All language subtitles for The.Rehearsal.S01E01.WEBRip.x264-ION10-eng

ALEX TREBEK: (OVER TV) These two
title MTV cartoon guys thought

the band KISS was pretty cool

-for a bunch of mimes.
-Who is Beavis and Butt-Head?

-ALEX: Ben?
-Who are Beavis and Butt-Head?

-ALEX: Yup!
-Uh, TV character for 400.

-ALEX: From 1970 to--
-NATHAN FIELDER: I'm not good

at meeting people
for the first time.

-Hey. Nice to meet you. Nathan.
-Pleased to meet you.
How are you? Kor.

♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

-Oh, door city over here.
-Uh, yes.

-(CHUCKLES)
-So, this is, um--

Basically, it's like a portal,
I guess, on some levels.

-(CHUCKLES) Yeah.
-(CHUCKLES)

NATHAN: I have been told
my personality

can make people uncomfortable,

so I have to work
to offset that.

Humor is my go-to instinct,
but every joke is a gamble.

-Shoes off or...
-Oh, please walk as is.

-And--
-Okay. Shirt off?

-Or? Just kidding.
-(LAUGHS)

-I'll leave my shirt on.
-It's not that--

No, it's not that kind of place.
(CHUCKLES)

-No, it's not, I'm just kidding.
-(SIGHS)

NATHAN: So far it was
going well, and it had to,

because I was about to ask
this man to trust me

with his life.

Kor Skeet is a 50-year-old
teacher from Brooklyn, New York,

and there is nothing
he loves more than trivia.

I'm very good
at television trivia.

Who is the youngest person
to ever be inducted

into the Television Hall
of Fame?

It's a female.

-NATHAN: Who?
-Oprah Winfrey.

NATHAN: A few months ago,
Kor responded

to a vague Craigslist post I put
on the internet, sharing a story

about a lie he told
his bar trivia team

over 12 years ago.

I, um, told my friends
that I had an advanced degree,

and I didn't.
I play trivia with them often,

and the problem was that I...

um, wanted to seem
like I was smarter than I was.

My teammates
all had advanced degrees.

I decided to let them think

I had a master's degree
when I was just getting

my bachelor's.

-Oh, wow!
You've quite a collection.
-Yeah, I'm a bibliophile.

"How to Make Love All Night
and Drive a Woman Wild?"

-Well, you know? (LAUGHS)
-I think we're gonna get along

-pretty well. (LAUGHS)
-(LAUGHS) Well,

-I don't know about that. I--
-Yeah.

-(INHALES SHARPLY)
-NATHAN: And now it's gotten

to the point where he's lying
to them every day.

I have a friend on the team
that keeps sending me,

um, jobs that require
a master's degree.

So now, it's being shoved back
in my face again,

and I'm running out of excuses.

NATHAN:
I understand his dilemma.

This trivia team is his life.

And when you reveal
your true self,

people don't always like
what they see.

But I wanted to show him

that if you plan
for every variable,

a happy outcome doesn't have
to be left to chance.

♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

I assume you've seen some
of my previous work? Or...

-I'm afraid I haven't.
-Okay. Um...

It's-- I made a show
called Nathan For You.

Oh, okay.

Didn't you say
your trivia specialty

is television shows?

It is but there's even
a limitation on that.

-Oh, okay. (CHUCKLES)
-(LAUGHS)

-NATHAN: Um...
-Yeah.

I mean, you should check it out.

-Oh, I mean, definitely.
-But a lot of it involved

-working with real people...
-KOR SKEET: Yeah.

...so I'd have
to put myself in all these

uncertain environments
and I became really good

at predicting how people
would act in a future situation.

-Okay, okay.
-For example.

-KOR: Yeah.
-Like this conversation's going

-pretty well, right?
-Okay, I'd like to continue it.

I mean, do you think so?
I don't know.

-Yeah. I'm-- So far, so good.
-I mean, we've been having fun.

-Yes.
-I assume we have been

-sharing some laughs so far.
-Yeah. Yeah.

-I hope to continue that way.
-(BOTH LAUGH)

So, that's no accident.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

Everything that's happened
so far today,

I have rehearsed it
dozens of times.

These exact words,
in a replica of your home,

-with an actor playing you.
-Okay.

Remember a couple of weeks ago,
when the gas company came by

because of a leak
in your building?

-Yes...
-Well, there wasn't a leak

in your building,
that was my team.

-(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
-FAKE GAS COMPANY WORKER:

NATHAN: Now, when you gave
them access, they secretly made

a digital map
of your entire home.

We then recreated
every detail of this space

as a physical set in a warehouse
a few miles from here.

And with the help of a fake you,
I could practice

every single permutation
of this interaction

and have a plan for it.

I mean, do you think I should
say something about the doors?

The actor I hired
analyzed your submission video

to mimic your speech patterns
and psychology.

Well, it's me with my--
my parents, I was--

I can't remember,
maybe I was about ten?

"How to Make Love All Night
and Drive a Woman Wild?"

-(CHUCKLES) Yeah, that was a...
-I feel like we're gonna

-get along pretty well.
-(LAUGHS)

NATHAN:
And we tried over and over.

