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Charles Holmes
Foreign.
Jody Walker
Welcome to the Prestige TV podcast, AKA the Wings of Voice of TV recaps.
Charles Holmes
I'm Charles Holmes of the Midnight Boys. She's Jody Walker of We're Obsessed. And while Nathan Fielder might have been erased by the Paramount Corporation, we have not. That's right.
Jody Walker
We're back to talk about the second episode of the rehearsal season. But before we do that, Jodie, let me know everything. How are you doing? How's the rehearsals in your life going?
Justin Sales
Oh, Charles, everything is going great. I'm just so glad that you saw the star potential in me to bring me on as your co host today. And it's why I've prepared my very special rendition of Amazing Grace, which I will sing for you now. Ooh, they cut the audio, but it was gorgeous.
Charles Holmes
We had to cut that audio because.
Jody Walker
Honestly, I'm signing you to Prestige TV Records. All right? We can't let that get out until we have a marketing.
Charles Holmes
A marketing budget behind it.
Jody Walker
Working it.
Charles Holmes
And I'll be real.
Jody Walker
You want to know who is on this zoom? Who has heard my beautiful voice before at karaoke?
Charles Holmes
Justin Sales and I were at karaoke two weeks ago, killing it. You know what? I had a whole two weeks ago. Yeah, I had. I had sex. I started with sexy back. We did a little Sierra one, two step, and then I had to, like, bless everybody with some Neo. So sick. I did almost start crying. You know, it's been. Being single on these LA streets has been tough, and I did shed a tear. I was like, why did I just.
Justin Sales
But if one thing can cure you. So, yes, it is karaoke.
Charles Holmes
You would make it way farther in Wings of Voice than I would. You would have been passed.
Jody Walker
I would have died. It was.
Charles Holmes
Justin says in the chat it was beautiful. Thank you, Justin.
Justin Sales
Justin, you know, notably requiring some training and confrontation and rejection, says that it was beautiful.
Charles Holmes
Hell, yeah. Well, before we get to that, guess what, Jody?
Jody Walker
We have some mail from our listeners.
Charles Holmes
Can I.
Jody Walker
Can I read this great email that we got?
Justin Sales
Please do.
Jody Walker
All right.
Charles Holmes
Shout out Michael Baker. Quote, he said, I don't know what you guys did with Joe and Rob, but please don't hurt them. First of all, do we look like kill. Like killers, Sadistic murderers? What did he think that we did with Joan Rob? We love Joan Rob.
Justin Sales
All we did was put them in one small room and try to suck out some of their podcasting talent and take it on as our own. We have been conducting a series of rehearsals with them so that we can learn from their greatness. Is that so bad?
Jody Walker
We are the rehearsal versions of Joe and Rob.
Charles Holmes
But if you are the real versions.
Justin Sales
We'Re like those weird holographic severance versions.
Charles Holmes
Of Joe and Rob just stuck in the room. You're Joe. Wait, no, I'm Joe. You're robbed.
Justin Sales
That's right.
Jody Walker
Our. Our friend Michael Baker, he said, bri, where the idea came from, there was a chapter around this very thing in the Malcolm Gladwell book Outliers about 20 years ago. If I had to guess, I'd say that's where the idea came from. And Michael might be onto something because.
Charles Holmes
I did some googling.
Jody Walker
I did not read the chapter of the book because it's just been a.
Charles Holmes
Very busy week in my life and my brain is not working. But I was just like, oh, Michael, let me see. And chapter seven of Gladwell's 2000, 2008.
Jody Walker
Book is indeed all about airplanes and the various ways faulty communication between pilots, dispatchers, and the like can lead to horrible accidents. So my question is for you, Jody. If you're Nathan Fielder, are you afraid that, like, Gladwell might step to you and be like, hey, yo, this was my block. You're stealing ideas. Fuck this, let's fight.
Justin Sales
I mean, I think most art is an exchange of ideas, and this is definitely an experience. Expansion on Chapter 7 of Outliers, which mostly focuses on. I don't know if you saw this in your research, but mostly focuses on a specific Korean Airlines crash, which was mostly due to poor communication or the inability for the co pilot to assert themselves to the captain. But what's interesting is a lot of what Malcolm Gladwell came down to in that chapter is that this was sort of a cultural issue about confrontation and the ability to confront a superior, tell them they're wrong, and. And does ultimately assess that.
Charles Holmes
That.
Justin Sales
That this. The solution to this could be practice. But I think if Malcolm Gladwell were going to step to Nathan Fielder, he would have a larger case, which is that the. A lot of what that book Outliers is about is the 10,000 hour rule, which is that, you know, if you practice anything enough, you can become a master of it, which is kind of also the concept of the rehearsal. If you rehearse something enough, you know, we're not rehearsing trivia for 10,000 hours. But the idea is that if you practice something enough, you can master it. What I think is really interesting so far in season two is that while in season one, to the extent that it went off without a hitch before everything got kind of crazy out there in the woods, it was about mastering scenarios so that you could kind of expect every twist and turn. Season two so far is sort of about mastering emotionality and behavior, which is a lot more difficult of a thing to tame. But once I get. Once again, I say, I think I said this last week is also just kind of therapy. Like, what Nathan Fielder is doing is just sort of behavioral therapy in the most absurdly comedic way possible.
Charles Holmes
I mean, the other thing, if we're.
Jody Walker
If we're continuing on the outliers of it all, I feel like this episode was also interesting in that I'm like, oh, Fielder has put in 10,000 hours of doing this type of comedy.
Charles Holmes
And I think this episode in general is like the Russian nesting doll, where it's like he goes all the way back to Nathan for you. And it's like it's the Fielder cinematic universe, where it's like, we have a little bit of Nathan for you. We have some of the curse. We have previous seasons of the rehearsal, and I'm just like, we have Canadian.
Justin Sales
Idol, which we didn't even know was in the Fielder universe, but now it is.
Charles Holmes
And that brings me to.
Jody Walker
We didn't do this last week, or we did it a little bit, but this episode especially, there's a lot going on. So if you don't mind, can I. Can I start with a plot kind of synopsis, a little bit about everything that happens, and then we'll get into the episode.
Justin Sales
Cool. Please, Charles, help the people out.
