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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.
The Rehearsal is nearing the end of its first season, and frankly, it mustn’t come to a conclusion so soon. The series’ fifth episode is titled, “Apocalypto”. 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 5. 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.
Discussion
We are at the penultimate episode of The Rehearsal Season 1, and I got to see it a few times (with the exclusion of the finale). If you’ve made it this far into the series, then congratulations on staying along for the ride. This 31-minute episode, end credits included, is brilliant throughout. The narrative that Nathan Fielder provides here is incredible. Although, while I do believe that it might be on the same level as the pilot, more or less, I would argue that it cannot top last week’s “The Fielder Method”.
Telleen’s production designs are unique, creating a rehearsal for the rehearsal just like last week did. The way it is done this week is necessary, as Fielder goes through the process of handling the “Angela” situation in a proper fashion. We get to see the Oregon home from a different perspective. It is here that the series creator explores various options that should have been called to mind since the third episode. The situation is handled meticulously, enlisting a fake Angela actor (Anna LaMadrid) to help simulate a proper route out of the conflict.
Additionally, Covington’s set designs along the set pieces are rightfully congruent with the circumstances at hand. Fielder guides us through the passage of time and how that affects the plot from a narrative standpoint. You will be surprised at the places he goes to, physically and mentally, to search for solutions. Simultaneously, they often do help in serious and comedic manners. To help us understand the overall narrative, the editors make neat cuts to ease us through the half-hour.
Detriangulation Is Needed
There are a few intricate details about this episode that had me thinking. The first element deals with parenting, including Fielder’s dynamic with the woman we know as “Angela”. It does not seem like there is enough consensus between Fielder and Angela about raising their pseudo-child, “Adam”. We are introduced to Angela and Adam in the second episode, then by the end, Fielder decides to take on the role of the father. Next, in the third episode, he becomes an absentee father after, narratively, nine years, albeit in real-life, a matter of mere days.
Throughout The Rehearsal, Fielder allows Angela to make most of the choices. However, this week’s episode is where he finally begins to stand his ground as the “father figure”. Ironic (or unironic) enough, someone on the set was clever enough to hang a framed Bible verse of Esther chapter 4, verse 14 as part of the set decoration.
One sign that foretells the fate of this co-parenting relationship lies with Nathan Fielder himself. In previous episodes, he states that performance deals with action and behavior, but also emotion. So far, he seldom demonstrates that. For example, when he tries to dress up in costumes with Adam for Halloween, Angela steps in and discourages this. Fielder lets her take the reins, with her convincing him that wearing costumes for this purpose is considered Satanic practice.
There’s Something About Angela
To add to that sinking ship, we need to address the elephant in the room: Angela. Even from her introductory episode, surely many viewers could tell she did not really want to be a mother. It is in this same episode that Fielder had a hunch about her efforts, or rather her lack thereof. Now, it is safe to say that that notion has come to a realization, but moreover, let me just say… I do not like Angela as a person. Hopefully, she is just a character and not an actual individual. She does mean well here and there but in the larger picture, much of my concerns deal with her belief system and what she is willing to accept as opposed to what is rejected.
Angela’s introduction to the series does come out of nowhere. With Kor Skeet, Fielder states that he put out an advertisement on Craigslist, to which Skeet sent out a response. The pilot describes Skeet as a teacher from Brooklyn with a harsh family milieu and, as of recent, no Master’s degree. With Angela, as well as Patrick from “Gold Digger”, the transition to properly acquaint us with who they are is not smooth enough. Instead, Fielder just says “this is the ‘client’ I am currently working with” in the voice-over. What I am saying here is we do not know for sure if background checks have been done.
It will be tricky to determine what role The Rehearsal will shift Fielder to next. He initially served as the behind-the-scenes guy, then stepped in as a father figure, along with other roles such as an instructor. The end of this week’s episode does suggest that he will be taking on a Sacha Baron Cohen-level role. Although, we will not know for sure until we do get to the finale.
What Came First: The Character or the Actor?
The third detail about “Apocalypto” and The Rehearsal overall concerns the question of the authenticity of what is exhibited. If Skeet, Angela, and/or Patrick are real people, then we have no issues in believing that the rehearsals have been working. To extrapolate, if those “simulations” indeed work, then the actors portraying depictions of these individuals only aid in Fielder’s comprehension of the given scenarios. This means there is nothing to worry about, however, why are the actors credited to be playing “fake [character name]”?
Last week’s “The Fielder Method” reinforces the idea that actors must imitate what they believe are actual people. This seems to be fine if the above-mentioned individuals are real. However, what if those individuals are not real, to begin with, such as in the case of Adam? What will make viewers all the more anxious is if Skeet, Angela, or Patrick — or one or two of the trio, or all — were characters fictionalized from Fielder’s mind at the conception of the series. That would mean we had “fake” actors acting as actors, along with actors acting as real people, and everyone was just playing off of a tough, complex idea.
This is like that “X is Cake” trend going around on social media two summers ago. Although, we need not dive back into that mess, and perhaps it is best not to dig too deep into the matter of the actor and the character… In this episode, Angela does mention that Fielder has an issue with lying, so that — paired with details such as the Christian film about lying — might be stronger hints as to what we are dealing with.
The Cast and the Crew of The Rehearsal
The Rehearsal is created by Nathan Fielder.
Anna LaMadrid portrays fake Angela.
Sawyer J. Bell and James O’Neill portray “Adam” at age 3. Journey Baker, Quinton Hitchcock, Lennon O’Flynn, Grayson Palumbo, and Remy Taylor portray the character at age 6. Liam Risinger portrays “Adam” age 9, while Joshua Benard appears as “Adam” at age 15.
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. Stacy Moon 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. Wynde Noel serves as the key costumer.
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 Oregon, Lexi Morsch serves as the casting associate for Oregon, while Brian Brose is the extras casting director.
For the Los Angeles unit, Moshood Balogun serves as the casting assistant. Kellie Jo Tinney serves as the set decorator. Laura Wheeler serves as the costumer.
Performances
LaMadrid is excellent at embodying the role of Angela (or the character who forms the falsified individual known as “Angela”). She delivers well and tells Fielder everything that he needs to hear. In fact, I have come to enjoy her in the mere minutes she has in this episode more than the monster that is Angela in the four episodes that she appears. Jorgenson does a fantastic job at giving the actor all the right costumes required to properly portray the mother figure. LaMadrid has lovely appearances as Angela, and I hope there is more reasons to include her in the show.
As for Fielder, I enjoy the levels of perseverance he endures when rehearsing with other individuals. The pilot’s final scene and “The Fielder Method” best illustrate the type of psychological torture he is willing to take. It is said in one scene of this week’s episode, “It’s silly and serious. It’s complicated. Life can be more than one thing, right?” Of course, I do not think anything can top what he went through last week. Here is to hoping this is disproven next week.
Final Thoughts on The Rehearsal
This week’s second-to-last episode of The Rehearsal is a worthy half-hour narrative. It showcases an interesting act structure but does not tell us that we are moving from one plot point to another. Next week’s episode will be an intriguing one, as “Apocalypto” teases a chaotic conclusion to this first season… and I can only hope that Nathan Fielder will give us another. Eventually.
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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