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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Following last week’s episode of Nathan Fielder’s HBO docu-comedy television program, The Rehearsal, the series creator continues assisting individuals with whatever rehearsal is needed to prepare for the real thing. The first season’s third episode is titled, “Gold Digger”. It is written by Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, and Eric Notarnicola, and directed by Fielder.
In this review, I will be discussing The Rehearsal Season 1 Episode 3. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please proceed with caution and read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any possible revelations.
In writing this review, please note that I have seen the first five out of six episodes of the season ahead of release to properly understand the wider context of the narrative.
Discussion
While just as short as last week’s episode, “Gold Digger” has something that I personally found more laughable and meaningful in its narrative. The episode title does not give away much of a spoiler, or it does, depending on whether you choose to see its meaning as literal.
As teased last week, Nathan Fielder takes on a fake father figure role for the “Adam” character, whom Angela uses for her potential family rehearsal. He also shifts some focus from this rehearsal to work on another “client”, a man named Patrick. The man must rehearse how to speak with his brother about the passing of their grandfather… and the rest is history.
Whether or not you choose to believe in the authenticity of Angela’s rehearsal or Patrick’s rehearsal is up to you. I personally come across discourse on social media about The Rehearsal behind-the-scenes that makes me only want to scratch my head even more. There is something chaotic and twisted about the episodes that I, quite frankly, enjoy. I will say… there is some writing in here that distracts you from believing what you ought to believe.
For example, let’s look at Angela’s strict Christian beliefs. Devout Christians do not believe in certain festive traditions — aka holidays — such as Halloween due to their apparent practice of Satanism. She says: “Not everything is make-believe. Some things are real”. Meanwhile, she later puts on a Christian children’s film for Adam and his fake father to watch. Here, the film crew and Fielder show us an excerpt from the Christian flick, in which a bug and a grown man talk about the concept of lying. Do you see where I’m getting at here?
The Point
I am sure many people are right in the fact that this is all fabricated. It is just that I still have reason to believe that this is real. Despite that, I do have this feeling that I will be fooled and maybe that’s part of the casual viewing experience, right?
We really have to pay attention to the minutiae of the rehearsals. Specifically, we must look at Angela’s actions and whereabouts in the Oregon home property, as well as the fact that the “Adam” child actors must be switched in and out every four hours. Fielder points out to key components for a good rehearsal, which we have seen in the first two episodes so far. One component is basic, and it involves “practicing the actions and the words that you’re likely to encounter in your real life”.
From a rhetorical standpoint, we must look at the modes of appeal as well as the canons. I previously brought this up in a review of another HBO comedy project that was released earlier this year, so maybe breaking it down might be futile since it’s rather elementary knowledge. What makes Kor Skeet’s rehearsal believable is the challenge and his ability to put the modes of rhetoric at play. That is, the ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos. He did exhibit some flaws with the latter two, as pointed out by Fielder from the get-go. One thing to gather from that is this:
Emotions are a funny thing. They’re not easy to engineer. After all, there’s only so much you can do to deceive yourself, and even when you think of everything, there will always be things you forget.
Nathan Fielder in HBO’s ‘The Rehearsal’ Season 1
In terms of the five canons, as a rhetor, Fielder trained Skeet to be impeccable.
The Cast and the Crew of The Rehearsal
The Rehearsal is created by Nathan Fielder.
Isaac Lamb portrays a fake brother, while Vincent A. Cefalu portrays the fake brother’s fake grandpa.
Sawyer J. Bell, Luke Manning Guyer, Nico Klimt, and James O’Neill portray “Adam” at age 3, while Journey Baker portray “Adam” at age 6.
Fielder, Dave Paige, Dan McManus, and Christie Smith serve as the executive producers. Carrie Kemper and Eric Notarnicola serve as the co-executive producers. David Cress and Amanda Schulz are the producers of the documentary.
Marco Cordero is the director of photography. Adam Locke-Norton serves as the editor, while Aashish D’Mello and Isaiah Fernandez are the assistant editors. Rachel Hein is the writers’ assistant for the episode.
Schuyler Telleen is the production designer. Briana Jorgenson serves as the costume designer. Peter Falanga is the art director, while Andrae Covington serves as the set designer. Katherine Isom is the set decorator.
Angela Demo is in charge of the Los Angeles casting, while Simon Max Hill is the casting director for Oregon. Meghan Apostoles serves as the casting associate for the episode.
For Oregon, Lexi Morsch serves as the casting associate, while Brian Brose is the extras casting director. Moshood Balogun serves as the casting assistant for Los Angeles.
Wiping Grandpa’s Ass: Performance and Character Development
Cefalu performs well as the fake grandfather, and I mean well. The ironic role of this character is initially a frightening one, but it’s also one that I find memorable due to how hard it can hit home. I guess involving Dragon Ball Z in the script is normal given the context.
The milieu of Patrick’s situation and how he engages with the phantasm allows for a convincing blend of comedy and drama. What comes out of this rehearsal, then, is a good strategy on Fielder’s part. Unfortunately, there is a twist in the narrative that had to happen for the sake of the documentary. I perceived it as a huge risk, although there have to be some stakes here and there to make The Rehearsal all the more complex.
Final Thoughts on This Week’s Episode of The Rehearsal
More and more, I am starting to admire the lengths Nathan Fielder has gone to make these rehearsals believable. While they are hilarious, I appreciate that he can pull all of this off with a straight face. The next two episodes that I have seen are interesting to watch and laugh at. However, I will not reveal anything just yet until we approach closer to their air dates.
Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal is now airing on HBO and streaming via HBO Max!
Have you seen this series? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more The Rehearsal updates as well as comedy and documentary-related news and reviews, don’t forget to follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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