Charles Holmes
All right, so episode two is directed.
Jody Walker
By Fielder, written by Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Loch Norton, and Eric Nader.
Charles Holmes
Nicola.
Jody Walker
Sorry if I butchered your name.
Charles Holmes
Nathan creates a fake aviation theme music show called Wings of Voice.
Jody Walker
This show is based off Canadian Idol, a spin off of American Idol, a.
Charles Holmes
Show where Nathan Fielder got his break.
Jody Walker
As a young producer who was basically telling people that they are not good enough to be on Canadian Idols. The reason for creating Wings of Voice? Nathan wants to put his collection of first officers in a scenario where they have to put bad singers down gently. From there, the episode spins out, and we learn that Nathan is upset that an episode of his Comedy Central show was removed from Paramount. Plus this episode in question, season three, episode two, Horseback Riding Man Zone. Why was the episode remove us? According to Nathan, quote, In late 2023, a decision was made by Paramount Plus Germany to remove the episode in the region after they became uncomfortable with what.
Charles Holmes
They called anything that touches upon anti.
Jody Walker
Semitism in the aftermath of the Israel Hamas attacks. Through a series of recreations, Nathan confronts the fake head of Paramount Germany in order to get the episode reinstated on the streamer. With that done, please give me your initial reactions to episode two this season.
Justin Sales
It is unbelievable. I think two things are happening in this episode. It is. Nathan Fielder is at the height, I think, of his absurdist comedy of being able to say something in a monotone voice that just absolutely rips you apart. When he says that, you know, he's bringing in the co pilots to be judges for a fake singing competition show in order to, he says, I hope talking about their, their ability to be confrontational. I hoped this could be revealed in an aviation themed singing competition. Just ain't, ain't that just the gist? I mean, the, the. The season like started at such an absurd level, much more so than season one and it's just getting wilder. I will say about this episode, there was a lot going on and there were a lot of themes to connect. And I think for me individually, the basically three things happening here. One, Wings of Love, the singing competition. Two, singling out our, our sort of two participant main characters, Jeff, who we'll get to, and Meredith and then, and then of course going to Paramount plus Germany. All perfect. Like, they're so funny each, each one. But they're, they almost felt like vignettes. And while the exposition is there to connect them, they were a little disparate for me. My feeling is that in the totality of the season, they will feel all more connected. I don't think that any of these things exist in a vacuum. And there is something already two episodes into this season that feels like we are painting a big, big picture. And at times when those puzzle pieces are going into place, they don't look like they'll fit, but I think in the end they will.
Jody Walker
No, I actually agree with you so much because I love this episode. I thought it was funny, but there were moments where I feel like we're getting out of a zone where the last two things that Nathan Fielder has done, the Curse and the first season of the Rehearsal, felt way more to me contained and honed and just very specific. Like the Curse is a perfect example of a show that I had a lot of difficulty week to week.
Charles Holmes
There was funny moments, There was moments like what's happening? And by the time you get to the end punchline, you're like, this is genius. And with the first season of the Rehearsal, it felt very much like Fielder.
Jody Walker
Was tapping into something that maybe was a little bit more artistic, a little bit more thought through. And this episode, almost weirdly and probably on purpose Reminded me of watching Nathan for your.
Charles Holmes
Where that show is broken up into a bunch of different bits. And, like, some of them are really, really funny. Some of them don't work as well. And for this, I was just like, oh, this reminds me of a Nathan for your episode where he's trying to string together all of the vignettes. He's trying to string all of them and have a thematic backbone to them. And I'm like, I don't know if they. If that is actually there, but it was still really, like, it was so funny. I almost didn't care as much by the end of the episode.
Justin Sales
And I also think I trust it. Yeah. Like, I don't totally care because I'm laughing and it's funny, and it's so big. Like, it's so big and crazy what he is doing in this episode and on this show in general. But what's exciting is that we get to look forward to how this might continue, because I do think I started feeling like, wow, this is kind of all over the place about the time that we arrived in fake Germany.
Charles Holmes
Yes.
Justin Sales
Um, but then by the end of that vignette, when the actor is basically confronting him about what he feels is a false sincerity, I was like, oh, yeah. Everything we're doing here is about what quantifies and qualifies sincerity within this episode, within these people, within rejection, within confrontation. And then what is sincere about Nathan, the character? What is sincere about Nathan Fielder and what he's presenting to us. And does sincerity even matter? Is what it felt like Nathan was taking on by the end of the episode. And what I assume we will continue to follow as he continues to try to figure out aviation safety.
Charles Holmes
No, I. I could not agree.
Justin Sales
That pulls it all together.
Charles Holmes
I could not agree more. This. I had a similar feeling of, like, when I thought the episode was a. Completely. Completely went off the rails when they.
Jody Walker
When he recreates the fake Paramount.
Charles Holmes
Paramount plus Germany. And. But then when he sits down and he has this very, like, impassioned speech about, like, art and what art means and censorship, and then the fake CEO has another speech where he's calling him out on his bullshit, and I'm like, wait, what's happening? I'm like, is this genius? And then they end on the punchline of Nathan looking out the window and seeing all the soldiers, and I'm just like, please don't tell me these are Nazi soldiers that are supposed to be working at Paramount. And then you see their little.
Justin Sales
They were Paramount plus soldiers.
Charles Holmes
Yeah. When they had the little Paramount plus band on with the little logo. I was just like, okay, it's back to being funny. Like, this is all back to being so funny. So locked in and. But the thing I kind of wanted to talk to you about is what.
Jody Walker
Does this episode have to say about Nathan?
Charles Holmes
Because the more and more I watch.
Jody Walker
Like, this kind of era of Nathan.
Charles Holmes
Fielder, it seems like he is trying.
Jody Walker
To figure out what his Persona is.
Charles Holmes
And poke at it and try to reveal something about himself and how not only he's perceived as a performer, but what is that boundary between Nathan Fielder the comedian and Nathan Fielder the human? Because I think he, like, he knows that there is something discomforting about him and the way he talks and the tempo of his humor, and he's always leaning into that.
Jody Walker
And I'm like, what does he actually.
Charles Holmes
Think about the Nathan Fielder project?
