Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't watched the latest episode of The Rehearsal on HBO or with a Max subscription.
Deadpan comedian Nathan Fielder's recent return to HBO for his acclaimed series The Rehearsal has added some unique cringe to the 2025 TV schedule. Continuing his style of reality-blurring humor that pushes the limits of comedy and comfort, Fielder offers no shortage of examples that show off his signature tone on screen. But the most recent case has ruffled some feathers, as a controversial gag from the latest episode put Paramount+ firmly in the spotlight. Or is it the crosshairs?
Paramount+ Removed An Episode Of Nathan For You About Antisemitism
Apparently, Paramount+’s removal of the Nathan For You episode “Horseback Riding/Man Zone” was a partial inspiration for the episode “Star Potential" — here's how to watch The Rehearsal Season 2. According to reporting from EW, the choice was made “after a standards review” of the 2015 installment, which contained a subplot where Fielder tried to create a sports apparel brand named “Arctic Ice,” which lampooned antisemitism in the fashion world.
For those not familiar with the story, Nathan Fielder was inspired to start a brand after his\preferred brand of soft shell jacket was outed as the product of a Holocaust denying CEO. Culminating in a sales pitch that integrated a fair amount of Nazi symbology, the brand naturally never took off. That factor is probably what led to the “sensitivities” that were cited in Fielder’s account on The Rehearsal; which led to a wild dramatized “reenactment” of a meeting that the creator wished he’d had with Paramount.
Which, as you can see in the photo below, doubled down on the joke from Nathan For You’s “missing” episode:
Admittedly, this is a decision that may inspire a reaction similar to that of the critically-divided Showtime series The Curse, which also starred Fielder. However, I think the full resolution of this plotline refreshes this joke, as if you look closely, Paramount+ isn’t the only target on the range.
The Rehearsal’s Joke About Nathan For You’s Missing Episode Came Full Circle Pretty Brilliantly
Digging a little deeper into the joke presented in The Rehearsal’s “Star Potential” episode, I think it appears that the joke is ultimately on Nathan Fielder himself. While he was clearly upset about this choice, the way that Mr. Fielder exercised his opinion was also pretty self reflexive.
The ultimate finger pointed in the room was aimed straight at himself, as shown in this dialogue delivered by the fake Paramount+ exec - played by The Man in the High Castle vet John Hans Tester:
You designed this office to look like a war room. Dressed me to look like a Nazi. Pretending to want feedback, but you don’t actually want to get the Paramount Plus perspective, or the German perspective. … You’re just a man with a grudge, using his television show to smear us, instead of trying to understand us.
It’s certainly a lot to take in, especially with a 60 Minutes segment on Bill Owens’ resignation calling Paramount executives out for its own reasons.
But for now, the ultimate ruling on how to take this joke lies with you, the audience. So if you want to get in on the joke, you can stream Nathan For You in the same place new episodes of The Rehearsal land, after debuting on Sundays at 10:30 PM ET: through the comfort of a Max subscription.
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