The premiere episode of Season 1 of "The Rehearsal" kicks off with a captivating scene where Kor Skeet, a 50-year-old educator and avid trivia enthusiast, welcomes Nathan Fielder (of "Nathan for You" fame) into his abode. Kor, having responded to a Craigslist advertisement posted by Nathan, seeks to rehearse a delicate scenario. Years prior, in an attempt to avoid being perceived as less capable by his trivia team, Kor had fabricated the possession of a master's degree. Now, haunted by a persistent friend who keeps forwarding him job opportunities that necessitate such a qualification, Kor finds himself running low on plausible excuses.
Nathan drops a bombshell on Kor, revealing that their entire conversation up to that point has been a meticulously rehearsed sequence, enacted countless times in a replica of Kor's home, with an actor portraying the teacher. Undeterred, Nathan vows to replicate this process for Kor, who fears a violent backlash from one of his trivia compatriots upon confessing the truth.
To ingratiate himself with Kor and gain his trust, Nathan devises an intimate day trip filled with bonding activities. They venture out for skeet shooting and a refreshing dip in the pool. Unbeknownst to Kor, Nathan has painstakingly rehearsed these very activities, even going so far as to ensure their shotguns are loaded with blanks, thereby fostering a camaraderie rooted in their shared ineptitude at shooting.
As their bond deepens, Kor confides in Nathan, revealing the identity of his concerned friend: Tricia, a blogger for the popular website "Cheap Chick in the City." Nathan hatches a clever plan to hire an actress to embody Tricia, but first, the doppelgänger must meet and study the real-life Tricia.
To accomplish this, Nathan conceives a blog of his own titled "Thrifty Boy" and persuades Tricia to pen an article for him, all without her realizing she is interviewing an actress in disguise. Thus, the intricate web of Nathan's rehearsal continues to unfold, each thread meticulously woven to prepare Kor for the inevitable confrontation with his truth-revealing friend.
Once the actress has acquired all the necessary information, Kor devises a meticulous plan to confess his feelings to Tricia. He is adamant that the confession must occur in public to manage her potential reaction, and so, he invites her to a trivia night. Nathan, ever the mastermind, proceeds to construct an identical replica of the bar where the trivia event is scheduled to unfold. Here, Kor and the actress immerse themselves in rehearsals, but Kor finds himself increasingly sidetracked whenever he struggles with the faux trivia questions.
Desiring to prevent Kor from becoming overly distracted during his genuine confession, Nathan conjures up a somewhat unconventional strategy. He cunningly obtains the trivia answers from the bar manager and, during casual strolls with Kor, subtly weaves the correct responses into their conversations.
After numerous rehearsals, the fateful evening arrives. Kor orders a drink for Tricia, just as they had rehearsed. She vents about her challenging day, adhering to their predicted script. However, Kor sticks to his lines with remarkable prowess, effectively lifting her spirits. The moment of truth arrives—it's time for the trivia challenge.
Kor excels remarkably in trivia, just as Nathan had orchestrated. However, when the moment arrives for him to come clean, he hesitates for several long minutes. At last, he blurts out the truth – that he had lied about possessing a master’s degree. He unburdens himself to Tricia, confessing that he felt inadequate amidst the trivia enthusiasts. To his surprise, she takes the revelation surprisingly well. He emphasizes how much their friendship means to him and his desire to cease deceiving her. She commends his courage for opening up to her. Instead of gracefully transitioning past the topic as he had intended, Kor finds himself engrossed in an hour-long conversation with Tricia, spilling secrets he has never shared before.
Later, Nathan confesses to an actor portraying Kor about feeding him the trivia answers. He offers an apology, but the actor reacts harshly, asserting that Nathan has spoiled everything for him. "You're an awful, awful person," the actor declares. Nathan replies, "I think you're a great guy." Whether or not their real interaction unfolds similarly remains unseen, as the episode concludes with Nathan seated at the faux bar, conversing with the actress portraying the bartender.