-Hi. Nathan.
-FAKE KOR STREET: Hey.

-Hi. Nathan.
-FAKE KOR: Hi. Hey, hi.

-Hi. Nathan.
-Hi. (CHUCKLES) Hi.

-(CHUCKLES)
-Oh, door city over here. Huh?

NATHAN: And I'd adjust each time
until I perfected it.

-Or shoes off?
-No, no, no,

you can leave them on,
it's fine.

All right. What about shirt off?

-(BOTH LAUGH)
-Leave it on, please.

Yeah, so that will probably
make him laugh.

So everything that's happened
so far today,

I have rehearsed it
dozens of times.

These exact words,

in a replica of your home,
with an actor playing you.

Wow!

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

Wow!

This is what we can do
for your lie with your friends.

-Yeah, uh-huh.
-Your trivia, like,

this is the potential

-is what I am saying.
-I see. Like a person, if I had

the ability to know-- if I knew
what-- how the other person

or other people are gonna react,

or how the situation
is gonna go...

-You'll know.
-Yeah.

You'll know what exactly
to say for every possible way.

Well-- Oh, then that would be
extremely appealing, yes.

NATHAN: But as we kept talking,
I began to understand

the real reason he had been
putting this off for so long.

Mm. Well,

it's good except for one thing.
Suppose one of my friends

might give a reaction

that's very, very violent
on some people,

even beyond the several
predictions you can make.

What do you mean by violent?

-So--
-Like, you know, call me names

and saying things that
are so unforgivable

that I couldn't be
their friend after that.

Who are you worried
about specifically?

Uh...

Um, I'd rather not reveal
the name,

not at this point, but um...

it's definitely someone
that's on the team.

NATHAN: I found myself
in an odd situation.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Kor was willing
to point out his friend

in a photo,
but he wouldn't tell me

anything else about her.

She looks so nice,
what is it about her?

Oh, she's a nice person,
very nice, but...

Hmm, how do I put it?

Uh, if she--

Depending on her mood,
you don't wanna cross her

-too much.
-Oh, my God! Okay.

NATHAN: It was frustrating.
My rehearsal for today

was designed to get him
to open up about this stuff,

but perhaps I had done
something to put him off.

Thinking back,
there was a somewhat

off-color joke I tried
after a trip to the bathroom.

Oh, my gosh, I should start
traveling with a plunger.

-(SNICKERS) Ooh!
-Good?

You think he'd find that funny?
Or--

-Yeah.
-NATHAN: But when I did it

with the real Kor,
it didn't land.

Oh, my God, I should start
traveling with a plunger.

-(CHUCKLES) Oh, well, well.
-NATHAN: Hmm?

-Oh, well. (CHUCKLES)
-(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)

-Are they expensive?
-No. No.

♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Could that joke
have been it?

I'd intended the joke
to be self-deprecating

about my unpredictable
bowel movements,

but reflecting on it later,
I realized he could have

interpreted it as a criticism

that his bathroom
was under-equipped.

Whatever the reason,
I couldn't stage a rehearsal

for Kor with no details
about his friend.

So, I planned a day trip
for us upstate,

that was strategically designed
to endear me to him

and hopefully,
get him to open up.

-Have you ever been?
-Never.

-You've never?
-I-- Never in my entire life.

So, your last name is Skeet
and you've never been

-skeet shooting?
-No, no.

-(GUNSHOT)
-KOR: Oops.

(LAUGHS)

NATHAN: Pull.

-(GUNSHOT)
-(GROANS)

KOR: Pull.

♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: I didn't tell Kor,

but I had
arranged ahead...

-KOR: Pull.
-NATHAN: ...of time to have

the guns loaded with blanks,

-in the hopes...
-KOR: Pull.

NATHAN: ...that it would create
a moment of bonding,

because we were both
bad at this.

(GRUNTS)

-Huh?
-You fired too early, man.

I fired too early.

Wow, we are not good at this.

-Eh.
-(NATHAN CHUCKLES)

But it's nice to have
a new experience.

Yeah.

NATHAN: But this was just
laying the groundwork

for the main event.

The mutual disclosure
of personal information

in a heated pool.

-♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
-You mentioned you were married.

Yes, I was married
for five years. (SIGHS)

-I was married for three years.
-Oh, didn't know that.

Is it sad for you?

I consider it one of my, um...

one of the bigger failures
of my life.

-One of the what?
-Biggest failures of my life.

(WATER SPLASHING)

♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: I didn't want to go
too deep into my private life,

so I'd pre-planned
for an elderly swimmer

to interrupt us,

in the hopes
that it would convince Kor

I was ready to share more
had the moment not been ruined.

I wasn't sure if my portrayal
of vulnerability was convincing,

but on the ride home,
Kor finally told me the name

of his trivia friend, Tricia,
and what she did for a living.

-♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
-She's been mostly

a freelance writer
and she has, um,

a blog, gives information
about things you could do

to save money and have fun.

-What's the blog called?
-Cheap Chick in the City.

-"Cheap Chick in the City"?
-Cheap Chick in the City.

-Cheap Check in the City.
-Cheap Chick in the City.

