David Bianculli

Viewers of the first season of the rehearsal already know what a weird, unpredictable, often unsettling show Nathan Fielder's HBO series is. His concept is to prepare people for some upcoming life event – a marriage proposal, a financial confrontation with a relative, even the prospect of parenthood – by allowing them to rehearse it in advance and play out the various possibilities.

Viewers of the first season of the rehearsal already know what a weird, unpredictable, often unsettling show Nathan Fielder's HBO series is. His concept is to prepare people for some upcoming life event – a marriage proposal, a financial confrontation with a relative, even the prospect of parenthood – by allowing them to rehearse it in advance and play out the various possibilities.

He trains actors to observe and approximate the other people involved, then throws his subjects into an improvised conversation. And because he digs deeply into HBO's budget, like John Oliver on Last Week Tonight, Nathan stages and photographs these rehearsals on elaborately detailed replicas of actual locations, from bars to bedrooms.

He trains actors to observe and approximate the other people involved, then throws his subjects into an improvised conversation. And because he digs deeply into HBO's budget, like John Oliver on Last Week Tonight, Nathan stages and photographs these rehearsals on elaborately detailed replicas of actual locations, from bars to bedrooms.

He trains actors to observe and approximate the other people involved, then throws his subjects into an improvised conversation. And because he digs deeply into HBO's budget, like John Oliver on Last Week Tonight, Nathan stages and photographs these rehearsals on elaborately detailed replicas of actual locations, from bars to bedrooms.

Last season, some of these social experiments were extremely funny and astoundingly original. At the same time, though, sometimes they came with an occasional, unavoidable cringe factor, as when Nathan would insert himself into the narratives and his subjects' lives and get way too close for comfort.

Last season, some of these social experiments were extremely funny and astoundingly original. At the same time, though, sometimes they came with an occasional, unavoidable cringe factor, as when Nathan would insert himself into the narratives and his subjects' lives and get way too close for comfort.

Last season, some of these social experiments were extremely funny and astoundingly original. At the same time, though, sometimes they came with an occasional, unavoidable cringe factor, as when Nathan would insert himself into the narratives and his subjects' lives and get way too close for comfort.

Part of the delight of watching the rehearsal when it premiered in 2022 was having no idea what to expect from week to week, from the format or from Nathan. So I approached season two with a bit of wariness. How in the world could Nathan Fielder, with a new batch of episodes about rehearsals and recreations, recreate the show's original mystery and unpredictability? Well, he does.

Part of the delight of watching the rehearsal when it premiered in 2022 was having no idea what to expect from week to week, from the format or from Nathan. So I approached season two with a bit of wariness. How in the world could Nathan Fielder, with a new batch of episodes about rehearsals and recreations, recreate the show's original mystery and unpredictability? Well, he does.

Part of the delight of watching the rehearsal when it premiered in 2022 was having no idea what to expect from week to week, from the format or from Nathan. So I approached season two with a bit of wariness. How in the world could Nathan Fielder, with a new batch of episodes about rehearsals and recreations, recreate the show's original mystery and unpredictability? Well, he does.

And he does so right from the start. I'll discuss only the opening installment of this new season of the rehearsal, because the show's twists and turns are a crucial part of the plot, and also most of the fun. But because it's established right in the opening scene, it's fair to reveal what differentiates the new season of this quirky comedy series. This time, the rehearsal is no laughing matter.

And he does so right from the start. I'll discuss only the opening installment of this new season of the rehearsal, because the show's twists and turns are a crucial part of the plot, and also most of the fun. But because it's established right in the opening scene, it's fair to reveal what differentiates the new season of this quirky comedy series. This time, the rehearsal is no laughing matter.

And he does so right from the start. I'll discuss only the opening installment of this new season of the rehearsal, because the show's twists and turns are a crucial part of the plot, and also most of the fun. But because it's established right in the opening scene, it's fair to reveal what differentiates the new season of this quirky comedy series. This time, the rehearsal is no laughing matter.

At least not at the outset. The first subject of this new season is deadly serious. It's about airline crashes and some of their possible contributing factors. Using transcripts from cockpit recorders and elaborately constructed flight simulators, Nathan and his team restaged the last moments of several commercial airline disasters.

At least not at the outset. The first subject of this new season is deadly serious. It's about airline crashes and some of their possible contributing factors. Using transcripts from cockpit recorders and elaborately constructed flight simulators, Nathan and his team restaged the last moments of several commercial airline disasters.

At least not at the outset. The first subject of this new season is deadly serious. It's about airline crashes and some of their possible contributing factors. Using transcripts from cockpit recorders and elaborately constructed flight simulators, Nathan and his team restaged the last moments of several commercial airline disasters.

His thesis is that a lack of chemistry and personal communication in the cockpit between the pilot and the first officer may have played a significant role.

His thesis is that a lack of chemistry and personal communication in the cockpit between the pilot and the first officer may have played a significant role.

His thesis is that a lack of chemistry and personal communication in the cockpit between the pilot and the first officer may have played a significant role.