I tried The Rehearsal because I enjoyed the other recommendations on a “Best TV Shows of 2025” list.  The summary didn’t say much beyond, “the less you know, the better”, and that’s probably right.

Nathan Fielder creates and produces TV shows with a unique style.  Fielder is an alien, human replicant or a person lacking the charisma portion of his brain.  His TV shows are an exploration of specifically what he is lacking that other people have, and an attempt to develop that attribute.

The first episode addresses a serious issue in aviation.  A frequent contributor to aviation disasters is the inability of the copilot to challenge the captain when the flight starts going wrong.  Fielder explores the reluctance of a copilot to have a frank and uncomfortable confrontation.

HBO lavishly funded this TV show, so Fielder could go to extraordinary lengths to investigate his questions.  Dozens of captains and copilots are recruited from commercial airlines to participate in his investigation.  An elaborate simulator is built so the flight crew can be observed in various scenarios.  A replica of the Houston airport terminal was built to model the interaction between captain and copilot prior to a flight.

In 2009, Captain ‘Sully’ Sullenberger performed an emergency ditching of his Airbus A320 in the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers.  Fielder’s premise is that if he can replicate Sully’s formative experiences, as described in his memoir, Highest Duty:  My Search for What Really Matters,  Fielder may develop some heroic attributes.

Fielder’s investigations have a Cargo Cult feel to them.  It’s worth reading Richard Feynman’s Cargo Cult speech, but in short, it’s about replicating something complex, without understanding the fundamental principles. 

For instance, if a prominent business man wanted to become president, the business man gets his hair styled like President Trump, takes golf lessons and starts generating ‘sick burn’ memes. 

[NOTE:  Whether you love or hate Trump, you have to know that hair, golf and memes didn’t get him where he is.  Trump is just an example with which everyone is familiar.]

It seems like Fielder used actual captains and copilots for his investigation, and hired actors to play roles to generate scenarios.  I found the unscripted manipulation of real people to be uncomfortable.  I cringed out during the fourth episode.  Nathan Fielder is not for me.

The Rehearsal is well-funded and produced, and is a good introduction to Fielder’s work.  You may be an alien, human replicant or be missing some critical aspect of emotional development.  In my experience, that isn’t always apparent.  Many people enjoy Fielder’s work.

The Rehearsal can be watched on HBO Max and Amazon Prime.