-Cheap Check in the City.
-Cheap Chick in the City.

-♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-NATHAN: Cheap Chick in the City

seemed to be
a bare-bones website

dedicated to low-cost
activities in New York.

I was hoping it would be
a window into Tricia's psyche,

but it seemed like the majority
of posts were just apologies

for not having anything
to post that day.

I understand that. Sometimes
you don't wanna say anything,

but you do want people
to know you exist.

Regardless, I was hopeful
this blog would be enough

for the rehearsal actress

we'd hire to base
her performance on,

in addition to Kor's insights.

Uh, she has a...

an appeal for an actor
named Vincent...
um, Karth-- Karthreiser.

NATHAN: But unfortunately,
it wasn't enough.

I mean, I think
it's really useful

to get a sense of what
their reactions might be,

and the kinds
of words that they might use.

NATHAN: So, to get her
better access,

I decided to create a blog
of my own called Thrifty Boy,

and offered Tricia
the opportunity

to write an article for us.
And luckily, she took the gig.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Her article would entail

interviewing a professional
bird watcher for our site,

because bird watching
is a thrifty thing to do.

But what Tricia didn't know

is that she'd be interviewing
her own doppelgänger,

who would be studying
her every move.

-FAKE TRICIA: Nice to meet you.
(CHUCKLES)
-TRICIA:

FAKE TRICIA: Tricia?
Oh, that's my daughter's name.

FAKE TRICIA: Um,
I do love hummingbirds.

NATHAN: At first glance,

this woman didn't seem
frightening at all,

but she did like to talk.

But you know my dad
is really into birds.

-FAKE TRICIA: Oh, yeah?
-He seriously has like--

He lives in North Carolina,
which I guess,

apparently, there's a very big
bird show there.

A really good book
called The Huntress,

-and I do recommend it.
It's World War II.
-FAKE TRICIA: Okay.

But otherwise, I mean, aside
from my roommates, I'm actually

pretty happy with the way
things are,

but my roommate's definitely...

You know, like,
"Hey, I'm running late,"

like, but maybe he found
a payphone, maybe, but like...

One time, like, the plane
started plunging, so

-after that, like...
-FAKE TRICIA: Oh.

I still get kind of nervous
when I'm in a plane and...

NATHAN: Over the course
of the 30-minute encounter,

our actress had trouble
getting a single word in,

even though she was the one
being interviewed.

So, I have all the apps,
you know, for the different,

you know, airlines,
on my phone, ready to go,

-whenever I need to fly.
-Yeah.

American Airlines, Delta, um,
Gogo inflight entertainment.

NATHAN: But before it was over,
I wanted to get a sense

of how Tricia would respond
to being lied to.

Data that would be crucial

-for our rehearsal.
-♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

FAKE TRICIA: There's actually
something I need

-to come clean about. Um...
-Okay.

FAKE TRICIA:
I said early on that

my daughter's name was Tricia...

-Mm-hmm.
-FAKE TRICIA: ...but that was
actually a lie.

-Oh, okay.
-FAKE TRICIA: I don't--

-I don't have a daughter. Um...
-Oh, wow! Okay.

I guess I should have guessed
when you said you were 39,

'cause it's a little young
to have a daughter these days.

-(ACTOR CHUCKLES)
-That's okay, that's funny,

'cause I was like, I mean,
like I said,

you don't meet
too many other Tricias,

so I was a little surprised,
but you know,

that's-- Yeah, that's
interesting, but I understand.

-I'm sorry that I... (SIGHS)
-It's fine, no worries.

Do you have
any funny moments that you had

with a bird? With birds?
Or any fun stories about birds?

-♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-NATHAN: I was surprised
by how not mad Tricia was.

Was Kor worried for nothing,
or was Tricia

just able to bottle up her rage
because it was a stranger?

Kor was so convinced she would
have an extreme reaction

that he insisted the confession

could only go down one-on-one,
in a public place.

Trivia would be, I think,
the only place that
would not arouse suspicion,

because that's something
we do out of habit already.

-Okay.
-I can probably get her

in a trivia event, by ourselves,
just between she and I.

-♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-NATHAN: But when I saw
the trivia bar Kor frequents,

I was overwhelmed by the chaos

-of the environment.
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

NATHAN: This is footage
I collected

from the Alligator Lounge

in Brooklyn, and it seemed like
any aspect of this space

could radically transform
the tone of his big moment.

I had learned this firsthand
when I met Kor.

I thought I would look cool,

but due to just
a slight difference in chairs,

I looked like a fool.

-♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-NATHAN: It's hard to say
what about this place

could affect Kor's confession,

but I did notice
there were a lot of chairs,

and I didn't want
to leave anything to chance.

Kor had messaged Tricia
to play trivia with him

in just under two weeks' time.
This is where it would happen.

The place where
he would finally come clean.

So with the clock now ticking,
I invited Kor

into my secret warehouse
to begin his rehearsal.

♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

Wow, this is... (CHUCKLES)

...the perfect replica.

I mean, that's not even
a funhouse version of it.

It has-- It looks... Wow!

♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Every detail
was meticulously replicated

-this time.
-Oh, my gosh!

Oh, my gosh!

This spice rack, it's the exact
spices they have, the garlic...

-Yeah.
-...the basil.

This chair is an exact--

-This-- These rips--
-KOR: Wow!

-Yeah, and that, even that's...
-Well...

...exactly the way it is.
The portrait kind of tilts.

You see that balloon there?
That's in the real bar.

Wow! It'll be like walking in,
in a normal level,

and then being able

-to know my bearings.
-When you show up

on the actual night,
it'll feel just like this.

-Yes.
-No surprises.

-No.
-You know everything

that's gonna happen.

NATHAN: There's something
strange about entering a space

that's indistinguishable
from another.

In moments,
you can forget where you are.

To me, it's like-- It's a little
surreal at times because...

-♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
-...I mean it's like...

You're the, um...

You're Willy Wonka
in the Chocolate Factory

and I'm Charlie Bucket,
trying to get the--

I don't remember the plot
fully, what did Willy Wonka do?

-Was he good?
-Well, he created--

-NATHAN: Wasn't he a bad guy?
-Well, he had

some questionable things,
he was this mysterious, um...

Uh, factory full of candy,

-basically.
-But I'm Willy--

-I'm the bad guy in the story?
-Well, but he's a dream maker.

-NATHAN: Okay.
-And you're doing--

You're making some
dreams happen for me.

But kids died in the factory.

Well, they supposedly died,
I don't know for sure

-if they actually--
-NATHAN: Okay.

But they didn't get
some good fate out of it.

I'll read the book again
just to... to look into it.

KOR: Yeah.

♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: It's good.

We started with basic blocking,
and the first choice

Kor would have to make
is where to sit.

-What's yours? This one?
-KOR: Yep. Yes.

-Yeah.
-Good?

NATHAN: Kor proposed that
on the night,

he would arrive early,

and secure his favorite
table using his hat

while he went to grab
their trivia sheet and drinks

for the two of them
from the bar.

-Hi, can I help you?
-Yes, can I have
an orange juice, no pulp,

-and a margarita, please?
-Coming right up.

NATHAN: Is that a margarita?
What is it?

-What did you put in it?
-I don't know-- Just make--

I don't know
how to make a margarita.

NATHAN: He thought that greeting
Tricia with a drink

would help
put her in a good mood,

since she normally
shows up at trivia

complaining about something.

My roommates are driving
me crazy, and just,

it's one of those days
where you're like,

"You don't need to be rude."

I think it's just, like,
we're all human beings here.

NATHAN: And he suggested
trying to joke with her

to lighten her spirits.

I would guess I would say, um...
(MUTTERS INDISTINCTLY)

I'm gonna probably
give you a little buzz tonight

because I'm sure someone's
plucking your nerves today.

Okay, is that a joke?
Or just a line--

-It'll be more of a joke.
-Okay.

NATHAN: For every way Tricia
could react, I would input

a planned response
from Kor

into specialized
flowchart software.

-FAKE TRICIA: Hey.
-Hi, Trish the dish.

FAKE TRICIA: How you doing?

NATHAN: This would allow us
to chart the optimal path

through the evening.

Are you-- Are you starting
with presidents?

-No, I'm starting with twins.
-Oh, you went twins and then

-go to presidents?
-I started with twins
and I connected to--

-And then go to the presidents?
-Yeah.

NATHAN: Okay.

A decision tree
that would guide us towards

key milestones and help us
avoid pitfalls.

-Hey. Hi, man.
-KOR: Hi. Trish the Dish.

NATHAN: Kor had told me
there was a chance Tricia could

misinterpret his invitation
as a sign of romantic interest.

I mean, she's a single person
and I guess...

uh, that after all these years,
I'm inviting her by myself.

Right.

(CHUCKLES) You know
I don't drink very much,

you trying to get me drunk?

NATHAN: But when we ran
that simulation,

he gave confusing signals.

You're leaving your hand
touching hers right there.

Well, if I move it then

it's gonna bring
more suspicion to it.

I mean, how as a woman,

how would you take that?
If you touched

a guy's hand
and he just left it there.

She could read that
as you flirting back.

Right.

NATHAN: So, I had Kor practice
some standard defenses

to any advance she might make.

FAKE TRICIA: I think it's really
nice of you to get me a drink.

I feel like it's um...

Just, yeah, it's nice
to go like, come and...

NATHAN: But, of course,
all this was designed

to lay the perfect foundation
for him to confess his lie.

-to confess his lie.
-♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

Did I tell you what happened
with my laptop?

-No, no idea.
-Yeah, so, I--

The other day
I went to switch it on

and it just didn't switch on,
and like, it was, you know that

thing of-- I was in the middle
of writing something,

so I'm thinking I'm gonna lose
the pictures that are in there--

Well, it's funny that you think
about losing, I wanted--

-This might--
-It sounds heavy, but actually,

don't worry because I--
This story turned around,

like, I didn't actually end up
losing the photos

and the stuff, but I did have
to take it to get it fixed.

Kor, I think you need
to take control

of the conversation,
she's not gonna
give you an opening.

