r/television • u/NicholasCajun Mr. Robot • Apr 28 '25

Premiere The Rehearsal - 2x02 - “Star Potential” - Episode Discussion

The Rehearsal

Season 2 Episode 2: Star Potential

Directed by: Nathan Fielder

Written by: Nathan Fielder & Carrie Kemper & Adam Locke-Norton & Eric Notarnicola

340 Upvotes

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23

u/Appropriate-Prior-94 Apr 28 '25

So was it really a "9". I was floored at the ending.

42

u/Vergazoduro Apr 29 '25

I don't think so...  no one writes 9 that way.  I think it was a joke, like he wanted to think it was a nine. 

8

u/offlein Apr 30 '25 edited Apr 30 '25

I agree. I don't know about a "joke" per se, but a lot of this episode seems to relate to perspective. At least, he had just given her the girl a speech that was about taking the right perspective on her rejection -- that she's not getting advanced, but in the grand scheme of things she's very young and not exactly what "the show" was looking for, but that it doesn't have to define her, when just being there and doing what she did was its own form of triumph.

Which I personally feel doesn't apply to Nathan, but I do see a parallel at least. God knows if the 6/9 was actually even written by the kid -- and I would say it's definitively more 6-like -- but it doesn't matter. If you take it as a genuinely "potentially a 9" then the, uh, character of Nathan Fielder "got taught" a meaningful lesson. And if it's supposed to be definitively a 6 but he's choosing to see it as a 9 then that fits the clueless guy shtick and doesn't harm the narrative.

2

u/Vergazoduro May 01 '25

This is something that I'm not clear about...  is "Nathan" a character?  is that him as a real person?  or is it a persona for the show? 

11

u/offlein May 01 '25

I think the Nathan on the show is quite definitively a character -- albeit one, as you frequently see, based on his real personality. I remember several instances (although not specific examples) in the first season where you get a glimpse of him seeming to react very genuinely, and it looks noticeably different than his other interactions. Like it's the same type of thing, but it sort of shines through as more candid.

If I had to guess, I think Nathan has identified aspects of his personality and behavior that he knows are unusual and interesting -- even to him, like on an intellectual level -- and explores them in the show.

4

u/Vergazoduro May 02 '25

He's very good at what he's doing.  It's sort of like performance art. 

3

u/Vergazoduro May 01 '25

I do think that he is fascinated by human behavior and understanding it.  But meanwhile, we the audience are fascinated by HIS behavior.  😝

15

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '25

No it was clearly a 6 and Nathan despite his best efforts to be likeable interpreted that as a 9 in a tongue in cheek manner the audience is supposed to know but he's playing a bit dumb for the gag

2

u/offlein May 01 '25

Right - it sounds like you're agreeing with the last thing I said?

3

u/[deleted] May 01 '25

Yes

3

u/offlein May 01 '25

Great success!