Nathan Fielder is back with a new season of THE REHEARSAL, and I’ve fastened my seatbelt, put my tray table up, and stowed my large electronic devices in for the ride. I watched the first episode of the new season of THE LAST OF US – and I have to say, GOTTA HAVE FUN was almost harder to watch.
By this point, we know why Fielder’s shows work so well; we know he’s a character, so we laugh with him. Or importantly, we laugh when he’s trying to keep a straight face. In GOTTA HAVE FUN, Fielder directly calls us out for it: how can we tell when he’s being serious if we’ve become conditioned to treat everything from him as a joke? And if someone genuinely accomplishes something—but presents it through the lens of comedy—does that lessen its impact?
Take, for example, the NATHAN FOR YOU S3E5 SMOKERS ALLOWED episode. In an effort to boost a bar’s business, Nathan exploits a legal loophole that permits smoking indoors if part of a theatrical performance. He sets up two chairs, pulls a curtain, and has a duo watch the normal goings-on of the bar – and surprisingly, it’s a hit. The audience praises the performance for its realism. In an attempt to recreate that success, in true REHEARSAL-esque fashion, he hires actors to replicate the night exactly. It works, comedically, but I’ve always wondered: if people truly appreciated the original “play,” why not just let it continue? If he accidentally created art in the name of comedy, what if he had stopped and let it run its course?
THE REHEARSAL seems to be going down that path, so far. This is the most self-aware I’ve seen Nathan Fielder since the series finale of NATHAN FOR YOU. And although I hope this season is as funny as his previous work—if it isn’t, would that be the worst thing?
THE REHEARSAL S2E1 GOTTA HAVE FUN is now streaming on Max.