Justin Sales
I mean, I think that. I really do think that he's a genius and that he has. Like you said, he's done his 10,000 hours of this kind of content. And I think. I think he does it because he likes it. But what it does feel like is he is showing us the absolute mastery of it. Because I think in this episode especially, he really takes what. Who could be naysayers down this road of, well, what does sincerity mean for you? Because I think that probably the largest criticism against him as a comedian, as an end, as an artist, is that he takes advantage of the awkwardness or the sincerity of these real people that he puts on his shows and that he. And that he makes him look foolish and that he doesn't. He's not very. He's not careful with their humanity. And that at the worst, that he is encouraging audiences to laugh at them because they're not laughing. Like, the thing that makes it funny always is that these people don't know that what is happening to them or around them is hilarious. And that could seem inhuman. I think if we believe that Nathan has a ma. That Nathan Fielder has a mastery over it, then we can believe that he is being careful, that these people are cared for in some way that he does care for them. And. And I think that we really, for me, see his mastery of that. You were talking about that. Like, it really starts. Like, it. It feels to. Like it's going off the rails. And then you see the Paramount plus Soldiers, and you're like, what the fuck is going on? But then it all circles back to the Wings of Love competition. Nathan Fielder, or Nathan goes back in, pours his heart out to this child, this child that he is rejecting, gives her this beautiful speech. We see a completely different Nathan than you've ever seen on the rehearsal. An earnest, kind, not monotone, smiling, seemingly sincere Nathan. And then what does it all end with him looking at the score and then deciding to make it whatever he wants it to be? He turns the six into a nine. What does sincerity matter as long as the final product makes you laugh, makes you feel better, makes you feel something. I think. I think his ability to just, like, never. Never let you, like, settle into an idea, you know, like, never let you make up your mind, kind of what's going on here is the goal. I think that's what he's doing.
Charles Holmes
And I think also what this episode.
Jody Walker
Revealed to me and why, by the.
Charles Holmes
End of it, I appreciated the journey, is that I think it's very intentional that he starts as him as a junior producer on Canadian Idol, because what I realized, I was like, oh, if.
Jody Walker
You think about the big things that Nathan Fielder has done, if you think about kind of his filmography, all of it, in some ways, is like this loving ode to reality television.
Charles Holmes
I think it's, like, easy, especially for.
Jody Walker
Men to be so dismissive of reality.
Charles Holmes
Television, to feel that there's no art to it, that there's nothing to be said about it. And I think with Nathan, I'm like, oh, I think you're a genius, actually, at reality television. You started your journey on this competition show. You saw everything that happened behind the scenes that we don't ever get to see. Then you. You're in front of the camera for something like Nathan for you. And now you're the person who's building the artifice. And even when you watch the curse, you're just like, this guy loves HGTV so much.
Jody Walker
He knows the ticks of it.
Charles Holmes
He knows what makes it awkward, what makes it uplifting. And with this episode, I'm like, this is almost to your point. A guy being like, can there be.
Jody Walker
Anything like sincerity in something in an.
Charles Holmes
Age where it's like every singer who.
Jody Walker
Went on that show wanted to be.
Charles Holmes
Seen whether they made it to the actual end round and they won the. They're not even competing for anything like money. They just want to be on tv. And I do think that there is a level of, like, Nathan kind of pointing out if that is your ultimate goal.
Jody Walker
Even when someone is super sincere to.
Charles Holmes
You, When Nathan has that speech in front of that. That girl, he's given all this advice first. I was just like, this seems very practiced.
Jody Walker
I don't even Know, if this is sincere.
Charles Holmes
That girl is, like, shaking her head. She still gives him a six, though, because, like, at the end of the day, I want to be a singer. I want to be on this show.
Justin Sales
You told me no, and you're stopping me.
Charles Holmes
And I was like, oh, that's. There's something so dark and comedic, but also true about it.
Justin Sales
Oh, Charles, let me tell you what. If those are themes you're interested in, you're going to like reality tv. As a studier, myself, as a bit of an anthropologist of reality tv, I always say that reality TV is the sports of human behavior. And in reality TV stars, we are seeing elite athletes, people capable of performing at the top, abilities of human behavior spectrums you didn't even know existed. But I think, like you say, what Nathan Fielder knows is that editors and producers are the artists of human behavior. That's who's creating really good reality tv. You have to have the performers, but you also have the. You must have the people who shape it into something interesting. And so you're right. Like, what he is really doing here is just putting the producer in front of the camera. But then that's a performance, too. But you're seeing him produce the dark, funny thing that he's making, and you're seeing how it affects him, too. And then, you know, presumably in years to come, the camera will just keep moving back and back and back. Showing him in an editing bay, showing him, you know, pitching Paramount, plus, like, just going back and back and back on this process.
Charles Holmes
I mean, and I think the genius thing that I was realizing, too, about.
Jody Walker
This episode is that you are kind.
Charles Holmes
Of comparing a lot of the rehearsal.
Jody Walker
To almost like psychotherapy or going to therapy.
Charles Holmes
And it's Nathan Fielder is making literal that feeling that I feel like all of us have.
Jody Walker
Especially if you're in front of a camera or you're doing anything that's in front of people, social media, whatever, where.
Charles Holmes
You just want somebody to tell you.
Jody Walker
The rules of engagement.
Charles Holmes
If I can just say fantastic a bunch of times to someone, and they'll just like me more. We want that. We want that formula. Meride, even through to your point, through the camera, she just has this reality show thing about her. The moment she started talking, I was just like, she's not even trying to do anything. But her presence, the way she's talking, the way they're editing her, I'm just like, oh, yeah, I'd give her a good score, too. Like, I understood intrinsically why a singer would be like, oh, okay, sure. Tamara Dee. And then when Nathan's in the room.
Justin Sales
There'S something like, she's a pleasant person. And I mean, I do think it's really funny to. It's so impossible to know how Nathan Fielder really is, but it is funny to think about the impetus of so many of these projects being like, why does Meride get to innately be pleasant and I don't? And how do I emulate it? I'll tell you, I do. I think my single biggest laugh of the episode is him studying her behavior, studying her. Fantastic, Fantastic. And then it all gets to the point where a guy, he says, what's your name? And the guy says, Danny. And he says, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful name.
