All language subtitles for Rehearsal S02E05

It seems as though
the communication issues

between first officers and captains
in regards to assertiveness

is possibly the number one
contributing factor

to commercial airline crashes
in history.

And it has not been solved.
And there have been steps made by...

John in his work over the years
and others in the industry.

However, both of us feel
that the solutions

and current pilot training
are far from sufficient.

Would you agree?

You could-- Why don't you say
that the training could be improved?

The training could be improved
because right now, it's terrible.

- No, I wouldn't go that far.
- Okay.

There is a void
in some training programs...

- You said it was bad.
- It is bad.

- The outcome is bad.
- It's bad.

All right, so this needs
to be better scripted

on the point of what the problem is,
a possible solution,

and asking for the committee to

request the FAA
to conduct a research project...

Ever since I began this mission
to help stop planes from crashing,

I've always known that all roads
would lead to Washington, D.C.

So, I had been rehearsing
my approach with actors

who had done in-depth research
into every lawmaker

on the Congressional Aviation
Subcommittee.

Getting this issue on their radar
was the best shot I had

at effecting real change.

And that's why we need the help
of this committee...

- Yes.
- ...and of this Congress...

- Yes.
- ...to try to drive the FAA

towards the research, and...

Because if you do nothing,
people will die.

- Right?
- That's correct.

Months ago, I learned
that Warner Bros. Discovery,

the parent company of HBO,
has a special department of lobbyists

that have sway with politicians
in Washington.

I was put in touch with them,
and their lobbyist said

that he would reach out to the chair
of the Aviation Subcommittee,

this man, Louisiana Congressman,
Garret Graves,

to see if he would meet with me.

Here's my problem, Mr. Fielder.

It's the money.

But my theory on how
this cockpit communication issue

could be solved was proving
difficult to explain.

I think we all struggle with things
from time to time

where it's hard for us
to be the people

we ideally want to be
in every situation.

And the social pressures
are on everyone, including pilots.

I shared the story of how
a real co-pilot like Colin

was able to overcome
his fear of social consequences,

and ask his crush for a kiss

just because I gave him
a scene description

and told him he was now playing
a character instead of himself.

All this takes
is a document being sent

to captains and first officers
before the flight.

So, if there was an acknowledgment
between the two pilots

that they were in a scene together,
they'd be able to lean on that fact

in the aftermath of speaking up
or being too assertive

or taking the controls.

"Oh, I was just playing the character
that the FAA told me to play."

Is that...

Yes, and put that
into aviation speak,

CRM, Cockpit Resource Management.

This takes it a step
and a half further.

This is better, is what we're saying.

Okay. So, we've looked at it.

Nathan has invested
a lot of his own time and money,

- and we've brought it--
- Well, not my own money, but...

- The network's money, yes.
- We've brought it to this point.

We've brought it to this point.

But I knew it would be hard
to overcome

the committee's skepticism

when the only evidence
of this working was footage

of a co-pilot kissing his crush
on the cheek,

and not even going for the mouth.

You're gonna have
to forgive me, Mr. Fielder.

I'm not following.

You're saying you want pilots
to kiss each other?

They're-- No, it's-- No--

Pilots are not gonna be
kissing each other,

so don't get hung up
on the kiss thing.

That's just to demonstrate...

It's not about the kiss,
it's about the change in behavior.

John had warned me
that my background as a comedian

- might be my biggest liability.
- So, they're gonna challenge you.

So, that's why you need
to do your homework.

Challenge me how?

Also, Mr. Fielder, where does
your sense of altruism come from,

where all of a sudden
you wanna save lives?

You're known for pranking,
for causing pranks.

I don't know what you're talking
about with this prank stuff.

- I really don't. I think...
- Well, that's what you do

- for a living as an actor, isn't it?
- Excuse me, sir.

I think you have
a misunderstanding of my work.

If we were before
a real committee in Congress,

you would've been thrown out already.

So we're gonna be front--
we're gonna go before...

- Okay. Yeah, I--
- ...the American public,

and you don't want it
to look like a joke

if you wanna deliver a good program.
And this is... It's...

I began studying footage
of other comedians

who went before Congress
to discuss serious issues.

Now we'll turn to Mr. Seth Rogen.

Mr. Rogen, welcome.
And please proceed.

And to my surprise,

they often began by trying
to make everyone laugh.

First, I should answer the question
I assume many of you are asking.

