The Rehearsal

I usually wait until the entire season is over before giving a rating. With that said, this show is so funny I couldn't wait. The Rehearsal continues the Nathan Fielder brand of elaborate schemes, awkward interactions, and overall funny situations that he built with Nathan For You. If you loved Nathan for you, you will love The Rehearsal .

Fantastic show. So unique and creative! Nothing like this out there! Must watch. I can't even begin to fathom the mind that came up with the idea for this series, but I would certainly love to pick his brain.

I know I'm probably the millionth person to say this but this is the most Charlie Kaufman-esque show I have ever seen in my life. The show is really introspective. Reminded so much of Synechdoche, New York, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich and even other films like Eternal Sunshine and I'm Thinking of Ending things. Especially when it came to the idea of a character viewing themselves through the eyes of another person or trying to view experience in that way. It's something that Charlie Kaufman loves exploring and I loved seeing Nathan Fielder's take on it.

This show has value as a cautionary tale. Nobody should live like this!

This is exactly the wrong way of engaging with life; trying to control and micro-manage every possibility is based on fear and a lack of developed connection with one's instinct. People have instincts, and they can tell that something isn't real.

I knew a guy who approached women in this way, hyper-studying the object of his obsession and planning flow charts of possible actions and reactions. It sort of worked for a while, but fairly soon, she reacted like a trapped animal. It was insanely frustrating for me to hear about this. "No, no, no! Don't DO that. That's NOT how you interact with people. (What the hell is wrong with you??)"

You have a soul. Souls are like surfboards. Trying to freeze everything to get it right is like trying to reduce yourself to a reaction machine. It's like trying to cheat god. It cannot last.

HOWEVER...

The point of this show is not to attempt success through the method of hyper-control.

The point is to demonstrate the futility of trying to control god, and through the exercise, stealth-grow the subject's confidence in dealing with random events.

This is the most creative, unique, and original show I have watched in many years.. Maybe ever! I loved Nathan For You (NFY) and I knew this show would be good as well. However, while NFY is a comedy show in essence, The Rehearsal is mostly a social experience that is so special and authentic.

I will not spoil anything, but I will comment on one scene in Episode 4. When Adam is taken by the ambulance after overdosing, the paramedics are listing his current symptoms, vital signs, and possible drugs he is on, and being a physician I was impressed by the accuracy and amount of work that went into a 5-second scene. This is a simple example of the attention to details and the amount of effort put into this amazing show.