-Oh, okay.
-NATHAN: If you just
let her talk

she's just gonna
keep talking, right?

I'll try just one more time.
To see if I can find another

pattern into breaking
into the conversation.

Okay. Try it.

FAKE TRICIA:
Like, he just couldn't make

any kind of conversation

and like, he suddenly said
like, something

about, like,
pineapple being a member

of the citrus family, and like--

My educational situation
is a fraud.

-What?
-♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: But just starting
his confession

wasn't the only challenge.
Kor was most worried

about the aftermath.

So, our entire approach had
to be planned around the format

of this particular trivia night.

Well, there's, uh, um, usually
six questions per round,

it's about four rounds.
After round two, they usually

have a ten to 15-minute break.

We're gonna take a ten-minute
break, and I'm gonna add up

all your scores.

KOR: And then during that time,

uh, sometimes we would order
some pizza.

Here are your two tickets
for pizza.

The ideal thing would be to
talk about it for five minutes

and then, yeah, move on.
I don't want to linger,

I just wanna say it and then
pretty much have it dropped.

So, you don't have
a master's degree?

No. I just don't want you
to send me any more information

-about jobs that
have a master's degree--
-Definitely not gonna do that.

Like, I really wanna
understand like, why--

How did we end up here?

NATHAN: So, you just wanna
shut it down.

KOR: I wanna shut it down.
So, at least if I do it toward

the end, then the benefit
is I can leave if I think,

"Okay, too hairy,"
and say, "Oops,

I have an appointment to go to,
sorry, I have to go."

I don't owe you an explanation
for that, I really don't.

I owe you an apology
for putting you through that,

but I don't feel
I owe you an explanation.

All right, well, can we like,
discuss it after the trivia?

I don't wanna discuss it
any longer about the situation.

So, I'd rather say it at least
after the last round,

-but before the scores.
-♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪

All right, start finishing
up your ballots

and bring them up to score
when you're ready, all right?

NATHAN: But as soon
as we started incorporating

full rounds of trivia
into our rehearsal,

-it revealed a problem.
-♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

What is the number on the roof
of the bus in Speed?

-What...
-Wow!

FAKE TRIVIA HOST:
...is the number on the roof
of the bus in Speed?

NATHAN: Kor became entranced
by the game,

and when he didn't know
an answer,

he couldn't focus
on anything else.

That's right, I'm gonna lose
some points on this one.

-FAKE TRICIA: Yeah.
-I thought I would have known,

uh, who hosted Wheel of Fortune

-before Pat Sajak.
-Okay.

And I had 10,000 names
in my head but I couldn't

-pinpoint anybody.
-Sure.

Okay, well, do you wanna go
into the confession?

Or do you wanna try that or...

Uh... It's the option...

NATHAN: And he grew frustrated
that the stress of having

to confess this lie
was affecting his trivia game.

I'm not gonna take the chance
to miss good questions

because I'm having this burden,

'cause we can
actually just lose points

because the concentration
is off--

Right, but who cares
if you lose the game?

You got this off your chest,

I mean, it's just one night
of bar trivia.

No. One night of bar trivia
is sacrosanct to us.

NATHAN: And that's when
he told me that

if it wasn't going well
on the actual trivia night,

he might bail
on the confession entirely.

No, I would not-- I'm
not sacrificing trivia night.

-Not for that, no.
-Isn't it just for fun?

-Like everyone's drunk, right?
-KOR: No.

(SCOFFS) Then I'm gonna
have two things against me,

I mess up a good trivia night
and I, um, lied to her.

So, to me, I gotta take one
of them out of the equation.

-Okay. (SIGHS)
-♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: I had gone
to incredible lengths

to eliminate all uncertainty

from the night.
But the only way to know

the actual trivia questions
that the real host

would be asking would involve
some sort of cheating,

and that would be unethical.

But maybe it's more unethical
to leave things to chance

when there's something
you could have done.

-♪ (MILD TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-NATHAN: So, posing as the
founder of the popular blog

Thrifty Boy, I arranged
an interview

with the real trivia host at one
of the other bars he hosts at...

-Hey.
-Oh, hey. Nice to meet you.

NATHAN:
...under the pretense of doing

a Thrifty Boy
trivia night feature.

Now, is it mandatory
to buy drinks?

Because our readers really
don't like to spend money.

There's-- We have not had
a problem with having

people forced
to buy drinks or food.

And does the bar charge
for seltzer water,

or is that free?

That's up to each
individual establishment.

-And to-- I think...
-Very cool, okay.

NATHAN: I told him we wanted
the profile to include

an interactive video component
in which he would

read the questions
for the Alligator Lounge's

upcoming trivia night

to camera, so our readers
could play along

at home for free.

What conflict began in 1789

and led to the beheading
of Louis XVI?

NATHAN: It was one thing to get
the trivia questions

for the big night, but making
sure Kor knew the answers

would be its own challenge.

So, I don't know why
Archie had trouble choosing them

except for the personality

cause they look physically
the same.

NATHAN: I knew that cheating
at trivia was something

Kor doesn't tangle with.

Have you ever cheated at trivia?

No.

