In the third episode of The Rehearsal’s second season, “Pilot’s Code,” Nathan Fielder’s quest to improve inter-pilot communication brings him to his most extravagant simulation yet. In a bid to understand the mind-set of a pilot who’s open to feedback, he turns to the widely celebrated story of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who, in 2009, successfully landed a passenger plane on the Hudson River after an engine was struck by a flock of birds. Fielder’s curiosity hinges on an interaction and an absence: In the black-box recording of Sully’s famous flight, there’s a notable 23-second stretch of silence as he navigates the descent, after which he is heard asking his co-pilot for ideas. What happened during that stretch, and what made Sullenberger the kind of captain who would solicit feedback from his first officer?
To answer these questions, Fielder turns to Sullenberger’s memoir, Highest Duty, and proceeds to subject himself to a series of simulations that draw from the captain’s life experiences, meant to help Fielder better understand the guy. He goes all the way back to infancy in a sequence that produces the indelible image of a fully-shaven Fielder in diapers going through the motions of being a baby, complete with breastfeeding by a colossal puppet standing in for Sullenberger’s mother.
“I don’t even know what word to put on it,” Amy Lee, Evanescence’s lead singer, says about the sequence. “It’s just blowing my mind. It’s really beautiful.” Speaking from her home in Nashville, Lee discussed the episode, the aviation community’s strong affinity for the band in general, and whether she’d undergo one of these rehearsals herself.
Between its blend of humor, heart, and grand theatricality, this episode exemplifies why so many viewers — and even rock stars — are captivated by Fielder’s singular vision.
Read More: Evanescence’s Amy Lee Thinks Nathan Fielder Is ‘Some Kind of Genius’
