I watch TV for a living. This episode is the craziest thing I've seen.
This story contains spoilers for episode three of season two of The Rehearsal.
I have a high threshold for the absurd. As a kid (yes, I was too young for it, blame my dad) I grew up with Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, who took deranged pleasure in beating each other senseless on the BBC. My teenage years were spent singing about soup and eels with The Mighty Boosh. One of the best things I watched in my 20s was Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas guessing the contents of a dumpster on The Chris Gethard Show. And one week after giving birth, I nearly did damage to myself uncontrollably laughing at Tim Robinson not knowing how to work his body in a virtual-reality supermarket on I Think You Should Leave.
As deputy TV editor of this masthead and someone who's professionally written about pop culture for more than a decade, I watch a lot of comedy. But none of this prepared me for the latest episode of HBO docu-comedy The Rehearsal, in which Nathan Fielder – a 41-year-old man – shaved all the hair off his body, put on a nappy and a harness to propel himself into an oversized cot and re-created the life of Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, the beloved pilot who landed a passenger plane on the Hudson.
Whether you've seen the series or not, it's difficult to describe the context for this – a scene so ornately staged and deadpan in its delivery that I literally screamed while watching.
Stranger still: it wasn't even my favourite moment of the episode. That was Fielder's reveal of a (not unconvincing) theory that a 23-second silence in the famous plane's black box recording is explained by Sully listening to the chorus of Evanescence's 2003 goth-pop hit Bring Me To Life.
Speaking to Vulture, Evanescence singer Amy Lee called the moment 'so beautiful', adding that the show is a moving portrait of human vulnerability and a worthwhile interrogation of airline safety (this season is focused on Fielder's attempts to prevent real crashes). 'It's just blowing my mind,' she said. 'He's some kind of genius.'
Separate to all that, this 34-minute episode also includes Fielder spending four months training one of a couple's three cloned dogs to behave like their deceased pet with the help of half a dozen paid actors and a man transporting air from the city where they once lived.
As our critic put it in his four-and-a-half-star review of this season, 'No one else is making television like this [and] that actually might be for the best.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Sad career update as Nick Kyrgios dropped from major roles
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has reportedly been dropped as a commentator for this year's Wimbledon coverage by two media outlets. BBC and ESPN advised the 30-year-old that they will not be requiring his services for the tournament. It comes after his appearance in last year's event evcopped lots of backlash, with many criticising his casual approach, and bold fashion displays. Some circles in the UK, including politicians and anti-violence against women organisations, were also outraged by his appointment after he pleaded guilty to assaulting his former girlfriend in 2021 — the charges were later dropped. Nick Kyrgios Credit: Instagram It has been a rough year for Kyrgios who has also faced a spate of injuries relating to his wrist and knees. The injuries have have restricted his playing ability and he has not played a grand slam singles match since 2022. The injuries and his loss of media roles has prompted speculation that his playing career and broadcasting career may be coming to an abrupt end. Kyrgios also split with former flame Costeen Hatzi in April, with pictures of the couple largely deleted from both their Instagram accounts.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Huge US star flashes undies in racy pantless look
Addison Rae – sorry, just Addison now (more on that later) – has once again proven she's a pop icon, stepping out in London in an outfit that's as on-brand as ever. The 24-year-old TikTok star-turned-chart-topping singer was photographed arriving at BBC Studios this week, forgoing pants entirely in favour of barely-there black underwear. She paired the micro-briefs with a black bustier crop top and a silky black robe, walking arm-in-arm with an equally scantily-clad friend while sporting patent black kitten heels. She completed the midriff-flashing look with a pair of chunky white sunglasses, reminiscent of another fashion icon down under – Corey Worthington. The cheeky appearance comes amid the release of her self-titled debut album, 'Addison', which dropped on June 6 and is already making waves for its Y2K pop sound, or as one writer from The Cut called it, 'dreamy, naked-on-the-beach vibes'. When revealing the album tracklist last month, Addison unveiled her 12-song set by printing each track name on the back of a pair of black briefs, each embroidered in fancy writing. Eagle-eyed fans (just me) have noticed that these undies in the paparazzi snaps look suspiciously similar, and given she's promoting her album – our guess is they definitely have some cheeky cursive on the bum! This meta move perfectly fits with her era of self-promotion and blending her music with her fashion choices. Undie theory aside – Addison isn't the only star championing the no-pants look. The pantless trend has gone from runway staple to red carpet mainstay, with everyone from Dakota Johnson to Sydney Sweeney baring their legs in bodysuits, thongs and briefs. At this year's Met Gala, the style was everywhere, cementing its status as the season's most divisive fashion trend – most notably led by Sabrina Carpenter's outfit designed by Pharrell Williams to make her look taller, but did not in fact, make her look taller. However, just like any trend, it's not its first rodeo. There have been instances of celebrities and designers exploring similar pantless looks as early as the 1950s. It originated as a form of dancewear, as many dancers wore leotards over their stockings to elongate their legs. The look re-emerged in the 1980s during the aerobics craze and when Jane Fonda was all the rage. Then in the 90s, the look reappeared on runways from designers like Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood. For Addison, who's always been a student of '90s nostalgia, this style is a natural fit – equal parts throwback and thoroughly 2025. Speaking of personal branding – Addison's London outing also marks her first major public appearance since she announced she's dropping the 'Rae' and going by just 'Addison'. She says the move is about returning to her roots and making life, and autographs, a little simpler.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
ABC rumoured to be ready to axe longstanding TV show Q+A after 17 seasons
Longstanding ABC series Q+A is rumoured to be getting the chop after 500 episodes and 17 seasons. Reports in Nine newspapers said the future of the ABC current affairs panel program had been decided with sources saying the ABC had decided 'to pull the plug'. Q+A went on its annual hiatus in May after the federal election and was scheduled to return to its 9.35pm Monday timeslot in August. The show first aired on ABC in May 2008, and follows a similar format to the BBC's Question Time. The show is currently hosted by Patricia Karvelas, who took over the role from Stan Grant in 2023. NewsWire has contacted ABC for comment. More to come.
