Pluribus" cameo bingo cards going forward. Mine will definitely feature noted "Better Call Saul" fan Guillermo del Toro, just for the heck of it. 

"Pluribus" is streaming on Apple TV.