Pluribus Episode 4 Has An Unexpected Cameo From An Albuquerque Fixture
Spoilers for "Pluribus" episode 4 follow.
"Pluribus" may be the new TV show from writer Vince Gilligan, and star "Better Call Saul" breakout Rhea Seehorn, but it is not connected to "Breaking Bad." The two shows are nothing alike. Well, almost nothing alike, because they do have a common setting: they're both filmed and set in the same city, Albuquerque, New Mexico. (But don't expect anyone in the "Pluribus" ABQ to start snorting Heisenberg's blue meth.)
"Pluribus" episode 4, "Please, Carol" adds some extra ABQ verisimilitude. After the grenade debacle in the last episode, Carol (Seehorn) returns home and finds many of the hive mind drones cleaning up her damaged house. Carol recognizes one of those drones, thinking she knows him from somewhere. She's right: it's the former mayor of Albuquerque. Now that the hive mind has spread, there's no need for elected officials, but the mayor still thanks Carol for her vote.
If you aren't an ABQ resident like Carol or curious Googler, though, what you may not realize is that the actor playing the "Mayor" is no mere extra. It is actually the real mayor of Albuquerque, Tim Keller, playing himself. He is credited as "Mayor Tim" in the episode end credits. A Democrat, Keller (who was born in Albuquerque) is the city's 30th mayor and has served in the office since 2017. He previously served in the New Mexico state senate from 2009 to 2015 and then as New Mexico state auditor from 2015 to 2017.
It makes sense why Keller would want the extra publicity; he's up for re-election this year and is now facing a runoff election on December 9. That "Pluribus" pulled this cameo off also shows what an ABQ fixture Vince Gilligan shows have become.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller appears as himself (sort of) on Pluribus
The Albuquerque setting of "Breaking Bad" was a happy accident. Gilligan originally envisioned the show taking place in Riverside, California, but the production chose to film in New Mexico for some tax advantages. Then, to avoid some logistical headaches (like having to change all the New Mexico license plates on cars to California ones), Gilligan rewrote the story to actually take place in Albuquerque.
Now, Gilligan chose to also set "Pluribus" in ABQ so as to retain the crews he worked with on "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul," and "El Camino." "Breaking Bad' has been a boon for ABQ and the city's economy; the show filming there brought revenue to the city, it directly created jobs on the production, etc. Richard Berry, Keller's predecessor as ABQ mayor, estimated in 2014 the show had brought as much as $70 million to the Albuquerque economy.
Moreover, due to the huge popularity of "Breaking Bad" (popularity sustained by "Better Call Saul"), Albuquerque has seen a long-lasting boost in tourism from fans of the show. The modest suburban house used to film Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) house became an unlikely tourist destination (to the chagrin of its owners). With how much "Breaking Bad" has helped ABQ, it makes sense a city leader would want to pay it forward to Vince Gilligan. Keller's cameo on "Pluribus" helps the series' mood, showing just how much the world has been turned upside down as individual identity becomes a thing of the past.
"Pluribus" is streaming on Apple TV; new episodes debut on Fridays.