Yes, I'm aware this has nothing to do

with the legalization of marijuana.

As evidence, I would like
to submit a video of my colonoscopy

into the congressional record.

And I would like to thank
Ranking Member Patrick McHenry

for taking the time
to Google who I am.

But I started to realize
this might be a strategy.

Everyone expects a comedian
to be funny.

So, by getting a joke
out of the way early on,

it allows people
to take the serious stuff seriously.

There is no way to prevent, cure,

or even slow the progression
of Alzheimer's disease.

Maybe this is what I was missing.

Thank you so much
for having me, Mr. Chairman,

Ranking Member.
It's an honor to be here

in front
of the Aviation Subcommittee.

You know, the last time
I had to answer

to a transportation authority

was when I got caught masturbating
on that bus.

But in my defense,

the driver did keep telling me
to "get off," so...

All right, well,
that was just a little joke

to, you know, lighten the mood there.

And now we're gonna...
In all seriousness,

I do wanna speak about
an issue that's become...

deeply important to me,
which is aviation safety.

But I instantly realized something
was wrong with this rehearsal

when no one in the room laughed.

Hey, I was just wondering,
did you find that joke funny?

- Absolutely.
- The bus joke?

- I love that bus joke.
- Oh, yeah? Okay.

Cool. 'Cause I noticed
you didn't laugh.

- I didn't know.
- What?

- I didn't know.
- Didn't know what?

If I was supposed to laugh.

I mean, you're not supposed to laugh.

I mean, you're not supposed
to do anything.

You're just supposed
to act like a human, you know?

- Okay, cool.
- So, if you find something funny,

- then-- then laugh, yeah.
- Just go for it.

- Okay, awesome.
- If you find it funny.

- Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah.
- Okay, cool. Thank you so much.

Thank you.
I'm sorry, what was your name?

- Nathan.
- Troy.

- Troy. Thank you, yeah.
- Thank you.

- Thanks, Troy. Okay.
- Thank you.

Hey, everyone. Just a little reminder
in case there's any confusion.

We're all playing
like human beings, right?

So, if you as a human
find something funny,

it's okay to laugh.
However, your version of a human.

So, just... Yeah. Got it?

Okay. Good.

The last time I had to answer
to a transportation authority

is when I got caught masturbating
on that bus.

But in my defense,

the driver did keep telling me
to "get off."

Okay. Good, good.

I just don't want anyone
to force a laugh.

So, if your, you know,

if your body
naturally wants to laugh,

just make the sound
that that would make.

But the fake laughs
aren't really helpful

'cause I'm trying to figure out
what works and what doesn't.

Let's go one more time. Yeah.

But before I could
fully figure things out,

I got an email
from the Warner Bros. lobbyists,

saying that
Congressman Graves's office

declined a meeting with me,

stating, "They didn't think
it was the right fit for them."

I started to wonder
if they Googled me.

Because if they did,

all they would have discovered

is nothing but a man acting
like a complete fool.

Every public opportunity
I've had in my life

to convey sincerity,
I instead turned into a joke.

Is this a new look
that you're-- you have?

It's just me.

I couldn't help myself.

And now, when lives were on the line,
it was coming back to haunt me.

But as I kept searching Google

for any trace of something serious
about myself,

I stumbled upon
an article someone wrote

about how this show, The Rehearsal,

reflected their experience
with autism.

It was an odd perspective

since this show
had nothing to do with autism.

But as I kept Googling,
I realized it was everywhere.

This show seemed to be embraced
by a specific group

that I didn't know anything about.

But most interestingly,

this group appeared
to take me seriously.

They found the show
to be a rare representation

of the way they think,
even though that was never my intent.

Aside from Graves,
the lobbyists told me there was only

one other Congressperson
on the committee

that could grant me access
to a hearing.

Complacency is a luxury
we cannot afford

when it comes to aviation safety.

The committee's Ranking Member,
Tennessee Congressman, Steve Cohen.

And when I looked him up,
I discovered

that he happened to be a member
of the Congressional Autism Caucus.

And as an autism advocate,

he had been pushing legislation
in support of several groups

in that community.

I wasn't known
as an aviation authority,

but maybe by mistake,
I was an autism authority.

Could this be my path

to getting taken seriously
in Washington?

To becoming a man
who touches others

on a deeper level?

A man who is seen
as an inspiration to humanity

and not just a punchline?

So, to find out how
to better speak on the issue,

I arranged a meeting
with Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh

from the Center for Autism
and Related Disorders.

