(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
What celebrity would soften the blow if you had to hear disturbing news? If your answer is John Cena, then Pluribus has a treat for you.
Even if a professional wrestler-turned-actor isn’t your first choice, this option certainly beats how Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) found out that human bodies are a food source. Given Carol’s cliffhanger gasp at what was beneath the tarps in the refrigerated warehouse, it is not surprising that she found shrink-wrapped body parts—including heads.
Meanwhile, Mr. Diabaté (Samba Schutte) learns that the population infected with the alien virus has unique eating habits from the Peacemaker lead. It doesn’t make up for what Carol experienced, but John Cena is also on hand to explain exactly why cannibalism has become the norm.
Pluribus continues to zig when I expect it to zag. Everyone who guessed a variation of “Soylent Green” about the milk carton contents is spot on, but the protein source is not the only twist. Much like Carol, I was surprised that Mr. Diabaté already knew the shocking nutrition secret. The John Cena casting is also unexpected, in part, because he isn’t a Vince Gilligan regular. However, he isn’t the first IRL public figure to make an appearance as a version of themselves. That title goes to Albuquerque’s Mayor Tim Keller (who is giving Aaron Eckhart vibes).
Fleshing out (excuse the pun) this world with real political and pop culture figures adds urgency to Carol’s plight by drawing a direct line between reality and this unique sci-fi scenario. Carol remains stuck in a nightmare where she has no allies: Seehorn’s expression when she finds out that the rest of the uninfected (aside from Manousos in Paraguay) regularly meet without her is a gut-punch. Carol is spiky, but she still has feelings.
Rather than send another video, Carol drives eight hours from Albuquerque to Las Vegas to alert Mr. Diabaté about the disturbing discovery. She can’t be sure whether any of her previous communications reached their intended recipients. Turns out they have, and the rest of the group haven’t got around to replying. Ouch!
Before Carol learns she is more of a social pariah than she even realized, it is Mr. Diabaté’s “Is this about them eating people?” that shocks her into silence. Instead of watching Carol’s Blair Witch Project-leaning camcorder footage, Mr. Diabaté hits play on a polished PSA.
“Hello, Carol. We’re John Cena, and we’re here to address some questions you may be having regarding our food supply,” says the collective while looking like a Hollywood star. It is engaging and easy to follow, doubling as an explainer for Carol and us. If only all TV shows could elegantly dump this much information so organically.
First, there is a reminder that the Others cannot kill, harm, or interfere with any form of life, severely limiting what they can consume. For example, they cannot pick an apple from a tree, but can eat the apple that has fallen to the ground.
With the population still around 7.5 billion, the limits are a significant problem. They are facing a caloric deficit, but one meat source is in huge supply: the dead. They got an early start with the nearly billion that died during the initial “joining” (and the 11 million caused by Carol’s outburst), coupled with the 100,000 who pass away daily from natural causes, illness, and accidents.
In an attempt to turn down the ick factor, Cena refers to the special ingredient as HDP (Human-derived protein). It will probably take more than an acronym and cute packaging to forget the people part. I bet Carol is thrilled she didn’t try the supply. She was afraid of wolves eating Helen’s (Miriam Shor) corpse, but at least she saved her great love from becoming part of the worst health drink on the market.
John Cena notes that they wouldn’t choose to consume HDP if they had options. His reassuring delivery conveys both regret and the necessity of this dietary requirement as if he were explaining veganism or being a pescatarian. Of course, this isn’t actually the John Cena, but everything about it is John Cena to Mr. Diabaté. I, too, can’t help but see the charming Blockers star (my favorite Cena performance), and I believe him when he says they cherish the memory and appreciate the sacrifice of those they are consuming. In a world where I would like to be a Carol, I realize that with the right celebrity, I would end up on the other side.
Proximity to Mr. Diabaté informs the Cena choice. As promised, Mr. Diabaté is living it up in Elvis Presley’s penthouse suite in the Westgate Resort and Casino. Until Carol’s arrival, Mr. Diabaté had been living out his high-roller fantasies with a dash of James Bond-manufactured danger. The previous week, he was hanging out with John Cena. While Cena was teaching Mr. Diabaté a sunset flip powerbomb, Mr. Diabaté asked out of curiosity why the Others drink so much milk. Given their inability to lie, the unfortunate truth came to light.
“I must say John Cena makes a fairly reasonable case. In French, he’s even more convincing,” says Mr. Diabaté. Carol points out that this is not John Cena. Or at least it’s John Cena plus 7 billion others. Some might call Carol a killjoy, but she is right. Seehorn’s exasperation bumps up against Schutte’s calm delivery, adding tension to these interactions.
While I am temporarily dazzled by the familiar face on the PSA, I snap back to reality when Mr. Diabaté reveals a darker predicament: Even with the HDP concoction, most of the world’s population will starve to death in 10 years.
It is during the information extravaganza that Carol learns the non-hivemind have all been meeting (usually on Zoom) without her; they want to find a way to save the Others from their awful fate. There is an answer: harvest. But they refuse to do that. Carol is not a monster for pointing out that they are choosing to starve.
In other scientific news, the Others have figured out how to turn the remaining individuals, but need explicit consent from each of them. Mr. Diabaté has already refused. Carol, unsurprisingly, follows suit. I doubt John Cena or any other celebrity could convince them to give up their freedom. For starters, the meal plan sucks.