Charles Holmes
Let's go to some MVPs of this. Cause we kind of briefly talked about Meride Jeff, the lead pilot. I was. I don't know where. And to your point there being like an art to this type of show to building this. I'm like, you just don't find a Jeff anywhere like Jeff. When he. When he arrives, I'm just like, okay.
Jody Walker
Like, where is this going? I know this is about to be so cringe inducing. And then when he starts talking about getting kicked off every single dating app.
Charles Holmes
I was like, this is a version.
Jody Walker
Of a guy that I have had.
Charles Holmes
Converse like a random guy I've had a conversation with who's trying to basically explain to you, like, no, no, no, no, you don't understand. It's crazy. Getting kicked off a dating app. I'm like, what did you do, man? And the more he just starts talking, he has this one line that I was dying where he's just like, yeah, there sure are a lot of Latinas there. And I'm like, where did that.
Justin Sales
I was like, you're in the cocktail.
Charles Holmes
Why are you talking about this?
Justin Sales
Lot of beautiful Latina women there. I'm going to have to learn some more Espanol. I'm going to get on Duolingo. I was like, jeff is about to get his ass kicked off of Duolingo too. All the dating apps, Instagram and Duolingo. Like, I could not believe Jeff. I. And I thought what was so interesting about Jeff and Mary D sort of as well is like, they are people who sort of present very briefly in Jeff's case as like, socially capable. You know, like, you could put them in a room, they'd know how to talk to someone. Jeff undermines that at every turn. It's incredible. Like, the speed. And I actually don't think this was editing the speed with which he. In the conversation which we'll get to, like, in the cockpit with Meridy.
Charles Holmes
The.
Justin Sales
The speed with which he was like, oh, so you're celibate. It took them like three minutes once they were in the fake air, maybe, maybe like 30 seconds for him to get there with. I mean, I. What I would love to know the. Where I would like the camera to continue to zoom out through seasons of the rehearsal is to somehow know what Nathan is thinking as the creator of this show when he hears Jeff. First of all, can I say. Can I quote what Jeff said right before he informs us that he has been kicked off of every dating app he's. He's ever joined? He says, I'm not a psychologist, but I feel like I know how to read people pretty well. And then immediately tells Nathan that he has been kicked off of every dating app he's ever been on. And there's no reason. They don't give you a reason. They don't even tell you why he.
Charles Holmes
Signed up using his mom's email. And he's just like, yeah, there's something in their algorithm. They can tell your face. I got kicked off as well. I'm like, what if your mom wanted.
Jody Walker
To be on Bumble now you fucked up her shit too.
Justin Sales
Now you got to borrow her phone. Every time you want to get on Bumble, man, Like, there's. This isn't for you. Other people are not for you. He was unbelievable. I. I could not believe my ears any moment that he was talking. And also, like, his tiny shirt, like, he is wedged into that pilot's uniform the second they drop the captains into Ding Ding Ding. Return of the Season one bar, Nate's lizard lounge in the partial recreation of the Houston airport. Incredible. He's like, oh, those. The female pilots over there. I'm going to go talk to the female. And immediate alarm bells. Get away from them. I get away from them Women.
Charles Holmes
That's where I have to judge Nathan. I would have been like, if I'm a producer, I'm like, no, keep him liable.
Justin Sales
That's a liability. Truly. Everyone was saying after episode one, like, one episode into season two of the rehearsal, and Nathan's already, like, broken up a couple, which is funny. It's a funny observation, but I think we should be extremely clear that Moody and that woman, to the extent that they were ever dating, were never going to last. So I don't think Nathan Fielder did that. But I would like to say that two episodes into Nathan Fielder, into. Sorry. Two episodes into the rehearsal And Nathan Fielder has just, like, put a woman in an extremely precarious harassment situation.
Charles Holmes
But also the thing that was, like.
Jody Walker
So just hard to watch, but, like, weirdly, just mesmerizing is Meride deflecting, like.
Charles Holmes
Her ability to just, like, nod and be pleasant. And the thing that Nathan, as the producer of the show had noticed about her, when she's basically telling all of these people, no, you can't go to the next round. And seeing her do it in front of this just, like, terrible human. You're like, this is riveting fucking tv.
Jody Walker
How did they.
Charles Holmes
How do you even get to. There was even a point where I'm just like, wait, how did we get.
Jody Walker
To this point in the show?
Charles Holmes
Like, is this the same episode? What is this episode even about?
Justin Sales
And then. But you know what's interesting on the behavioral level, and I'm sure we'll get there in future episodes, but it's. He keeps saying that perhaps Meredith has, like, she's the secret. Like, you know, she has this special strain of DNA that we're going to be able to identify and then replicate in other people, that she is able to reject people without them disliking her.
Charles Holmes
Yeah.
Justin Sales
And if you're capable of recreating that, then presumably in the future, first officers could know that they can confront their captains without their captains getting so upset that it creates professional repercussions for them. But what we see when Meredith actually gets in the cockpit with someone who would gladly ruin her life and who has no respect for women who truly, like, can't get a single word out to Nathan before he's saying that you have to walk on eggshells with woman. He would of course, call them female colleagues because they might get offended. You know, just like when you're trying to be funny. Hey, Jeff, here's an idea. Don't try to be funny in the cockpit. Fly the damn plane.
Charles Holmes
This is. I will say this is.
Jody Walker
These are the pilots that are getting me to and fro. I'm just like, damn.
Charles Holmes
Just did it make me feel great? But also, I think if we're going.
Jody Walker
Deeper into the episode, the thing that I thought was so intriguing was Nathan ends up casting himself. We see a version of fake Nathan.
Justin Sales
And we can't see it returning. Fake Nathan.
Charles Holmes
Return of fake Nathan. First of all, seeing his phone be the background and Benny Safdie was there, I was just like, all right, we are. This is going too far. But I was dying. I was like, fake N. What was.
Jody Walker
So interesting about fake Nathan? Is there's this moment where he's reading the email that he sends to Paramount plus when he it's revealed that a Season three episode is taken away, the Summit Ice episode. And Nathan says something to the effect of, I don't know why I was being so polite.
Charles Holmes
And it was this moment where I'm.