Everything from understanding
someone else's perspective

- to telling a joke to--
- You teach that?

We teach all of that.

That's why Rehearsal
is so amazing to watch

because that's what we do.

We practice things that we know

are going to be
very socially difficult for them.

Yeah, it's interesting
how the show resonated

with this group specifically
because you know, as humans,

you know, I feel like it's just how
our brains work, right?

We all wish we could practice
for our lives, you know?

It's universal.

To a large extent, yes.

I mean, not everyone thinks
of every possible thing.

- Right.
- But I guess what you're doing

in The Rehearsal is so important
for everyone else

to know what it's like
to have autism.

Right? A lot of times people assume
that if you're autistic,

you have a lot of very severe issues.

But there are people
who are diagnosed as autistic

who are only just trying

- to fit in socially--
- And everyone

- has trouble with that. It seems.
- Everyone has that.

This is what's so unique
about the show,

is that you took it
to a whole different level. You know?

- Right.
- And I think it's really nice

to highlight

for the neurotypical population,

"Hey, this person
could also be autistic."

- Right.
- You know.

And you wouldn't know it necessarily,
because they've learned over time

to do all the things
they have to do to fit in.

Or it could be,
they could not be autistic,

and just like all of us wanna,

you know, practice
for a life situation.

Definitely also true.

To give me a better sense
of how this group thinks,

she showed me a demonstration
to explain

how an autistic person's brain
differs from the rest of us.

This is a test called,
"Reading the Mind in the Eyes."

And this is a very well-known,
and valid, reputable test.

And it asks the question,
"How do you think these eyes feel?"

- Or, "What is the person thinking?"
- Okay.

And autistic people
have a very hard time

figuring out
what someone else is thinking.

Okay. All right.

So, how would you rate these eyes?

As playful, comforting,
irritated, or bored?

Okay, yeah.

Yeah, definitely...

comforting, or...

- Yeah. Or bored.
- Comforting...

Bored or comforting.

Or maybe playful?

- But--
- Is it--

- Yeah.
- Let's put one and see what happens.

- We'll put comforting.
- Yeah.

- Oh, okay.
- Playful.

Playful? All right. Yeah, so...

I see, yeah. I guess it's...

Next one.

Which word describes
what they're thinking and feeling?

Oh, yeah. The images
are pretty low-res, huh?

- It's a difficult one.
- Yeah, yeah. Just cause they're--

Terrified, arrogant,
annoyed, or upset.

Right.

Okay, yeah.
So I think I get it, yeah.

- Which one would you choose?
- So, you're saying these people

have trouble with this,
you're saying? That's the point...

- Yes, that's right.
- ...you're trying to make?

Okay, well, that makes sense.
Yeah. I don't know. It looks--

Yeah. Choose what you think on this one.

Yeah. Terrified, maybe. It looks-- Yeah.

Yeah, okay. So, upset. All right.

- I get it.
- But this is a very difficult test

- 'cause it's very, very subtle.
- Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure.

And even, like, we would disagree

- perhaps on this.
- Right.

All right, cool. Yeah.
Was there anything else with this

- you wanted to show me or... Okay.
- Nope. That's it.

I felt like I got
the gist of this autism stuff.

So, it was time
to tell Dr. Granpeesheh

the real reason I was here.

Just to be fully candid,

I'm trying to get in
with this lawmaker

who is a supporter
of autism awareness.

- Great.
- And...

You know, since I'm sort of like...

a "thought leader" maybe in this... area.

I don't know if you--
That's not the term I would use.

- But would you use that term for me?
- Yes.

- Yes.
- Like a thought leader just

- because of the show and stuff?
- Yes.

So, I was wondering if there was any

maybe opportunity for, like,
an official relationship.

'Cause that I think might help me...

- have some credibility with him.
- Right.

He'd be like, "Oh, you're--
Whoa. That's legit." Or whatever.

I told Dr. Granpeesheh more
about my primary goal this season

with aviation safety.

It's related to, like,
their communication

- in the cockpit.
- Okay.

But we built this whole airport.

That's amazing.

But when I described
the types of rehearsals

we were doing with pilots,
she got excited.

We have to actually practice
quite a bit with our kids

in order for them
to be able to smoothly

go through an airport experience.

- Oh, really?
- Because the sound

in airports is really loud,

and they have to go
through the security line,

and all of that is very, very scary
for a child with autism.

