The Rehearsal

If you love Nathan for You, then you'll love this. It's nearly the same in terms of vibe and layout, just with a new way to "help" strangers. He's once again proven he's a force to be reckoned with in comedy. Ignore the low ratings... If you get it, you get it. And those people clearly don't.

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.

It's self-help reality show satire. Idk how else to put it. If you don't get it, then sorry. His situational comedy hits a little too close to home for some. But for those who have the humility to appreciate the awkwardness of the human condition, then you appreciate just how absurd this show gets. It's comedic inception, I started the show chuckling, and by episode 4 I was in tears. Layers upon layers of absurdity. This show has the perfect guy (and apparently the budget) to do it.

A lot of reality shows do the same thing Nathan does in this show. But they polish it up to make it seem like interactions are flawless, use actors to stage nearly everything, and all works out perfectly in the end. This show just exploits that aspect of those reality tv shows. His mindset is (believe it or not) not too far from a regular reality television producer. Nathan just has a little more of a nihilistic approach. I love it.

I've long been a fan of Nathan Fielder (from both Nathan For You and from How To With John Wilson), so one night, I popped The Rehearsal on and could not believe what I was seeing.

So, I stopped watching and decided to watch it with some friends and family. And, predictably, they fell in love with the show. You may not love the Rehearsal (at first), you may find it quirky and odd, but you will be unable to look away. This is easily one of the most unique and innovative shows I have ever seen. Fielder is an absolute master and just when you think you know where the season is going, it takes so many different turns.

By the end, The Rehearsal goes from a fun social experiment to a profound, contemplative, and deeply human experience. It's a show that questions identity, relationships, our attempts at controlling the world...yeah, just watch it. It's amazing.

Everything about this show is amazing. It's an absolute masterpiece.

The show is about giving people the ability to rehearse an important event in their life. They go through incredible lengths to make sure everything is perfectly accurate. That part is impressive, but it's not really the best part of the show.

Somehow, the makers have an incredible ability to highlight the subtle things that make life complicated, fascinating, weird, and most importantly, human.

The Rehearsal is an emotional rollercoaster that everyone should experience.