Jody Walker
Like, oh, the real version of Nathan Fielder, or at least the real version that he's presenting even as he's typing the email, is someone that has put in the 10,000 hours of being this maestro of discomfort. But in his own personal life, when he's writing an email to this company that didn't even give him seemingly any.
Charles Holmes
Warning that they were taking down something that he had worked hard for, he's going through this process of being like.
Jody Walker
Why did I add so many exclamation points?
Charles Holmes
Why?
Jody Walker
Why was I so fucking cheerful?
Charles Holmes
And, like, I think fake Nathan, like, asked him, like, how are you feeling?
Jody Walker
And he was just like, I don't know.
Charles Holmes
I don't remember. And it was this moment where I'm like, does Nathan Fielder know as much about himself as we think he does in terms of. Just like, I think he knows Nathan Fielder, the character, better than any comedian.
Jody Walker
Has known a character before.
Charles Holmes
But, like, that was a moment where I'm just like, oh, is he trying to say, like, when it's like I'm in a room typing up an email, I'm just like, y'all, I go through the same societal motions that everyone does. I don't want to be disliked. I want to get another season of the curse out there. Like, I have to do all of the same mundane bullshit that makes me seem likable.
Justin Sales
Well, I think the only thing we can be sure of is that Nathan Fielder knows us like that Nathan Fielder knows and intimately understands the audience and the way that we will respond to things. And it's how he gets out in front of things and has these hilarious moments. It's how he says things in the exact right tone because he understands how we will receive them. We don't know where he falls within, you know, larger humanity and if he, as a genius, puts himself within that or outside of it. But I do think that in every episode, we should probably say where we felt most seen within the episode. And hands down, it is watching Nathan Fielder over index on how many exclamation points he's using in an email. That's where I put in. My 10,000 hours is taking exclamation points in and out of emails.
Charles Holmes
I will say, the farther I've become like my job is just become watch.
Jody Walker
This TV show come and then speak on this mic. I don't have to write as many.
Charles Holmes
Emails, but when I do, I have had the same thought. I'm like, why the fuck are you talking like, like why are you writing an email like this? Just stop the bullshit, man. Like I'm like the most pleasant version of myself, even if I'm like super angry. And I'm like, I've gotten those emails as well where I'm just like, this person is really pissed off. But this email is super nice. And I don't even know. Like it's just such a disarming thing where you're just like, well I can't be an asshole back now. Like I would. This is going in the record. I'd look terrible.
Justin Sales
And I'm not, I'm not saying that you or me or anyone should write crazy emails, but I think I've also been on the other side of an email that was very carefully worded and I'm going to receive it. How I'm going to receive it. You know, it's like if it pisses me off, it's gonna piss me off. And then I might go back and read it like three weeks later and be like, oh, they worded this very carefully. They meant what they said and I completely misunderstood it. Like you are at the end of the day always still writing to another human. There's only so careful you can be in this case, he is writing to Paramount. Well, he wasn't writing to Paramount Plush Germany. But ultimately that's where things were headed. Paramount plus Germany.
Charles Holmes
So have you before this episode, have.
Jody Walker
You watched the Summit Ice episode of Nathan for your?
Justin Sales
I haven't watched it in so long. I did like a small rewatch of some of my favorite Nathan for yous before we started talking about the rehearsal this season. But I haven't watched that one in a long time. I did check and it is still not on Paramount plus.
Charles Holmes
All right. That was my gonna be my follow up question. I was just like, I tried to like log into Paramount plus and they're just like you need to reset your password. I'm like fuck this. I'm just asking Jody. But it was this using even that and his like. Because I was, the whole time I was interrogating I was like, how actually angry or self righteous about this is Nathan Fielder or is he? Did this moment happen in his life? He gets angry about it and then he's like, this would make great content. This would make this would make a great episode of the show because like, I think we've kind of been circling around. This feeling of the whole Paramount plus thing almost comes out of nowhere. It's almost like this aside in the journey where I'm just like you trying to connect this back to making sure like air like pilots are heard more and communicate better so planes don't crash is so tenuous, but you almost don't care. Like it's like good, like good reality tv. It's just like some of the best reality tv. There's like we're going on vacation and then there's this entire subplot that's happening on like the periphery of the show where you're just like, that's actually the thing I want to follow. And I was just like, why is this even in the episode?
Justin Sales
I mean, I do think it takes us back to the thing that kind of kicks up in the latter half of season one, which is that Nathan is in addition to trying to help someone solve their problem via rehearsal, he is also discovering issues within himself that he relates to that he's trying to solve and rehearse and work on in the human condition. As well. So like in that way it's like, oh yeah, classic Nathan, kind of following a side quest of trying to figure out why he was so pleasant in the face of this thing. My assumption is that real Nathan Fielder doesn't super care if one episode of a long running TV show was pulled from Paramount plus. But it's a good example of where does being pleasantly confrontational get you? Because I think that's. I was starting to say this earlier that in the cockpit with Meredith and Jeff, you see her working through a difficult situation pleasantly and without offending the other person. A by the way, very gendered skill which he sort of gets into, but not totally. And also, as accidentally pointed out by Jeff, a big part of this communication difficulty in flying is often between the male powerful captains and a woman co captain. One could ask, should we perhaps be working on the captain's behavior and ability to receive feedback instead of the first. First officers ability to be brave enough to give that feedback and perhaps if they felt like they had a receptive captain, they might be more willing to do so. Or if it was received upon first comment, they might be more willing to do so. I don't know where does the fish rot? But we don't. It did not seem to me like if put in a situation where Meredith had to be confrontational in a non pleasant way and get her Point really across. I don't know. I don't know if that's something that we can do. What we've seen that she can do is get people to like her and to seem sincere. But does that mean that you're capable of asserting yourself when it matters? Maybe that's an episode three. I'm really stressing it out.
Charles Holmes
My question then for you is, do.
Jody Walker
You think, and this might be looking a little forward ahead, is do you think Nathan Fielder thinks of himself as the head captain or the co captain?
Charles Holmes
Because there have been a couple examples.
Jody Walker
In these first two episodes where Nathan's.
Charles Holmes
Doing a good job of almost trying to get the audience to think that.
Jody Walker
He'S closer to a Moody than he is to our. Our sex offender co pilot.
Charles Holmes
Sorry, I mean head pilot. But then there's other moments where almost.
