The Rehearsal Recap: A Bit Convoluted

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Following the exhilarating peak of Nathan Fielder envisioning the perfect pilot premiere, by portraying “Sully” Sullenberger in recreated scenes from his memoir, it seemed that The Rehearsal could only descend, and these recent episodes have found the series in a somewhat quieter phase. Fielder has become fixated on acting and scripted performance as a potential means to encourage real-life pilots to let go of their reservations and honestly express themselves within the cockpit – an idea that, if successful, could potentially save lives. Tonight’s episode sees Fielder taking this concept to such an extreme that the absurdity seems to be part of the humor, leading him to attempt using autism awareness as a covert method to testify before Congress. After a real congressman labels his reasoning as “complicated,” their meeting turns into one of those classic Fielder moments where secondhand embarrassment leaves one feeling like one’s spirit has left the body. Fielder always prolongs these uncomfortable situations for as long as possible.

Similar to the previous season when the “Nathan” character increasingly took over rehearsals, Fielder tends to leave his fellow cast members and pilots in “Washington” aside, positioning himself awkwardly within the shot. Utilizing his connections with Warner Bros. Discovery, he discovers a lobbying division capable of connecting him with the congressional aviation subcommittee and its Louisiana chairman, Garret Graves. However, before making these connections, Fielder must practice his role as an authentic spokesperson for aviation safety – which involves constructing a new set, hiring actors to study committee members, filling the audience with performers tasked with reacting to testimonies as real people would. Initially, John Goglia, who was previously the head of the NTSB, gives off an “Oh dear, what have I signed up for?” impression. He’s unwittingly been maneuvered into a humorous disaster.

Despite the initial skepticism from the committee, Fielder found a way to make his message heard in an amusing manner. He examined the congressional testimonies of fellow entertainers to find a serious tone while still maintaining humor. For instance, when he faced doubts about his approach working, he humorously referenced a co-pilot’s friendly gesture towards his crush on the cheek rather than a kiss on the lips. The strategy that seemed to work best was starting with a joke to ease the tension and then transitioning to a more serious topic. This is why Seth Rogen began his testimony about Alzheimer’s by discussing marijuana legalization, or Stephen Colbert offered to include his colonoscopy video in the congressional records before addressing immigrant farm labor.

Fielder isn’t your typical comedian, and his forced attempt to start with a joke was painfully layered in multiple aspects. The joke itself was awkward, referencing public masturbation and a bus driver asking him to “get off,” followed by an unnatural punchline. Additionally, it seemed like Fielder, the director, was trying to manipulate the audience into appearing genuinely amused. Perhaps they found the joke truly awful or felt uncomfortable laughing. However, on a retake, they erupted in laughter insanely. Or maybe even that reaction was staged, as he said, “I don’t want anyone to fake laugh.” Instead, if their bodies naturally wanted to laugh, they should make the sound that would come out naturally. Clearly, we are witnessing the work of a skilled actor’s director.

One key theme that runs through the episode, and indeed The Rehearsal as a whole, is that it’s challenging to distinguish between genuine actions and acting, particularly in the highly contrived “reality” that Fielder constructs on the show. He can meticulously recreate a room that mirrors one where a congressional subcommittee on aviation would meet, employ actors to portray the panel and audience, and yet, create a rehearsal so ridiculously inauthentic that the entire event turns into a satire of his own insecurities, vanity, and clumsiness. “Every occasion I’ve had in public to express sincerity,” he muses in the narration, “I’ve turned into a complete joke.” These are the tears of a clown, or perhaps the feigned tears of a clown. Fielder thrives on blurring these lines.

In a less fortunate turn of events, when Rep. Graves declined a meeting, Fielder, desperate for an opportunity, attempted to insert himself into a subcommittee gathering by exploiting his accidental resemblance to neurodivergent individuals. Inspired by an essay from Sam Rosenberg at the Consequence of Sound regarding The Rehearsal’s resonance with his autism experience, Fielder became interested in the concept of “masking” – a term used to describe how autistic people learn to hide their anxiety or discomfort and blend into society as neurotypical individuals. This fascination led him to an autism support group that transformed his fake airport into a stage for autistic children to practice navigating challenging environments. Although this endeavor was acceptable up to a certain point, it eventually became a convoluted strategy to secure Fielder a meeting with Tennessee congressman Steve Cohen, who is both the Ranking Member of the aviation subcommittee and has links to autism awareness organizations. While the use of “Nathan’s Airport” as a banner for this photo-op may raise some questions about taste.

The gathering with Cohen was an expected disaster, much like a humorous and cringeworthy portrayal of Sacha Baron Cohen’s pranks on political figures during Da Ali G Show. Fielder suggests recreating the relationship between Captain Power and Jennifer Kisme in scripted scenes involving First Officer Blunt, a character who is outspoken, truthful to a fault, and not shy about taking control when needed, and Captain Allears, who thrives on feedback and isn’t afraid to admit mistakes. When Fielder pulls out a sample of such a script from his old school Jansport backpack, the congressman is eager to bring things to an end. With his unique ability to create awkward situations, Fielder prolongs the goodbye as painfully as he can.

As the final episode of this season approaches for “The Rehearsal”, it seems that Fielder’s planned journey to Washington D.C. has hit a snag, making an unexpected detour away from its intended course, much like veering off at Albuquerque instead. Given last year’s shocking finale, the upcoming hour-long season-ender could see Fielder acting unpredictably, perhaps even dangerously, as people’s lives hang in the balance.

Scene Work:

From time to time, we all face challenges that make it tough for us to live up to our ideal selves in every situation, and this is true even for pilots under the weight of social expectations.” Fielder’s works, while wrapped in layers of irony and meta-narrative, often carry a deep sense of authenticity and wisdom.

It’s definitely worth checking out the entire episode of Jimmy Kimmel featuring Fielder and Emma Stone, especially in light of their work on “The Curse“. When asked about his unusual hipster style, Fielder explains, “I’ve been here before and I’ve done other things, but this character is who I am right now.

1. Fielder, having found it challenging with the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test, admitted: “I finally grasped the essence of autism.” Essentially, this is correct.

2. Vancouver: A destination brimming with eagles, a constant breeze, and whales.

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2025-05-17 06:54