Did Pluribus actually cast the real Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller in episode 4?

Vince Gilligan created Pluribus which is a science fiction series that premiered on Apple TV+ on November 7, 2025. The show is set in a near-future Albuquerque, New Mexico, where an extraterrestrial signal triggers a global happiness epidemic.

The title stylized as PLUR1BUS, nods to the Latin phrase "e pluribus unum" meaning "out of many, one". Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol Sturka - a romance novelist immune to the Joining. As one of the few holdouts, Carol resists assimilation while grappling with isolation and the hive mind's persistent efforts to bring her in. 

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller did appear in episode 4 titled “Please, Carol”. He plays a hive minded volunteer in a brief cameo, credited as Mayor Tim. Keller is a Democrat born in Albuquerque and has served as the city's 30th mayor since 2017. Before that, he was New Mexico state auditor from 2015 to 2017 and a U.S. senator from 2009 to 2015.

Gilligan wrote and directed the first two episodes with additional writers like Gordon Smith and Alison Tatlock. The cast includes Karolina Wydra as Zosia, Carlos-Manuel Vesga as Manousos Oviedo, Miriam Shor as Helen L. Umstead. Samba Schutte as Koumba Diabaté, and Peter Bergman as Davis Taffler. 

While set apart from the Breaking Bad universe, the series retains Gilligan's tense pacing, dark humor and deep ties to Albuquerque locations.

Pluribus features the cameo of Mayor Tim Keller: Details from episode 4

Episode 4 titled "Please, Carol" aired on November 21, 2025 is written by Alison Tatlock and directed by Zetna Fuentes. It shifts into a thriller-like caper as Carol tests the Joined's enforced honesty. 

The episode opens about a week after the events in episode 3 with Carol leaving the hospital after a chaotic incident. A flashback shows Manousos, rejecting hive-mind aid while scavenging for supplies before taking Carol's call.

Back in the present, Carol returns home to find her house wrecked by a grenade explosion from the prior episode's failed resistance op. Debris litters the floors, furniture is splintered and walls are scarred. Expecting disorder, she instead encounters a group of Joined volunteers who arrive unannounced. 

They begin cleaning and repairing in eerie unison, their movements synchronized like a well-oiled machine. No words are exchanged among them as they simply act as extensions of the collective, vacuuming shards and patching holes with quiet efficiency.

Carol spots one volunteer scrubbing her porch. His face registers as familiar amid the methodical work. She approaches and asks -

 "Do I know you?" Recognition dawns: "You're the f***ing mayor." 

The man, Tim Keller, pauses and delivers a serene line -

"Thank you for your vote." 

In the show's dystopia, his mayoral authority means nothing as he's reduced to basic labor, his personality subsumed by the hive. The exchange underscores the series's core irony - a leader stripped of power in a society that enforces equality through erasure.

Online reaction and impact on Albuquerque:

Social media exploded after the episode dropped. On X one user shared:

"That's the actual mayor of Albuquerque lmaoooo,"

People replied to it saying-

"Is it really? What a cool dude to do that cameo. His constituents won't forget."

Another added-

"As an albuquerque resident, I laughed so f**king hard 😭😂"

For Albuquerque, it reinforces Breaking Bad's legacy. The tourist sites like the Walter White house draw crowds, sustaining jobs and pride. The cameo spotlights Gilligan's role in the city's Hollywood glow-up, with productions creating ongoing economic ties.

Pluribus streams exclusively on Apple TV+. New episodes will release on Fridays through December 26, 2025 for the nine-episode season. 

Stay tuned for more such updates!