Jody Walker
Like, Nathan Fielder's, like, poking at himself, being like, when is.
Charles Holmes
When are any of the co captains around me going to say enough? Like. Like, stop. And like, it's. It's this interesting thing where I'm like, I think he's doing it on purpose, where you're just like, wait, where is Nathan in this? Because, like, he is the master orchestrator. He is the head pilot of this. But a lot of times he is.
Jody Walker
Not presenting himself as such.
Charles Holmes
He is presenting himself as, like, one of the people who is, like, just trying to learn how to be likable but also have a backbone. And I'm just like, you're Nathan Field.
Jody Walker
This is your entire show.
Charles Holmes
Like, HBO met, the Warner Discovery Company, gave you millions of dollars, bro. You're the head. You're the problem.
Justin Sales
But that, at least with the Nathan that we're presented, when he sees himself like that, when that is reflected back to him, that he is the captain, he is the one who can't be approached, he is the one who is in charge. And people are scared to tell him no or to present their feelings truthfully to him. People are scared to be sincere to him. That is a position that he's uncomfortable with because everything about himself would tell him that he is the first officer, that he has trouble asserting himself, that he checks his exclamation points and emails to Paramount Plus. But then he's casting 70 actors, getting HBO to give him the budget to partially recreate the Houston airport. He is in charge. I mean, I think the way that he waffles so wildly between those two positions would suggest that Nathan Fielder and Nathan often just forget that they're human at all and that they subscribe to the Things that they're studying, and I think that would probably be the point. But also, I'm like, well, if I was insane and put myself in this situation, if I was a genius who created that show, I mean, just in my everyday life, in my professional life, it's like there are times when you're the leader where someone might be scared to approach you with an opinion that counters your own. And there are times when you're that person who's checking your exclamation points.
Charles Holmes
Yeah.
Jody Walker
No.
Justin Sales
And of course, for the captains and for the worst of the captains, you know, like the just walking ego that we see in Jeff or maybe some of the transcripts for these flights that have gone down, There are places in their life where they're not in charge, and they're very happy to be in charge in this cockpit. And I'm curious what this show is make. Making people think about airline pilots.
Charles Holmes
I mean, if I'm gonna be honest, the most revealing thing is, and I.
Jody Walker
Notice this about people empowered, like, my personal life all the time, when those pilots walk into the bar and, like, everything kind of changes.
Charles Holmes
It is this thing where it's just.
Jody Walker
Like, I've seen it happen, where you have some type of power over someone, some type of leadership. Maybe it's a work event, and you walk into the bar, the room changes, and you can kind of see this thing in, like, a leader or a boss's eyes, where they're just like, I so badly just want to be part of y'all. I want to have fun. I want to be at the bar talking or whatever.
Charles Holmes
I don't want this weird thing where it's just like, people are, like, laughing at jokes that aren't funny and they're whispering or they have to change the subject. And I was like, oh, there is something funny there as well, where it's like these. These, like, captains are like. Like, even the way they talk, the way they walk, Nathan, is like, shedding a light on. Just like, oh, you get a certain level of power in your life, and it does change you. But there was almost a sadness I felt where I was just like, God damn. Like, no one wants y'all here. Like, no one in this bar wants you here right now. And that is. I was like.
Justin Sales
And I think what I. I. What I thought when watching them in the bar suddenly together is, well, when does the first officer become the captain?
Charles Holmes
Yeah.
Justin Sales
Because that's the trajectory here. If these first officers stay in this career, they will become captains, like many of them. That's what will happen? Will their whole personalities change? Because the first officers we're being presented with at least are, like, extreme cases of, you know, sweethearts at best, Meek at worst. Like, when is that gonna be?
Charles Holmes
When are we gonna get dark? Moody is basically like, when is Moody.
Justin Sales
Going to become Jeff? Like, is that a change in his future?
Charles Holmes
I actually. If I'm being real, I know Moody's a real person. That was something I was thinking about where I was just like, is there something about being in that chair where a Moody who is like, this Meek has this Meek individual who has what.
Jody Walker
Seems like a very fake relationship with.
Charles Holmes
The star Starbucks barista? Does he become Jeff and is just like, fuck it, I'm getting kicked off all the apps and I'm harassing my co pilot, asking how old she is, and, like, trying to set her up with my dad. I'm like, to me, that's not as large as. As you probably think it is. And. But maybe if we kind of are like, forecasting.
Jody Walker
This was like the first episode where.
Charles Holmes
And there's only been two, but this.
Jody Walker
Was, like, one of the first moments where I'm just like, has the rehearsal in the Nathan Fielder Project gotten too insular?
Charles Holmes
Where it's like, because I've kept up with him.
Jody Walker
Because I've watched a lot of Nathan for you because I watched the first season of the Rehearsal, the Curse. I've seen a bunch of things that he's been in.
Charles Holmes
This was like catnip for me.
Jody Walker
I got all the jokes. I got a lot of the things.
Charles Holmes
I was just like, this is insane.
Jody Walker
But I love this episode.
Charles Holmes
But I was just like, if you.
Jody Walker
Just had watched the first season of the Rehearsal because you just saw people going like, crazy over it.
Charles Holmes
Do you watch this episode?
Jody Walker
Be like, summit Ice. Wait, why is this real?
Charles Holmes
Like, it's like, are you just. You're like, the curse. I. I don't have Paramount Plus, I didn't watch that. Are you just kind of like, what the fuck is happening?
Justin Sales
I think you no one should watch season two of the Rehearsal, which Without watching season one of the Rehearsal. But I think you've got enough of the vibes to get it. Like, I haven't watched that episode of Nathan for you in a super long time. And I kind of was like, did not remember all the swastikas, you know? But, like, I think you can get on board with understanding that he is completely absurd and sets people up in absurd situations and that that's what he's doing on his other shows too. I Mean, the, the curse is a little different, but no, I don't think so. I think it's already pretty insular. You know, like, I think it's already a pretty high concept situation that if you're on board for it, you're on board for Nathan Field. I think my like fear of does this work? Can he make it last? Is more so that the thing that exists in the real world, the aviation safety aspect of it is like, is that a theme? He can really keep going through six episodes and is the idea here that he's really gonna solve it? And is it. I mean, of course it would be great if it was kind of a problem that was solved, but it's like this small problem within this huge thing. You know, like flying is still the safest form of travel that there is.
