‘The Rehearsal’: Nathan Fielder Unveils Bizarre Plan to Prevent Plane Crashes in Season 2 Premiere

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ATTENTION: The following narrative includes plot points from the premiere episode of Season 2 in the series “The Rehearsal,” currently available for streaming on Max.

In the cockpit of an aircraft, on the verge of landing, two pilots engage in underhanded disagreements. The plane encounters a problem, and the interaction between these two men, who can’t seem to find common ground regarding the landing procedure, is even more challenging. The co-pilot voices his discomfort by saying, “I’m not comfortable with this,” but he’s hesitant to seize control. Unfortunately, the plane descends sharply into a field and detonates in a catastrophic explosion, resembling a fiery crash on a 180-degree LED screen. However, this is just another simulation, with Nathan Fielder positioned mere feet away from the windshield, engulfed by the flames of the screen.

In the first season of “The Rehearsal,” Fielder assisted individuals in overcoming personal hurdles such as admitting a lie or raising a child, by immersing them in intricate reenactments of everyday situations. For the second season of this HBO exploration, the stand-up comedian ups the ante, aiming to tackle the life-threatening conundrum of airplane crashes.

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In Season 1 of “The Rehearsal,” Fielder guided people through personal difficulties like confessing a lie or raising a child by setting them in detailed reenactments of everyday scenes. For Season 2 on HBO, the comedian takes things up a notch, aiming to resolve the critical predicament surrounding aviation disasters.

The performances kick off by depicting authentic plane accidents as seen through the eyes of the pilots. Actors speak dialogue taken directly from the original communications exchanged between captain and co-pilot, just prior to a fatal crash. Every recreation concludes with a burst of virtual flames.

Fielder explains to ex-National Transportation Safety Board member John Goglia that the captain has taken a course of action, yet the first officer recognizes its flawed nature, nonetheless lacks the power to voice his concerns. “It appears,” Fielder says, “that this situation might be the primary cause behind aviation accidents throughout history and remains unresolved.

Originally, Goglia’s proposal for role-playing exercises to enhance pilot communication was rejected by the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, with financial backing from HBO, Fielder intends to realize Goglia’s concept. However, there’s a challenge: He committed to providing HBO with a comedic series, but plane crashes are not humorous.

To kick off his project aimed at transforming aviation safety, Fielder selects a first officer named Moody, who works for a United Airlines subsidiary. Fielder spends time observing Moody’s regular activities – even going as far as to sit on the toilet while Moody brushes his teeth and eavesdropping on an uncomfortable phone call with his girlfriend.

Fielder initiates a safety revolution in aviation by picking Moody, a first officer from United Airlines’ subsidiary, as his test subject. Fielder watches Moody perform his daily tasks up close – even finding himself seated on the toilet while Moody brushes his teeth and listening in on a phone call with his girlfriend that seemed a bit awkward.

I, Fielder, often find myself pondering about Moody’s unique dilemma. You see, he resides a few hours away from his beloved girlfriend who works at Starbucks as a barista. Their encounters aren’t frequent due to their distance. Despite his aspirations to move in together and start a family, there exists within him an unfounded worry that she might develop feelings for one of her customers and end our relationship. Intrigued by my curiosity, I ask Moody why he hasn’t discussed this fear with his girlfriend. With a casual shrug, he simply replies, “If it’s destined to occur, it will.

In other words, Moody is a co-pilot in his own life.

building a replica of Moody’s home airport populated with numerous actors portraying travelers, airport staff, and pilots. In this simulated pilot lounge, Fielder watches the interaction (or lack thereof) between Moody and his captain, who is portrayed by an actor. They sit just a few seats apart but fail to exchange any words. Moody explains that this is common practice, as the two pilots usually meet once inside the cockpit.

As a movie enthusiast, I often find it challenging to express myself, even with those closest to me. This time, I attended an “intervention” training, a necessary step by the FAA for co-pilots to voice their discomfort. However, what this training lacked was an emotional bond. Perhaps, the solutions I yearned for weren’t hiding in Moody’s airport; they were nestled deep within Moody’s heart.

Instead of indirectly expressing it, he takes Moody’s girlfriend to a pretend airport and straightforwardly reveals his thoughts on emotions in relationships: “I’ve noticed that the relationships which ignored discussing true feelings ended up having the toughest crashes.

I, Fielder, find Moody’s reluctance to express his worries to his girlfriend reflective of a broader, potentially life-threatening issue in aviation: co-pilots not challenging their captains during flight. In an attempt to illustrate this point, I stage a mock flight scenario. I dress Moody’s girlfriend in a pilot uniform and have her sit in the captain’s seat. Before we begin the simulation, I instruct Moody that he should take control whenever his concerns are disregarded. “Perhaps,” I suggest, “the FAA hasn’t considered this before: using the emotions from pilots’ personal relationships as a tool for training them for the cockpit.

During their flight, Moody brings up the subject of possible admirers at Starbcks, mentioning a man named Angel who frequently visits and gives her gifts. He asks if she’s often approached romantically at work, to which she replies casually in the affirmative. When he suggests that Angel is trying to take his girlfriend, she denies it, saying the flowers he gave her were just a friendly gesture. The conversation between them is uncomfortable, with Moody expressing jealousy and she dismissing his assumptions.

Following some difficult moments, the simulation comes to an end. However, did Moody successfully land the metaphorical aircraft? “That was a wonderful discussion,” he tells Fielder, but his girlfriend’s expression suggests otherwise. In a tense dialogue outside the plane, the young couple fail to smile for the cameras. There seems to be a rift in their relationship. Brace yourselves: there’s more upheaval to come.

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2025-04-21 06:48