The Rehearsal: Episode 1, Season 1

July 18, 2022 10:57 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

The new Nathan Fielder vehicle checks all my boxes for just enough surprises, weirdness, and laughs. It also seems very ambitious, I am curious to hear from others on this.. without doing any research, this just appears to be a very labour-intensive project in so many ways.

You can find more info via the IMDb page

posted by elkevelvet (12 comments total)

This 4-minute review is a pretty good summary of what to expect
posted by elkevelvet at 11:18 AM on July 18, 2022

"do you think you'll ever play a character who reads a book?" I'm late to the Nathan Fielder party, but very much a fan
posted by elkevelvet at 11:27 AM on July 18, 2022

I’m so embarrassed but I completely missed the reappearance of the stand-in for the ending and had to rewind to understand what happened. Wooof
posted by sixswitch at 12:03 PM on July 18, 2022 [2 favorites]

I spent a lot of time laughing and/or groaning.

I really wonder what the aftermath of this episode is. Nathan having an actor tell him he's a piece of shit, as the proper response for what he's done, doesn't make it okay.
posted by fleacircus at 12:03 PM on July 18, 2022

The first episode has a lot in common with the Finding Frances episode of Nathan for You. I enjoyed it a lot, though the humor just kind of oozes out of the absurdity rather than being the central vibe.
posted by snofoam at 12:04 PM on July 18, 2022

When I saw Saw, I was unimpressed because it was so far-fetched. How could Jigsaw set up such over-the-top, ridiculous tests for his victims? Who has the time or inclination for that sort of thing?

Nathan Fielder does. He'd be Jigsaw, except he has put his otherworldly, meticulous focus into good rather than evil. For some definition of "good."
posted by meese at 10:42 AM on July 19, 2022 [4 favorites]

That was just so bizarre, so audacious, and so messed up. It's hard to believe Kor went along with it all, let alone that he'd be happy to see himself in the final product. I can't wait to see the next episode. (I was so excited when I realized the actor playing Kor's stand-in was K. Todd Freeman, of Buffy and Lemony Snicket fame.)

Iva Dixit: "I respect Nathan Fielder’s commitment to blowing through HBO’s budget without a single dragon in sight."
posted by ejs at 7:21 PM on July 19, 2022 [3 favorites]

I don’t understand why Kor thought his friend would be upset and why he was so intimidated by her. But I appreciate this show’s attempt to reduce emotional discomfort and in the process creating lots more emotional discomfort.

Also those are the EASIEST trivia questions I’ve ever heard. I would absolutely crush that trivia league.
posted by jeoc at 8:36 AM on July 27, 2022 [3 favorites]

I can’t look directly at the tv while watching a Nathan Fielder show. At best, I watch from the corner of my eye. And yet—or, rather, because of this—I think the man is a stone cold genius.

(Do I have qualms about the exploitative nature of his comedy? Yes, yes I do. I think the Wonka comparison works.)
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 6:53 PM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

Yeah, those trivia questions were weak.
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 6:54 PM on July 29, 2022

I don't think this quite captures how crappy Alligator Lounge is.
posted by geoff. at 12:23 AM on July 30, 2022 [3 favorites]

This was uncomfortable AF and I probably won’t watch any more, but the montage of him slumdog millionaire-ing the trivia answers was soooo delightful!
posted by exceptinsects at 10:00 PM on October 6, 2022