Jody Walker
Is that true? Yeah, more than like subways or trains.
Justin Sales
I mean, I, well, okay. I said yeah, really confidently. I always hear that that's what people always say when their plane crashes is like, it's still, you know, it's safer than driving. Statistically. Obviously if a plane goes down, that is like a great tragedy and is a mass casualty event. And so there's. It can't all just be statistics. But it's a very, very strange thing that Nathan Fielder is doing in this season of the rehearsal right down to us just being like, so are pilots really like this? Like what are we supposed to think about pilots? And I would like to say if there are any PI. If there are any especially, you know, self aware pilots listening, please do feel free to email us@prestigetvpotify.com if you have any thoughts on how pilots are being presented and if it is accurate.
Charles Holmes
Guys, I honestly, I could not agree more.
Jody Walker
If you are a pilot, I'm talking head pilot you to co chair. We'll take voice memos, we'll take emails.
Charles Holmes
Like, give it like, I want the.
Jody Walker
Pilots in my life.
Charles Holmes
Or in the greater. Like, these are not pilots in my life. But you could be a part of my life if you send us an email. You're a part of our life. Because there is a level I will say the things that I've heard about just the aircraft industry are more like, damn, it's great to be a pilot. My hinge is crazy. I'm in a new place. That's all I know. So you know what I mean?
Justin Sales
Which is also why I've known some pilots from Hinge there. I, I don't, I don't know if Jeff is certainly not representative, but they're you know, they're. They move around a lot.
Charles Holmes
Also, how are you getting kicked as a. I've heard from pilots and stewardesses that dating is extremely easy for those two jobs. And I'm like, how much fuck shit were you up to to get kicked? I'm just like, there's not. You can literally just be like, I'm in your. I'm in your city for two days. I'm a pilot. I'm a stewardess. And everybody's gonna be like, hell, yes.
Justin Sales
Is there anything about Jeff that suggests to you that he could literally just say that thing and then stop talking? He's incapable of not talking, even when he's with Nathan. Like, he just can't. He. He so did not have to tell him that he's been kicked off of every dating app he's ever joined, including Seeking Arrangements. He didn't have to say that he's been on Seeking Arrangements. But this is a person who feels like he must say everything that enters his mind, and then you must not be offended by it. I mean, otherwise, you can't take a joke.
Charles Holmes
Also, what probably makes it even funnier is I'm like, When I see him.
Jody Walker
I'm just like, he looks like an asshole.
Charles Holmes
But there was this moment, I'm just.
Jody Walker
Like, yeah, if you just shut the.
Charles Holmes
Fuck up and got out of your way, you'd be fine.
Jody Walker
You'd be on your second or third marriage.
Charles Holmes
You'd be fine. And then the minute when he gets to the Seeking Arrangement for. I was just like, oh, you're a sick. I was like, oh, you. This is bad.
Justin Sales
Oh, no. Oh.
Charles Holmes
I was like, listing each app, and I was just like.
Justin Sales
Mary D. Might not have, like, solved aviation safety with whatever exists inside of her, but I would like to be able to selectively take a dose of whatever was making her say, oh, yeah, cool. What?
Charles Holmes
She.
Justin Sales
She, like, kept saying very specific things to him. Like, it was this kind of, like, bro ish statement where she was like. She kept saying, yeah, right on. Yeah, right on. He was like, lot of beautiful Latinas there. She was like, right on. Right. I would like to be able to selectively take a vial of, like, right on juice when I am about to encounter a particularly terrible person who I don't want to, in that moment, tell them that they need to be a better person. I just want to be like, yeah, right on.
Charles Holmes
I will say, you could tell Mary D. Has, like.
Jody Walker
She's said that phrase so much, and.
Charles Holmes
She'S done all the permutations of, like, what Is the perfect phrase to say to a bro ish, like, captain, that I need to shut the fuck up. And she's like, right on. And to your point, I was just like, that is the greatest phrase. Because it's just like, you're not that interested, but you're almost saying, like, right on.
Justin Sales
Like, it's such a learned behavior. That was a really, like, interesting look into what it's like to just get into that space with a stranger where you're doing your job, but maybe you also have to do some small talk. But also hundreds of lives are in your hands. And, like, that's clearly such a sort of, like, muscle memory learned behavior. I always think about, like, how do dental hygienists, like, learn how to talk to someone who can't talk back because your hands are in their mouth? But, like, lead on a pleasant conversation. They just learn it. And, like, this is what Meredith has put her 10,000 hours in on is. Yeah, right on is like handling the ego of a Jeff. How do you then insert into those 10,000 hours the emotional capacity to stand up to someone when it counts and kind of only when it counts? Because who has the energy to point out when Jeff is wrong every time he's wrong? Like, that's what we're seeing with Meridy. She has a really specific kind of energy to just let it slide off her back. But who has the energy to be selectively confrontational? And how do you teach it?
Jody Walker
I will say that is a perfect place not only to end this, but you are my podcasting Meredith. You know, just make me feel great.
Justin Sales
Yeah, right on, Right on, Right on. Yeah. Right on.
Charles Holmes
Guys. That has been your episode of Prestige.
Jody Walker
TV with me and Jody. Keep tapping in every single week. We just let Joe and Rob out of the basement. They will return to talk about the Last of Us, whatever show on Apple. Plus, I forget the name of it. What's the. What's the Jon Ham Show?
Charles Holmes
Your friends and neighbors.
Justin Sales
Neighbors.
Charles Holmes
My friends and neighbors. The friends and neighbors. Joe and Rob will be back. We will be back. Thank you to Justin, thank you to ct.
Jody Walker
Thank you to everybody behind the boards helping us and like, yo, guys, have a great rest of your week.
Charles Holmes
And Donnie, I almost forgot. Donnie. My bad. Donnie, you're the greatest.
Jody Walker
Thank you so much, Donnie.
Charles Holmes
All right, guys, we will see y'all very soon.
