Rhea Seehorn admits she had no clue about 'Better Call Saul' cameo in 'Pluribus' Episode 5: 'I just...'
The fact that 'Pluribus' on Apple TV+ is set against the familiar backdrop of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the same setting as Vince Gilligan's 'Breaking Bad' universe, isn't unknown to fans. And now, the fifth episode of Gilligan's sci-fi series treated fans, and Rhea Seehorn, to an unexpected 'Better Call Saul' cameo. "I'm pretty sure you could see me go, What?" Seehorn told TV Guide, recalling her experience while shooting the scene.
'Pluribus' Episode 5, titled 'Got Milk', saw Seehorn's Carol Sturka finally get what she wanted from the hive mind—to be left alone. However, it came with a twist. The episode opened with a shot of a blue curtain before the camera pulled back to show the desert scrub. A hive member was seen next, dressed as a patient, slurping on a milk carton, similar to the one Zosia struggled to open in the previous episode. Things at the hospital seemed peaceful after the crying incident Carol caused at the end of episode 4. As the episode progressed, she got a call from Laxmi (played by Menik Gooneratne), who complained about Carol forcing her son to cry. Before Carol could explain herself, Laxmi slammed the phone up on her.
As 'Pluribus' Episode 5 continued, Seehorn's Carol woke up from a nap to find the entire hospital empty; she soon discovered that the entire city had been evacuated. She picked up the phone and dialled 0, only to be directed to voicemail. "Our feelings for you haven't changed, Carol. But after everything that’s happened, we just need a little space," the collective explained in the recording, as per Deadline. While for an unfamiliar ear the voice might've sounded like an ordinary man, 'Better Call Saul' fans knew exactly who it was. Seehorn officially confirmed that the voice was none other than Patrick Fabian, known for his role as Howard Hamlin in the neo-noir legal crime drama series. The 'Pluribus' star also admitted that she, too, was taken by surprise during filming.
"They surprised me, I did not know about this. They were hoping to get some kind of blooper take from me, but I was so terrified to mess up a take, Not terrified, but I just didn't want to — because I knew it was a long take, too, the first time she hears it," Seehorn told TV Guide. "I don't know which take they actually use, but I think if you got one of those psychologists or psychiatrists that study micro facial muscle changes, I'm pretty sure you could see me go, What? Patrick? But then I tried to cover and play the scene. They called cut, and I started laughing and ran out and said, 'That's Patrick! You got Patrick!' And they said they'd been sitting on it for a long time, just to screw with me."
