Episode 2 of Season 1 of "The Rehearsal" kicks off with a scenario so preposterous it defies belief. Nathan Fielder, eyes glued to a surveillance monitor, watches as a woman, Angela, tenderly places her baby in a crib and exits the room. The moment she's out of sight, it's as if a silent countdown begins. Nathan's crew springs into action, darting towards a nearby house with the dexterity of seasoned professionals. In a daring maneuver, they covertly swap the sleeping infant with another baby – all without Angela's knowledge. Nathan commends his team on their seamless execution and proceeds towards the house himself, the stage set for an elaborate rehearsal yet to be fully unveiled.
Indeed, Nathan never fails to disappoint. Angela, the unsuspecting protagonist of this episode, finds herself at the center of Nathan's most ambitious experiment yet: a simulated journey of parenting a child from infancy to adulthood, involving scores of child actors. He orchestrates Angela's relocation to a serene rural area, far from the hustle and bustle of the city – an environment she deems ideal for raising a child. Nathan meticulously recreates the adoption process for baby Adam, cleverly rotating infants to circumvent child labor laws, and even introduces a robot baby, capable of mimicking a child's cries, to ensure Angela experiences the sleepless nights all parents dread.
Yet, something crucial is missing from this meticulously crafted simulation. Angela is acutely aware that she envisions raising Adam alongside a partner. Fortunately, fate steps in when she meets Robin through a dating app. Their connection is instant, forged through shared experiences of how God has transformed their lives. Angela finds herself drawn to Robin, yet she hesitates to involve him in her unprecedented rehearsal. Determined to explore their bond further, she agrees to another date but neglects to arrange for childcare, unknowingly setting the stage for an unexpected twist.
For the very first time, a flicker of frustration crosses Nathan's visage, leaving me uncertain whether it stems from genuine emotion or is merely a cleverly crafted act. He ponders deeply, questioning whether Angela's dedication to this experiment is unwavering or if she merely seeks an escape, a vacation from reality. Ultimately, he surprises everyone by volunteering to break his own stringent rules and babysit "Adam," resulting in heartwarming scenes of playful interaction and Nathan's hilarious yet novice attempts at diaper changing.
Meanwhile, Angela's date with Robin progresses smoothly. When she extends an invitation for him to join the rehearsal, his response is oddly overenthusiastic, a signal that does not bode well. Soon after Robin agrees, several concerning aspects of his personality surface. He scorns his roommate as a "demon" for lacking a shared belief in God, drives under the influence of marijuana, and dismisses Angela's desire for celibacy in their relationship as inconsequential. Furthermore, his obsessive fascination with numbers, interpreting them as divine signs confirming their fateful bond, adds to the eerie aura surrounding him.
I begin to entertain the notion that Robin might not be real at all, but merely another of Nathan's meticulously crafted characters. Nathan has deceived subjects of The Rehearsal before, so it's plausible that this entire scenario is a premeditated setup. Such suspicions lead me to ponder whether Nathan orchestrated the following sequence with calculated precision.
Robin spends the night at Angela's, tasked with soothing the robot baby whenever it wails through the night. Nathan, lurking behind the scenes, manipulates the baby's crying patterns via a monitor, essentially pulling the strings. At one crucial juncture, Nathan instructs the operator controlling the robot to "keep him crying" incessantly. As if anticipating this outcome, Nathan watches Robin pack his bags with an expression of satisfaction. "I just... need a good night's sleep," Robin tells Angela before exiting, his patience worn thin.
The narrative shifts to Nathan meeting Angela at the faux bar from episode one, where he confides that he believes he could be a capable father, albeit with reservations. He proposes that this experiment could serve as a valuable learning experience, requesting her permission to co-parent in the simulation. Though Angela agrees, Nathan's modest demeanor hints at a subtle, underlying manipulation.
Having secured permission from the actual parents of the child actors, it seems the experiment is poised to unfold in earnest. The episode concludes with Nathan entering the house, his cats cradled in his arms, as if setting the stage for an uncertain yet intriguing journey ahead.