Summary of "The Rehearsal" Season 2, Episode 2 – “The Height of Absurdist Comedy”
Podcast: The Prestige TV Podcast
Host/Authors: The Ringer Team (Charles Holmes, Jodie Walker, Justin Sales)
Episode Discussed: "The Rehearsal" Season 2, Episode 2
Release Date: April 28, 2025
In this episode of The Prestige TV Podcast, hosts Charles Holmes, Jodie Walker, and Justin Sales dive deep into the intricacies of "The Rehearsal" Season 2, Episode 2, aptly titled “The Height of Absurdist Comedy”. This detailed analysis explores the episode’s themes, character developments, and the overarching narrative crafted by Nathan Fielder. The discussion is enriched with notable quotes and insightful perspectives, making it valuable for both dedicated fans and newcomers to the series.
"The Rehearsal" Season 2, Episode 2 continues Nathan Fielder’s exploration of human behavior through meticulously crafted scenarios. In this installment, Fielder introduces a fictional aviation-themed singing competition called "Wings of Voice", inspired by reality shows like "Canadian Idol." The premise involves co-pilots gently rejecting contestants who lack singing prowess, blending absurdist comedy with deep psychological undertones.
Additionally, the episode delves into Fielder’s frustration with Paramount Plus Germany removing a controversial episode of his Comedy Central show. This leads him to confront the fictional head of Paramount Plus Germany in an effort to reinstate his work, intertwining themes of censorship, artistic integrity, and the challenges of navigating corporate structures.
The hosts emphasize how this episode epitomizes absurdist comedy, using exaggerated scenarios to highlight real-world issues. Nathan Fielder employs a deadpan delivery to dissect themes like communication breakdowns and the quest for authenticity in performance-based environments.
Justin Sales notes at [04:30]:
“Nathan Fielder is at the height of his absurdist comedy of being able to say something in a monotone voice that just absolutely rips you apart.”
Jodie Walker adds at [06:27]:
“This episode was like the Russian nesting doll, where it's like he goes all the way back to Nathan for You... it's the Fielder cinematic universe.”
Drawing parallels with Malcolm Gladwell’s "Outliers", particularly the 10,000-hour rule, the hosts discuss the significance of practiced communication in high-pressure settings like aviation. They explore how Fielder’s fictional show attempts to master emotionality and behavior, transitioning from mastering scenarios as seen in Season 1 to more nuanced emotional interactions in Season 2.
“What Nathan Fielder is doing is just sort of behavioral therapy in the most absurdly comedic way possible.”
The discussion delves into Nathan Fielder’s dual persona as both a master of uncomfortable comedy and a figure seeking self-understanding. The hosts explore the boundary between Nathan Fielder the comedian and Nathan Fielder the human, emphasizing his deliberate use of awkwardness and sincerity to challenge both himself and his audience.
Charles Holmes remarks at [14:06]:
“Nathan is trying to figure out what his Persona is... the boundary between Nathan Fielder the comedian and Nathan Fielder the human.”
Justin Sales adds at [06:34]:
“If we believe that Nathan has a mastery over it, then we can believe that he is being careful, that these people are cared for in some way.”
A significant portion of the episode focuses on the portrayal of pilots, exploring themes of authority, communication, and the psychological impacts of leadership roles. The hosts analyze how First Officers like Meredith and Jeff are depicted, contrasting their professional demeanor with personal struggles, especially in interactions with captains.
“He knows what makes it awkward, what makes it uplifting... dissecting the captains' behavior and their relationships with co-pilots.”
Throughout the episode discussion, several quotes stand out for their depth and relevance:
Charles Holmes at [02:26]:
“What did he think that we did with Joan Rob? We love Joan Rob.”
Justin Sales at [04:30]:
“The idea is that if you practice something enough, you can master it... what Nathan Fielder is doing is just sort of behavioral therapy in the most absurdly comedic way possible.”
Jodie Walker at [08:07]:
“Meride has put in her 10,000 hours... handling the ego of a Jeff.”
Charles Holmes at [12:45]:
“Nathan Fielder is making literal that feeling that I feel like all of us have.”
Justin Sales at [17:29]:
“He's showing us the absolute mastery of it.”
Meredith represents the epitome of professional calm and effective communication, while Jeff embodies the socially awkward, overly talkative individual. Their interactions with Nathan Fielder highlight the spectrum of human communication, especially under the scrutiny of a constructed reality TV environment.
“Meride is dealing with Jeff's inability to silence himself, making her role both challenging and fascinating.”
The hosts explore Nathan’s fluctuating role between being a leader and struggling with authority. This duality reflects real-life leadership challenges, where the need to assert authority often conflicts with the desire to remain approachable and sincere.
Jodie Walker asks at [38:07]:
“Do you think Nathan Fielder thinks of himself as the head captain or the co captain?”
Justin Sales responds at [40:53]:
“Nathan is the master orchestrator... pushing towards mastery and yet grappling with personal assertiveness.”
The Prestige TV Podcast hosts commend "The Rehearsal" Season 2, Episode 2 for its intricate blend of humor, psychological exploration, and commentary on reality television. They appreciate Nathan Fielder’s ability to merge absurdist scenarios with profound behavioral insights, though they express concerns about the season’s increasing complexity and potential insularity.
Both Charles Holmes and Jodie Walker express excitement for future episodes, anticipating that the initial disjointedness will evolve into a coherent narrative that further challenges viewers' perceptions of authenticity and performance.
Jodie Walker concludes at [44:29]:
“I love this episode... it was insane but captivating.”
Justin Sales adds at [35:12]:
“This episode takes us back to the idea that Nathan is trying to not just fix others but also himself, culminating in a masterful blend of humor and self-examination.”
The hosts wrap up the episode with a call to action for pilots and industry professionals to share their perspectives, ensuring an authentic representation of aviation in the show. They commend Nathan Fielder for his innovative approach and encourage listeners to engage with future discussions as the season unfolds.
“If you are a pilot... please feel free to email us@prestigetvpotify.com if you have any thoughts on how pilots are being presented and if it is accurate.”
This comprehensive breakdown by The Prestige TV Podcast offers an in-depth understanding of "The Rehearsal" Season 2, Episode 2, highlighting Nathan Fielder’s unique blend of comedy and psychological exploration. The hosts provide valuable insights into the show's themes, character dynamics, and its broader implications on reality television and human behavior.