Molly DeCastro is a New York-based emerging film and entertainment journalist with a personal passion for poetic prose and impactful storytelling. She graduated from Pace University with a degree in English and a concentration in creative writing. While film analysis is at the heart of her work, she is especially interested in exploring cinema through an anthropological lens and in examining how creative themes reflect cultural identity. She aims to forge a deep connection between audiences and film through thoughtful and evocative writing.
She also enjoys keeping up with all things film! That means specializing in industry news, emerging directors, and stand-out projects.
The name Nathan Fielder is practically unavoidable at this point. He, his work, and his ability to turn any ordinary conversation into a hilariously awkward exchange are all being discussed thoroughly. Especially coming off the heels of his most recent hit, You Can See Everything, Fielder’s praises are being sung just about everywhere. What started it all for Nathan was The Rehearsal. The HBO series starring and directed by Fielder, in short, explores the lengths one will go to in order to avoid catastrophe. Nathan serves as a not-so-helpful hand in the critically acclaimed, fan-adored series.
Both Season 1 and 2 of the series share a similar DNA, in that they are equally unvarnished, high-concept, and a bit surreal. However, the second season pivots dramatically, shifting its structure, overall perspective, and emotional center point. Fielder took a chance and abandoned the previously established anthology-style format, and this time opted for a deeply focused, tunnel-vision narrative arc dedicated to one single idea: preventing aviation disasters.
Nathan Fielder Pushes the Boundaries of Reality TV in ‘The Rehearsal’
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Image via HBO</figure>
Honestly, the show feels closer to an anthropological social experiment than a kitschy reality show. The docucomedy expertly blends fiction and reality, taking real-life people into high-stakes simulated situations. The idea is simple: create a true catastrophe, and allow one to “rehearse” how they react to it. That being said, to achieve this ingenious simplicity, many things must go precisely right, especially in season 2, which required Fielder to become a licensed commercial pilot and included a full-size replica of the Houston airport terminal.
Fielder finds a way to blur the lines through his seemingly unlimited resources. The production utilizes construction crews, hidden cameras, flowcharts of possible conversational branches, and seemingly unlimited legions of hired actors to seamlessly blend average individuals into their perfectly orchestrated false reality. Think a modern-day Truman Show, except at times even more baffling. Now, upon first glance, this may seem inhumane. To justify these “experiments”, the series occasionally peaks inward toward Fielder himself. As it progresses, the premise frequently goes off the rails, spinning into Fielder’s own anxieties, control compulsions, and even the internal battle in creating this series at all.
The Surprising Emotional Resonance of ‘The Rehearsal’ Is What Makes This Series Perfect
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Image via HBO</figure>
Any good comedy needs to be grounded in something. The perfectly calculated blend of realism and surrealism allows for a glimpse at shockingly real human vulnerability, and thus is able to give the stomach-turning comedy a leg to stand on. The desire to rehearse real-life cataclysms, and in some way manufacture connection in doing so, is arguably a pretty vulnerable desire to explore on its own. Fielder and the surrounding cast not only admit to it, but dig into the tenderest part of it.
Episodes that center around that notion are sprinkled throughout the series. One that comes to mind is the Season1 finale, in which Nathan breaks character to comfort a young child actor who grew up without a father and confuses a parenting simulation for reality. This leads to an incredibly stirring scene where Fielder breaks the fourth wall and, essentially, the experiment itself, by reminding the actor it’s scripted, all just to comfort another human in need. Or later, funnily enough, in season 2, when, in the middle of a crisis, a fake pilot utilizes the fake airplane set to confront his real-life girlfriend about her alleged infidelity. In some way, boiled down, the show is a collection, or rather a mosaic, of humanity, with incredible gags and perfectly calculated moments of humor.
In summary, The Rehearsal is quite the ride. It somehow blends oxymoronic genres to create this whirlwind story in which audiences are truly left at the very edge of their seats. From its most comedic moments to its rather touching ones, it somehow hits every mark for every style it plays with. It’s an undoubted hit, with several near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores, including 95% for Season 1 and 98% for Season 2. The series is currently available on HBO.
The Rehearsal
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