Oh, okay.

But a set like this
would obviously be incredible.

To use with the--

To practice.
To rehearse with our children.

So, that when they go
on their actual flight...

Right.

...they're good.
And they can handle it.

Right, yeah.

I just sort of--
I made a commitment to myself

we weren't gonna use any kids
in the rehearsals this season.

- Yeah.
- Oh, right.

Some people were a little... Yeah.

Just from...

- The previous show?
- ...what happened last season. Yeah.

- Yeah.
- But...

I thought you took pretty good care
of the child actors.

You as the kind of "acting parent"
in that role.

With our parents,
like, if you have a parent,

if I have a parent that I see
who definitely has autism themselves,

sometimes the parents
have a very hard time

figuring out what their kids need.

You know, just like that episode,
the last episode.

Like, they can't really understand
their emotions,

the emotions of their own children.

And that leads to a lot of issues
for their kids.

But at the same time, I feel like
you did a great job, honestly.

Because you provided
that level of attachment

that made him feel like
he could call you "Daddy."

You know? Look at that side of it.

Okay.

Well, maybe I could try it out.
See how it goes.

Come on in.

This looks-- Oh, wow. This--

The world can be a scary place
in ways not all of us can easily see.

My name is Kai. I'm a kid,
and I'm ten years old.

Excellent, Kai.
It's very nice to meet you.

I've never been to Colorado.

You've never been to Colorado?

And I guess for some people,

rehearsing is a way of coping
with all that.

How are you feeling?

- I'm happy.
- You're happy?

Okay, good. Good.

Without a rehearsal,
life can be a struggle.

I left a package for you with Sam.

- Oh, what's in the package?
- Invitation to the board,

- invitation to the honoree event.
- Oh, great. Okay.

- Okay.
- Yeah.

As the newest board member

of the Center for Autism
and Related Disorders...

- Nathan's Airport!
- Nathan's Airport!

...I was able to secure a meeting
with Congressman Cohen.

This was my one shot to get in front
of the Aviation Subcommittee.

So, you'd think that
for a conversation so important,

I wouldn't dare go into it
without a thorough rehearsal.

But it might surprise you to learn
that for someone like me,

rehearsing actually isn't essential.

I like to do it,
but it's not something I need to do.

It's more of an exercise. A bonus.

Like a fun, helpful tool.

That's why I'm going
into this meeting completely cold.

I can function just fine
without rehearsing.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- You are Nathan.
- I'm Nathan.

- I'm Steve.
- Steve.

Pleasure. Honor to meet you.
Thank you for having me.

- Where are you from?
- Vancouver, Canada.

Oh, I love Vancouver.

- Yeah.
- What a great town.

- I went there...
- Thank you.

...probably back
in about 30 years ago.

And I forget the places I stayed,
but it was just delightful.

There was one place
that was up where they--

It's the eagles, and lots of wind,
and whales and...

The whole Alaska experience.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Well, it's an honor to meet you,

and... and...

you know, thank you, I wanna say,

for all your contributions
and advocacy

for the autism community.

Yeah. It's become more
and more aware

for more people
about how many people have it

and the problems they have
in navigating society.

And you're also
on the Aviation Subcommittee,

I understand.

Yes, I'm the Ranking Member
of the Aviation Subcommittee

on Transportation.

And I've been on Transportation
for 18 years now.

Eighteen years? Wow.

And through-- through my--
through my...

You know, in my time in aviation,
I've actually learned and realized

that there's a connection
between autism and aviation

- that I'd love to, um, kind of--
- Share.

Share, yeah.
Tell you a little more about...

- Please.
- ...the stuff I've discovered.

Okay. So...

Now, I know these
are some of the reports

you guys normally--

These are like crash
investigation reports, right?

I got Representative Cohen
up to speed

on the problem I had discovered.

This dynamic between captains
and first officers is one of--

maybe the leading cause
of commercial airline crashes

in history.

It's not the sole cause of the crash,
but had someone asserted themselves,

the plane might not have gone down.

I wondered where that went to.

- What?
- Autism...

- Pilots.
- Well...

I guess it was sort of a transition, but--

- It was a transition, yes, yes.
- Just because--

But there's an interesting connection

with autism
because people with autism,

or those living struggle sometimes
in interaction.

And...

Sorry, I had this all thought out.

Hold on.

One sec.

Okay. Are you familiar with a term

in the autism community
called "Masking"?

