‘The Rehearsal’ Season 2 Episode 5 Forces Nathan Fielder to Reckon With the Reality He Might Be Autistic In Real Life

The Rehearsal Season 2 Episode 5 “Washington” is ostensibly about Nathan Fielder gearing up to go to Washington, DC, where he will have to convince actual members of Congress to give his unorthodox methods of preventing future aviation disasters a serious go. However, like every other episode of this HBO masterpiece, there’s a twist. In this case, maybe the biggest and most profound twist of Nathan Fielder’s entire career.

**Spoilers for The Rehearsal Season 2 Episode 5 “Washington,” now streaming on MAX**

About halfway through The Rehearsal Season 2 Episode 5 “Washington,” series creator/writer/director/star Nathan Fielder delves into the world of autism research in the hopes that his vague association with the cause can help him land a meeting with a Congressman interested in both autism awareness and aviation safety. The crazy twist is that even though autistic fans and critics have lauded The Rehearsal for accurately capturing what neurodivergent life feels like, Fielder has seemingly never entertained the thought that he might be on the autism spectrum. We watch, in real time, as Fielder struggles to breeze through a quiz that’s easy for neurotypical people, but difficult for neurodivergent types.

Maybe, like much of Fielder’s oeuvre, this whole sequence is an act. However, Fielder’s nervous glances to the camera and clear frustration seem to suggest it’s not. Fielder may have actually captured the moment he realized he’s probably on the autism spectrum! And it’s incredible to watch.

Rehearsal fans already know that this season is all about Fielder’s hopes to use his HBO show to explore ways to prevent future aviation disasters. The Canadian comic has combed over countless transcripts from various plane crashes and discovered they all have one quality in common: a pilot who will not take advice and a co-pilot unable to speak up. The Rehearsal Season 2’s mission — in spite of all its zaniness — is to prove that just a casual role-playing game between pilots before a flight can put them in the proper mindsets for better communication, thus preventing mass casualty events.

Now that Fielder has his plan in place, he’s just got to get the powers that be to take him seriously. Fielder digs into his own public persona and discovers there’s one single serious topic that people positively associate him with, and that’s autism awareness. Fielder seems honestly surprised that so many neurodivergent audience members felt seen by The Rehearsal Season 1, but is nonetheless eager to cultivate this connection.

Fielder visits CARD (Center for Autism & Related Disorders) and speaks to founder Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh about how to be an advocate for the autism community. She’s immediately thrilled to help because The Rehearsal really resonated with her and her work with the autism community. “That’s what we do. We practice things that we know are going to be very socially difficult for them,” Dr. Granpeesheh says. Fielder gently pushes back, suggesting the concept is universal. Granpeesheh continues to extoll The Rehearsal‘s value in showing neurotypical people how the neurodivergent community experiences life.

To illustrate one difference between how neurotypical and neurodivergent people view the world, Dr. Granpeesheh shows Fielder a test called “Reading the Mind in the Eyes.” You’re show a set of eyes and asked to determine what word best describes what the person is thinking and/or feeling. The first example is of some brown eyes with a bit of a twinkle in them. Fielder struggles and says, “Comforting.” He is wrong. They’re “Playful.”

Photo: HBO

During the next example, Fielder complains that the image is low res and tries to dodge giving an answer. “So you’re saying these people have trouble with this?” Fielder asks, separating himself from folks on the spectrum and delaying his own response. When Granpeesheh pushes him, he once again guesses wrong.

When Fielder lays out his plan to use his association with autism to get in with a lawmaker, Granpeesheh is happy to create an official relationship. However, she’s more pumped by the idea that Fielder has created a working airport terminal for role-playing. She explains that this would be an incredible teaching resource for autistic children “rehearsing” to take their first flight in an overstimulating airport. Fielder deflects and says he made a commitment to not use children this year after the controversies that followed his use of child actors in Season 1.

Luckily, though, Granpeesheh convinces him. We then see a group of kids moving through the sets, interacting with actors playing pilots, and learning how to handle air travel via “Nathan’s Airport.” Even though Fielder still seems reluctant about the whole thing, it’s honestly one of the most wholesome sequences the auteur has ever produced. You can see how the opportunity to role play going to the airport is literally empowering these children.

What’s ultimately ironic is that Fielder does all this to secure a legitimate board position with CARD so he can meet with Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee. The meeting goes poorly. It’s awkward, with Fielder missing social cues, and Cohen flummoxed by the whole idea of using role-playing games to prevent plane crashes.

Fielder fails to get the attention of Congress in The Rehearsal Season 2 Episode 5 “Washington,” but he forges a real relationship with the autism community. What’s wild is that by the time the episode ends, it’s unclear if Fielder wants that association. Sure, he wanted The Rehearsal Season 2 to prove that his grand comedic experiment could do good for the world. Is Nathan’s Airport and his work for neurodivergent people enough for him?