Read this Pluribus review to see if the episode “HDP” is worth watching.
About Pluribus
- Season 1, Episode 6: “HDP”
- Directed by Gandja Monteiro
- Written by Vera Blasi
- Synopsis: Carol shares a horrific discovery and learns new truths in the process. Mr. Diabaté lives life to the fullest in Sin City.
- Airdate: December 5, 2025
- Starring: Rhea Seehorn, Carlos-Manuel Vesga, John Cena, Samba Schutte, François Guétary, Soledad Campos, Anna Mhairi, Max Reeves, Olivia Rouyre, Jhordan Munn, Sharon Zhang, Joette Waters, Fedor Steer, and AC Larkin
If you want to avoid Pluribus spoilers, skip to the overall section at the end.
Warning: Spoilers for Pluribus Season 1 Episode 6 “HDP”
Recap Pluribus (2025): S1E06 – “HDP”
Following Carol Sturka’s (Rhea Seehorn) shocking reaction at the end of Episode 5, “HDP” continues from that cliffhanger. She exits the Agri-Jet warehouse, visibly shaken, and prepares to document her disturbing discovery. Then, she goes back in with a camera to document her shocking findings. Inside the frigid warehouse are hundreds of dismembered and shrink-wrapped human body parts. Furthermore, there’s also a door leading to a large mea. grinder and cooking vat. This isn’t a surprise if you’ve ever seen Soylent Green. But it’s still shocking nonetheless.
Upon returning home, Carol almost sends the video, but hesitates. Can she really trust the Others to deliver the message?
What Happens in Vegas: Carol and Diabaté
Consequently, she decides to drive to visit Koumba Diabaté (Samba Schutte), who lives luxuriously in a penthouse suite at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas. The suite, resembling a ’60s movie set, features period-clad women and Elvis impersonators. He’s enjoying a poker game reminiscent of Casino Royale, where he wins easily (and suspiciously). Even his opponent, a villain-like character, applauds him. Subsequently, after the game, he heads to the Jacuzzi, accompanied by his harem of beautiful women.
We don’t know how much autonomy the Others have or whether they can consent. However, when they realize she’s on the way, they abruptly leave Vegas, even abandoning Diabaté. Significantly, this suggests that the Others will enforce physical boundaries when Carol pressures them uncomfortably, as seen when Carol drugged Zosia for information. It’s unclear how long they will continue to distance themselves from Carol, but this scene marks their final appearance for the week, aside from indirect communication through digital signs.
Revealing the HDP Truth
When Carol arrives in Vegas, Diabaté offers her champagne, which she initially declines. On the plus side, he has been receiving her messages. On the other hand, he reveals that he knows the truth about their situation, having asked the Others directly. Diabaté possesses a video featuring John Cena (one of the greatest wrestlers/actors of all time). The Others made the video, in which they greet Carol and suggest she has questions about their food supply, thereby indicating that celebrities like the professional wrestler have been assimilated into the hive mind.
Specifically, because the infected refrain from killing, harming, or interfering with any life forms, including plants, their food choices are severely restricted. They cannot kill animals or harvest plants directly. Instead, they only consume fruit that has fallen naturally. Despite their reliance on this method and the availability of processed food, they face a “caloric deficit” with over 7 billion people to feed (7,348,292,411 to be exact). Therefore, to address this, they have turned to “Human Derived Protein” (HDP), which comes from the daily deaths of approximately 100,000 people from natural causes or accidents. Nevertheless, this practice is met with reluctance (“not that keen”) and is a last resort for survival.
Considering there are probably millions of animals dying every day, this doesn’t make much sense. But that’s the Joined for you.
The Immune and Exclusion
In addition, in this week’s episode, Diabaté reveals more about himself and his investigation into the Others. He learns about HDP by directly questioning Cena about their milk consumption. After taking Carol in for the night, he reveals that the Others have found a way to assimilate the immune. This process requires modifying a virus using an individual’s stem cells. However, this procedure involves invasive methods that contradict their principle of “Do No Harm,” meaning they cannot proceed without her consent. The romance writer promptly confirms Diabaté’s claim via a voicemail and states that she will not agree to the procedure.
It’s then that Carol gets an emotional gut punch. Diabaté reveals that the 11 immune survivors communicate closely with each other. They have a Zoom group and meet a few times a week. The group voted to exclude her, leading to her emotional reaction. Although he offers support, he declines further interaction. Her brusque nature has alienated her from both the Others and her fellow immune survivors. She’s truly alone in the world.
Furthermore, he also says that the Others are in danger of starving to death. He estimates they only have ten years to live, and the 11 are trying to come up with a solution. She suggests the real problem is the Hivemind and driving off, almost running over his foot.
Manousos Finds Hope
Meanwhile, four days ago in Paraguay, Manousos is scrolling through the radio to find a signal. He goes back to a confusing sound before receiving food (which he dumps on the floor again) and discovers the package from Carol containing a videotape. Even more astonishingly, he actually has a working VCR player. The video reveals there are 12 other survivors like him, that the Others do not lie, and that it is safe to venture outside.
Consequently, after learning this, he decides to leave his office for the first time in nine days and begins packing a bag. He collects various items, including food, clothing, a portable radio, paper maps of several countries, cash, gasoline, and a large knife or machete. In addition, he packs a yellow item with a photo of a man and woman and the text: “¡Aprende mientras conduces! Horizontes en Inglés. Sueños con Fluidez. Produced by Josué Carbono” (“Learn while you drive! Horizons in English. Dreams with Fluency.”).
Just before leaving, his chaperone (Soledad Campos) approaches Manousos, offering assistance. This part is in Spanish, but here’s the translation. “We’re happy to see you,” she says. “You must be hungry and confused. Can we answer any questions? Tell us, what can we do for you, son?” He glowers at her. “Don’t call me son,” he growls. “You’re not my mother. My mother’s a b—h!” Then he drives off in his old convertible into the night.
Overall: Watch Pluribus (2025): S1E06 – “HDP”
Watch the Pluribus episode “HDP” because Samba Schutte excels in his role. He plays a character that is charming yet enigmatic. I’d love to watch a show about his past. In the context of “HDP”, Carol believes she has found evidence to rally humanity against an invasion, positioning the narrative as a reflection on humanity’s importance amidst a unifying threat. The show explores themes surrounding AI and human value, featuring significant plot developments and a surprise cameo. However, this episode of Pluribus also suffers from extended moments of inactivity that dilute its effectiveness. It uses a subtle approach to storytelling, and when it works, it works. So, I’m giving this episode 4 out of 5 stars.
All episodes of Pluribus are available to stream on Apple TV+. New episodes of Pluribus drop every Friday.
Click the link to read our review of the previous episode, “Got Milk.“
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