No.

"People with autism
sometimes use masking

to avoid being judged
rather than showing

what they're feeling inside."

"They avoid expressing things

because they don't wanna
rock the boat socially."

- You understand?
- Yeah.

Okay. Sorry, I... This is like...

I feel like it's less engaging
when I'm reading, but...

- Okay.
- I usually do things off the cuff,

- but reading is good.
- Okay.

"It's been proven that
when non-autistic people

know someone is autistic,

they tend to judge them
less harshly."

"And that knowledge allows
the person with autism

to drop their mask
and to be themselves."

"And that's because
they now have permission

to play a different character,

a character who is actually closer
to who they really are."

"I've discovered that pilots
do a form of masking

of their own where they're afraid

to show their true selves
to each other

during critical moments of flight."

Does that make sense?

It's kind of convoluted, but I'll take it.

So, let me just--

"Here you'll see two real pilots,
a captain and first officer

who both work for Southwest Airlines,
demonstrating how this would work."

And Southwest isn't affiliated
with this, by the way.

They're just helping me
on their spare time.

Okay.

"When the pilots arrive
for their flight,

along with
their pre-flight bulletins,

they're each digitally sent
a one-page document

with a character description,

and two short lines of dialogue
to memorize each."

"The pilots will be assigned
one of two characters."

"The first officer is assigned
the role of 'First Officer Blunt.'"

"First Officer Blunt is a pilot
who loves speaking up."

"He's honest, almost to a fault,

and not afraid to take over
the controls if necessary."

"And most importantly,
he's a great pilot."

"The captain of the flight

is assigned the role
of 'Captain Allears.'"

"Captain Allears loves feedback,

and is not afraid to admit
when he's wrong."

Now, Blunt is the captain

- or the first--
- First officer.

He's the first guy.
And Allears is the other guy.

- Allears is--
- So, it's a perfect world,

- 'cause the captain's got all ears.
- Yes.

- I gotcha.
- It's-- Yeah.

"The pilots will use their time
in the pilot's lounge,

where they currently do nothing,

to engage
in a short scripted introduction

that serves
to both get them into character

and confirm to each other

that they've each read
their character brief."

Hey, good to meet you. I'm Blunt.

I'm Allears.

Can I ask you,
how does my uniform look?

Looks a little tight, to be honest.

I'm glad you mentioned that.
Thanks for telling me.

"But those lines are it."

"And they can just go back
to flying as themselves,

but now, they have the excuse
of these characters

to take actions
that would normally be

socially challenging for them."

- Does that make sense?
- Yeah.

"And through our experimentation,

we found that pilots end up
actually bonding

over how silly it all is..."

If I come across strong,
that's-- you know why.

- I'll keep that in mind.
- Yeah.

"...which actually improves
communication between them,

and reduces tension
during simulated emergencies."

We gonna deviate
from this storm up here?

I think we can punch
through those clouds.

I don't know, man.
That's a pretty fat storm.

I'm just gonna-- I'm just gonna go.

You know what?
I'll take us around.

- I have the aircraft.
- Really?

I'm gonna deviate over to the right.

That-- Okay.

Yeah, I'm a little blunt.

I know that it was a little abrupt
the way I took it from you,

- but you know me.
- Okay. Yeah, yeah.

You see how he referenced
the character there,

and it sort of eased the tension.

I'm just kind of
a blunt guy sometimes.

We gotta make sure
we get around this weather. You know?

I like the feedback.

- I like it. Thanks.
- Yeah.

"With this, ego, fear, and judgment
all vanish from the cockpit."

"It's an elegant, simple solution
that's easy to implement."

"And for the first time,

pilots can be free
to be who they want to be,

and who they really are."

So, let me speak before
the Aviation Subcommittee.

You can see I've done the work.

Let's get this on everyone's radar,
and, you know--

And let's work together
to solve-- save some lives.

What do you think?

You know...
Something to be considered.

But I think that the pilots,
you know, the airlines

could be encouraged
to have a better relationship

between the pilot and the co-pilot,
and that would be good.

- Okay.
- Great.

- Thank you.
- Okay. Great.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome, you're welcome.

Okay. Good. Is there... Okay.

Did you have any questions for me,
or anything else?

Not really. Thank you.

Okay.

Good to see ya.

Okay, great.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, sir.
All right, I'll just clear out.

Thank you for having me, and--

- You're very welcome.
- Okay, great.