[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for The Rehearsal, Season 2 Episode 2, “Star Potential.”]
In The Rehearsal Season 2, Nathan Fielder is spinning collectively no scarcity of surprising components, resulting in conditions like real-life airline co-pilots being requested to guage real-life newbie singers for a TV singing contribution. But it surely’s all a part of an even bigger design that the comic is slowly revealing, one with loads of private angles for him — comparable to the best way he used the second episode of his HBO sequence, streaming on Max, to name out a distinct streaming service.
As Fielder explains, one 2015 episode of the Comedy Central sequence Nathan for You included a subplot about Holocaust consciousness, with Fielder creating a brand new model of out of doors attire after his most well-liked model of out of doors attire printed reward for a famous Holocaust denier in its catalog. As of November 2015, Summit Ice had generated more than $300,000 for Holocaust education, and since then, Fielder says within the episode, it “has raised tens of millions of {dollars} for Holocaust consciousness.”
The Nathan for You episode, “Horseback Driving / Man Zone,” is basically centered on necessary enterprise improvements like making a protected house for boyfriends to hang around in womens’ boutiques, and attaching helium balloons to individuals who would possibly weigh an excessive amount of to soundly experience horses. Additionally it is not at present obtainable for streaming on Paramount+ (the house platform for Nathan for You and different Comedy Central-produced sequence), with the service skipping proper previous it (as seen within the under screenshot).
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Screenshot by way of Paramount+
It’s not exceptional for streaming companies to take away episodes from a present’s line-up for content material causes. That stated, the trigger for such removals is normally attributable to points surrounding race, such because the (quite a few!) occasions It’s At all times Sunny in Philadelphia and 30 Rock depicted blackface. “Horseback Driving / Man Zone” does characteristic a number of grim photographs, as Fielder’s steered retail show for Summit Ice isn’t a giant hit with the shop proprietor, however solely as a result of it depicts the fact of what occurred through the Holocaust. As one does, when attempting to impart Holocaust schooling and consciousness.
In The Rehearsal, Fielder casts actor Alexander Leiss as “Pretend Nathan” to re-enact his discovery of the episode’s elimination in late 2023, in addition to his makes an attempt to e mail Paramount and discover out what occurred. The primary reply he will get is that the episode was eliminated attributable to “sensitivities,” earlier than it’s defined additional that Paramount+ Germany eliminated something that touches on antisemitism within the aftermath of the October seventh, 2023 terrorist assault.
Fielder makes use of a map of the world borrowed instantly from a highschool historical past class on World Struggle II to point out how “earlier than lengthy, the ideology of Paramount+ Germany had unfold to the globe, eliminating all Jewish content material that made them uncomfortable.” Now, as Fielder precisely paperwork within the episode, looking out Paramount+ for the phrase “nazi” pulls up 50 outcomes and “hitler” pulls up 10, whereas “judaism” goes unrepresented.
Sure, I did these searches myself Sunday morning, and I’ve one minor replace for Fielder: As of writing, “judaism” does have one end result — looking out the phrase pulls up Spotlights, a Showtime sequence consisting of “brief movies showcasing visionary expertise.” However it’s completely potential that Fielder doesn’t subscribe to the total Paramount+ with Showtime package deal, costing because it does $12.99 a month versus $7.99 a month.
That stated, it’s on Showtime that one finds The Curse, the 2023 sequence Fielder starred in with Emma Stone and Benny Sadfie — which can or could not at some point get a second season. Fielder’s efforts to make use of his maybe-not-actually-patented rehearsal approach to assist him confront Paramount over the “Horseback Driving / Man Zone” elimination aren’t that efficient. That stated, he makes his opinion in regards to the determination heard with not-so-subtle touches just like the aforementioned map and casting an actor named John Hans Tester as “Pretend Paramount Plus Govt” — you would possibly know Tester greatest from his six episodes on Prime Video’s The Man within the Excessive Fort, enjoying Josef Mengele.
“A person with a grudge utilizing his TV present to smear us, as a substitute of attempting to grasp us,” is how Pretend Paramount Plus Exec describes Fielder’s efforts right here, and it’s value noting that watching a working comic on this stage use his present on one corporate-owned platform to name out one other company like that is exceptional by itself deserves. Possibly that is Fielder’s method of claiming {that a} second season of The Curse isn’t taking place anytime quickly? Then once more, who is aware of.
On the finish of “Star Potential,” Fielder doesn’t get “Horseback Driving / Man Zone” again on Paramount+, however the season is early but, and no matter journey Fielder is on proper now nonetheless feels prefer it’s simply starting. Within the meantime, by no means concern: Nathan for You can also be streaming on Max proper now — together with the episode “Horseback Driving / Man Zone.” Proper the place it’s purported to be.
New episodes of The Rehearsal premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.