NATHAN: So we started going
on daily walks just to chat

about life, but I was actually
using these casual strolls

to covertly implant
every single trivia answer

into Kor's brain
without him knowing.

If you ever need to get in,
the code is 1789.

Oh, okay.

Like the year
the French Revolution started...

-Yes.
-...in 1789.

-I'm not a big summer person.
-Uh-huh.

-And I'm not a big...
-Oh, shit!

-...spring person.
-It's all over my DKNY pants.

Donna Karan New York, DKNY.

-Only in New York.
-(CHUCKLES)

Building's looking pretty tall.

It is tall, but it's not the
tallest building in the world.

That'll be
the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

-The Burj Khalifa? Huh.
-Yup. The Burj Khalifa.

Tallest building.

-What's going on here?
-It's a hostage situation,

guy has four people at gunpoint.

Shot someone
in the head on his way in.

Oh, my God! That's nuts.

-Oh, my gosh.
-It's days like these

that I curse the Chinese
for inventing gunpowder.

-Wow!
-That's crazy. Oh, my God.

Well, good luck to you, sir.
Good luck with the whole

-process.
-Oh, my God.

-Prayers for the family.
-♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: With just three days
to go until Kor would meet up

with Tricia at the real
Alligator Lounge, I had over

30 actors occupy the space,
playing customers, servers.

We had real beer on tap
and even a working simulation

of their pizza oven.

-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-(BELL DINGS)

NATHAN: Each time we ran
through the night, new variables

were introduced that he would
have to adapt to.

With a special focus
on the moment

when he'd be confessing.

I gotta tell you something,
and it's been eating

-at me for years.
-FAKE TRICIA: Oh, yeah?

Hey guys, how we
doing over here?

-Good.
-I'm fine, thank you.

Can we get you another drink?
Can I get you a drink?

-I think we're good.
-Okay, Kor, so you probably

don't want the interruption
happening during the confession,

so maybe you make sure
your drink isn't empty

-at this point in the night.
-Okay.

-Right? So, maybe tiny sips.
-Right.

-Can you just take tinier sips?
-I got it, take tiny sips.

NATHAN: We ran through
the entire night 13 times.

But unlike real life, in here,

you can always hit
the reset button

and start over.

It was the one place on earth
you couldn't fail.

Orange juice, no pulp.

Hope you don't mind?

I decided to give you
a little buzz.

I decided to... (SIGHS)
...give you a little buzz.

It's something that's been
eating at me for a long time.

Oh, yeah?

It's been eating at me
for this--

forever, and I wanna...

I just wanna tell you.

-No pulp.
-Okay.

I gotta tell you something.

This has been
eating at me for years.

My whole educational status
has been a scam.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Just based after my childhood,

I guess there's some
issues there. Some insecurities

I haven't been able
to face until now.

NATHAN: As we neared the end,
Kor seemed to be testing

new approaches,

but that didn't mean
Tricia always took it well.

I don't understand
why you felt the need to lie

about your education.
I mean, it's really messed up.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

-I--
-For years,

we were trying to help you
get a job 'cause you said

you had a master's degree,
and that was all bullshit!

(SIGHS)

-Well, I was just trying to--
-Is this what you think

a friendship is? Like, you have
no respect for me, no respect

for my time. I don't give a crap
about your education.

(BREATHES SHAKILY) But--

but 12 years of deception,
that's-- Twelve years!

It's unforgivable. (SOBS)
I don't wanna talk to you again.

Please don't go.

FAKE PATRON 1: He lied about
having a master's degree.

I just heard their conversation.

FAKE PATRON 2: (SCOFFS)
No master's degree?

FAKE PATRON 3:
This guy is such a fraud.

FAKE PATRON 4: Who doesn't have
a master's degree?

And the loser
of tonight's trivia is...

Kor Skeet.

-(FAKE PATRONS MUTTERING)
-♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Are you sure
you wanna do this? For sure?

KOR: Well, it still felt good
that I got it off my chest,

even if it means I might lose
a friendship in the process.

NATHAN: Like... I don't think
it'll go that bad.

-(KOR CHUCKLES) Oh. Mm-hmm.
-NATHAN: But...

KOR: I'm literally
going into the unknown,

the pit of the alligator, and...

he's gonna swallow me up
or let me go free.

-♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

NATHAN: We had planned
for Kor to get there early

to secure his chosen table.
But when he arrived,

there was a problem.
The table was taken.

Fortunately, we had rehearsed
for this exact scenario.

Sorry to bother you,
my grandmother died of like,

-brain cancer recently...
-Same.

...and this-- Terrible thing.
This table here

-is like a sentimental thing.
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Um, I know you're all
settled here but would you

consider to moving
to another area?

-I know it sounds outrageous.
-PATRON:

-Yeah, if you want.
-Oh, that'd be nice of you.

-Thank you so much.
-No worries.

-Oh, I'm so sorry about that.
-PATRON:

♪ (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

-Do you have any orange juice?
-Yes.

Do you have it with no pulp?

-Thank you so much.
-BARTENDER:

Thank you so much.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(CHUCKLES) Hello!

-TRICIA: Hey!
-Trish the dish.

