Remy and Nathan’s rehearsal went well, but Nathan now has trouble bonding with the new Adam (real name, Liam). Remy, who doesn’t have a father of his own, thinks of Nathan as his real dad. ..
Remy’s mom invites Nathan for a visit, and Remy is still calling him “daddy.” Nathan and his mom try to explain the concept of acting to him, and he eventually gets it. But parting with his “pretend daddy” is still hard.
“I still love Nathan,” Remy says after his departure.
How does Nathan change his approach to the rehearsal?
Nathan has dinner with Liam, but their interaction as “dad” and “Adam” is tense and awkward. Finally, Nathan can’t help it. He breaks through the facade of the simulation. “You know I’m not your real dad, right?” ..
Liam is worried Nathan won’t understand the “pretend” nature of their dynamic, just as Remy didn’t. But Nathan gives him a thumbs up. He’s older than Remy; he gets it. He’s just a great actor.
Liam pauses for a moment when Nathan asks him if he is believable as a dad. “You’re a great scene partner,” Liam says. ..
Nathan seems to be struggling to separate the roles of Remy and Liam, using Liam as a proxy to help him figure out what went wrong with Remy. ..
He tries reenacting his scenes with Remy, first using Liam, then an older actor, then a mannequin. He hires a fake Amber to reenact their introduction and parting. But nothing feels right.
Angela’s departure may have caused Remy to feel more lost. If he had a fake mother and father, he may not have been as confused. ..
Nathan reflects on his parting with Angela, trying several different scenarios to try and get her to stay. Yet, in every one, Angela leaves. “What else can you do when you’re trying your best?” Nathan wonders.
Can Nathan forgive himself?
Nathan decides to apologize to the real Angela. They meet up; he admits that he shouldn’t have suggested that she wasn’t taking the experiment seriously. He explains that he was only trying to be supportive and didn’t mean to hurt her feelings.
Angela forgives Nathan for his actions, citing scripture to back up her decision. Nathan wonders how forgiving oneself actually works, given that it seems so easy in retrospect.
Nathan visits Remy and Amber again, this time with Liam accompanying him. Remy greets him not as “daddy,” but as “Nathan.” He says he wants to call Nathan “daddy” again, but this doesn’t worry Amber. She assures Nathan that Remy is going to be okay. ..
Nathan reflects on the interaction with the other person and offers some thoughts on how one could try to change themselves.
Nathan uses a different approach to learning how to be a better person.
Why does Nathan pretend to be Amber?
Nathan takes on a new role as Remy’s mother, Amber. He searches for a new perspective, just not in any new way. He simply takes on a new role and begins to understand Remy more.
Nathan and Liam act out Remy’s application to the show. Nathan takes on the persona of a mother who is concerned about enlisting her kid in such a confusing experiment, but who pushes through anyway, insisting Remy will be fine.
Remy’s difficult parting with Nathan leads to Liam turning to Nathan for advice on how to deal with the situation. “Why did you say he was my daddy?” ..
Amber says that she didn’t mean to confuse Nathan, and neither did Nathan. She portrays Nathan as someone who makes mistakes like everyone. Amber says maybe this experiment was not something a kid should be a part of, but “mommy makes mistakes too.”
She then affirms Remy’s sad feelings. They mean that he has a heart and can feel love and trust others. (This hits especially hard when we remember fake Angela’s accusation from the last episode: that Nathan will never feel anything.)
How does ‘The Rehearsal’ Season 1 end?
Nathan says that life is better when surprises happen. He means that some things you want to prepare for, but you know what he means.
“It’s okay that Remy is confused, because they have each other,” her dad says. “Because I’m your dad.”
Liam’s eyes widen as he realizes who he’s talking to. “Mom?” He gasps, before his face breaks into a smile. “I didn’t know you were there.”
Nathan freezes. He blinks rapidly. “No,” he sticks his ground. “I’m your dad.”
After a long pause, Liam accepts the shift in roles. He reaches forward to hug Nathan, his old friend from childhood. ..
Nathan’s reading of this ending would be that Amber is still acting as Nathan at this moment, insisting she can be both mom and dad to Remy. But I think this is Nathan–unable to directly apply the lessons he’s learned, unable to forgive or love himself unless he’s taken on the role of someone else–such as Remy’s father.
The Episode Review
Nathan pretended to be Amber on the monitors to see how the other crewmember would react. The other crewmember seemed to think Nathan was weird, but Nathan thought it was funny.
In the last episode, it was revealed that Angela was behind a fake accusation of Nathan being unable to feel love. This came about in a rehearsal of Nathan’s own design.
Nathan’s journey to learning about and accepting himself is a reflection of the way everyone views him.
The finale of season 1 concludes a fascinating character study of Nathan, one that is more relatable than he might think. It’s human nature to break down past events in our heads, to wonder what we could have done differently. The Rehearsal is a lesson in how we have to forgive ourselves in these moments. After all, life is too messy and complicated. We can’t prepare for everything. Nathan even repeats this lesson to Liam/Remy, but he doesn’t quite grasp it for himself. ..
Nathan will likely have to learn this for himself in season 2. ..
