The Rehearsal

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 is where movie becomes reality, and vice versa. After helping with people's careers on Nathan For You, the wizard of loneliness returns to help with people's relationships.

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'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.

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.