-TRICIA: (CHUCKLES) Gosh!
-Now what?

-(TRICIA SIGHS)
-I decided to get you a rum
and coke, a little buzz.

'Cause I'm sure everyone's
been plucking on your nerves,

-or someone you know--
-TRICIA:

(KOR LAUGHS)

-KOR: I can understand that.
-TRICIA:

NATHAN: As expected,
Tricia showed up

not in the best of spirits,

but Kor knew exactly what
to talk about to cheer her up.

-♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-Um, the Bush twins.

-TRICIA:
-KOR: Yeah, Jenna and Laura.

They're the only two children
of a president, that are twins.

-TRICIA:
-With all the presidents,

-sometimes having eight
or nine kids.
-TRICIA:

-And none of them had
twins within that range.
-TRICIA:

-Not even stillborn twins,
not even like in that situation.
-TRICIA:

So he's the only one.

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN: Kor was sticking
to the script,

and it was working.

KOR: He's the earliest
president we have that had

like-- has grandchildren still
living from that generation.

That is so crazy.

NATHAN: And before long,
it was time for trivia.

Ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls,

the moment
you all have been waiting for,

we're gonna start
playing trivia.

What mode
of transportation places

the rider in a laid-back,
reclining position,

distributing the rider's weight
comfortably over a large area?

Uh, these freaking recumbent
bikes are everywhere.

(LAUGHS)

TRIVIA HOST:
What mode of transportation

places the rider in a laid-back
reclining position,

distributing the rider's weight
comfortably over a large area?

TRICIA: Probably a train.
I think Amtrak did that
but I'm not sure.

Uh... Or it could be a bike,

or something like that,
one of those reclining bikes?

TRICIA: But you don't really,
recline the seat of a bike,

-right?
-Yeah.

NATHAN: Kor was slightly off
on the first question,

and I was worried these answers
weren't fully absorbed

into his brain.

TRIVIA HOST: The correct answer
to that is a recumbent bike.

-This is like, really--
-Yeah, I knew it was a bike.

But I-- I know-- I've seen it,
but I couldn't imagine the name.

TRICIA: I've, uh--
I've heard the name.

I wouldn't know the name.

NATHAN: But then,
things started to turn around.

TRIVIA HOST: The correct answer
is the French Revolution.

-(CROWD CHEERING)
-Look at you!

TRIVIA HOST: The correct
answer, gunpowder.

(CROWD CHEERING)

TRIVIA HOST: And the correct
answer to that

is called Burj Khalifa.

TRICIA: Good!

-(CROWD CHEERING)
-(LAUGHS)

NATHAN: It was an amazing streak
that continued until the end

of round four, and he seemed
to be brimming with confidence

by the time he got up to hand
in his score sheet,

marking the start of his window
to come clean.

-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-Thank you. I'll be right back.

NATHAN: In our fake bar,
we had practiced an option

where he would
get pizza for both of them

right after the fourth round,

so it would be easier
for him to initiate

the confession while her mouth
was full,

and since
she was in a chatty mood,

it seemed like
he had decided to go for it.

Two cheese pizzas, please.

SERVER: Two cheese?
Okay, ten minutes.

-KOR: Okay.
-NATHAN: But then,
something happened.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

NATHAN: When he returned
to the table

to wait for his pizzas,

Tricia wasn't talking.
It was the perfect opportunity

to begin his confession,
but for some reason,

he wasn't doing it.

-Yeah. Yeah.
-TRICIA: Okay.

The pizza tastes better after
a certain, uh, period of time,

the pizza's good but then,
after a couple of rounds,

it really hits it in...
(CHUCKLES, INHALES SHARPLY)

Hits it to the last spot.

Especially after a couple
rums and cokes.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

NATHAN: And as the clock
kept ticking, he just sat there.

(CLICKS TONGUE)

In this case, ask over the lady

who'd take the pizza,
the faster it comes.

TRICIA:

Oh, my gosh.

TRICIA:

-(GRUNTS)
-TRICIA:

You know, there's been,
uh, something on my mind

-I've had to deal with and um...
-(BELL DINGING)

-You know, uh, maybe it's there?
-That's right.

Hang on a second.

Okay. Okay.

Almost around the corner.

(GROANS)

-What's up?
-Hmm. They ring the bell,

they're getting closer
to making the pizza.

Well, I guess so. Now what
were you saying before?

I feel bad that-- This has been
bothering me a long time

-to tell you this.
-What's that?

Um, my whole educational life
has been, like, uh,

-kind of a fraud.
-Really?

Yeah.

See, remember when I was showing
pictures of my graduation

-a couple years ago?
-Yeah, sure.

In front of the gang
and everything like that?

-Yeah.
-And then you asked at the time,

um, said that I got
a master's degree.

-TRICIA: Mm-hmm.
-And I...

-And I kinda went along with it.
-Really?

-Yeah.
-Wow.

I felt kinda bad because
I didn't wanna level with you

-about that.
-TRICIA: Okay. Well...

I was only going
for my bachelor's degree

at the time.

It's still pretty impressive.
I mean, you know, lots of people

-don't have master's degrees.
-(BELL DINGING)

-Yeah.
-TRICIA: It's cool,
I'm not surprised,

but like, 'cause I thought you
had a master's but...

-(BELL DINGING)
-Hang on a second, one second.

Yeah, thank you.

-SERVER: Two cheese?
-Yes. Thank you.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

So, wow. I didn't realize
you didn't have

your master's degree,
'cause I thought you did.

-That's what you said before.
-Yeah, yeah, I've--

See the thing is that, um,
what made it worse

was I came into the group,
the trivia group...

-TRICIA: Mm-hmm.
-...I was, like, the last person

that even had
a college degree.

-Mm-hmm.
-KOR: And I kinda
felt like inferior

-about that.
-That's so silly,

don't you feel upset about that.

Lots of people
barely even finish high school.

My sister only got her GED
like two years ago.

(CHUCKLES) You know?

Well, I just, um, you know,

and I kept that lie going on
all that time.

And it kinda ate at me and then,
you helped me, you know,

apply for jobs, so it actually
went that far to even

send my résumé
just to appease you.

Oh, wow, I appreciate that
so much, I had no idea.

And I feel-- You know? I just...

♪ (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

My friendship with you means
a great deal.

-TRICIA: Me too.
-And I don't want you

to think that I would
even continue lying to you.

But you know, I've been living
this lie all this time and

-I kinda felt bad about that.
-Well, it's so sweet to finally
tell me, I had no idea.

But, like-- It's, you know,
it's very brave of you

to tell me this,
and I really had no clue.

NATHAN: Instead of trying
to move on to another topic,

Kor sat with her for the next
hour-and-a-half and began

sharing things that he had
never told Tricia

in their nearly 20 years
of friendship.

...And my father used
the situation where he sent

the child support, which could
be for my college education,

-for me and my sister.
-TRICIA: Wow!

And by the time we came of age,
he doesn't wanna pay for it.

Wow, that's rough. I'm sorry
to hear that. I really am.

KOR: And what made it worse was
when I was graduating...

♪ (SERENE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

NATHAN:
While we were practicing,

I also had Kor

rehearse the aftermath
of his confession

beyond the actual night.

Whether it be the torment
of a friendship lost...

or the joy of a friendship
strengthened.

Where his confession opens
the floodgates to actually

talking for the first time.

This is so nice, it's like,

like such a difference
from just normally

when we're hanging out
in the city in a bar, you know,

just playing trivia and...

NATHAN: Maybe it's easiest
to choose a path

when you can
live the future first.

To free yourself from doubt
and regret,

to always know the answers.

ALEX: (OVER TV)
As a symbol of support

for those living with AIDS

-and HIV.
-KOR: So, what is a ribbon?

-FAKE TRICIA: Oh, yeah.
-Red ribbons.

-I would have lost a point...
-FAKE TRICIA: Yeah.

...on the color.

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

-So, how are you feeling?
-Fantastic.

We actually did better
than expected,

-when we actually won.
-Well, congrats.

Yeah. There were questions
that were in my wheelhouse.

The questions that were
in my wheelhouse, I was able

to answer those particular
questions correctly.

You got everything off
your chest,

and it must feel good.

I got it off my chest,
and I still won that night.

-NATHAN: Trivia--
-Which is an ex--

I won a trivia night,

and that's the extra cherry
on the sundae, I guess.

There's something I need to...

come clean about.

-Um...
-Oh.

So, I knew what the trivia
answers were going to be tonight

and I taught you them
in advance without you knowing,

and I know you're against
cheating and this isn't cheating

because you actually
didn't know I was doing it,

but I was just-- wanted you
to focus on the confession,

and I wanted your confidence
to be up, but I feel terrible

about it, and I just--
I'm sorry.

I wanna say I'm sorry.

Uh, yeah, I... Um...

Okay, I understand
what you're saying and um...

I appreciate
your motivation, but...

you've tainted, you've ruined
the whole thing for me,

'cause I knew
the answers, I knew the answers

and I'm on TV now,
and everybody now is gonna think

that I didn't know them,
that I'm a fake and you...

(INHALES SHARPLY)
You know how important
this was for me?

This is a mistake.

It was a huge mistake,
and you fucked this all up.

You're an awful...

awful person.

♪ (“PURE IMAGINATION”
BY GENE WILDER PLAYING) ♪

(DISTANT SIREN WAILING)

I think you're... a great guy.

Like you're a great person.

Oh, well, thank you
for the compliment.

Yeah, just...

I don't give compliments a lot,
so I wanted to come clean

about just kind of saying
the compliment.

I don't affirm people enough.

-Oh.
-NATHAN: Yeah, so...

-It's just kind of like-- Yeah.
-That's nice of you to say.

-Thank you,
-You are, you are.

-KOR: That's very touching.
-Of course.

♪ Come with me and you'll be ♪

♪ In a world
Of pure imagination ♪

♪ Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination ♪

♪ We'll begin with a spin ♪

♪ Traveling in the world
Of my creation ♪

♪ What we'll see will defy ♪

♪ Explanation ♪

♪ If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it ♪

♪ Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world?♪

♪ There's nothing to it ♪