If you were watching HBO on a random Sunday in May 2025 and saw a grown man in a giant diaper being "breastfed" by a puppet with a silicon face, you weren't having a fever dream. You were just watching Nathan Fielder.
Specifically, you were watching the third episode of The Rehearsal Season 2, titled "Pilot's Code." It’s the moment where the Nathan Fielder and Sully Sullenberger connection went from a weird internet joke to a full-blown cultural obsession. For years, Sully was the untouchable hero of the "Miracle on the Hudson." Then Nathan Fielder showed up and decided the best way to understand aviation safety was to literally "re-live" Sully’s entire life, from infancy to the cockpit of US Airways Flight 1549.
Honestly, it’s one of the most uncomfortable things ever aired on television. But beneath the cringe, there is a weirdly compelling theory that has fans—and actual pilots—arguing about Evanescence and the "Pilot's Code."
The 23-Second Theory: Did Sully Actually Listen to Evanescence?
The core of the Sully Sullenberger Nathan Fielder saga is a theory Nathan proposed during the show. He spent months obsessing over Sully’s memoir, Highest Duty. He noticed that Sully mentioned owning an iPod and being a fan of various bands.
Nathan’s big "revelation"? In the official cockpit transcripts of the 2009 Hudson landing, there is a period of silence that lasts exactly 23 seconds. During this time, Sully doesn't respond to air traffic control. Fielder, with his trademark deadpan earnestness, claimed that the chorus of Evanescence’s "Bring Me to Life" is also exactly 23 seconds long.
💡 You might also like: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
He basically suggested that Sully, in the middle of losing both engines to a bird strike, popped in his earbuds and blasted Amy Lee to find the strength to save 155 people.
Fact-Checking the "Miracle" Math
You’ve got to hand it to Nathan’s research team, even if the theory is mostly a comedic stretch. Here is how the numbers actually break down:
- The Silence: The official NTSB transcript shows Sully was quiet from 3:29:45 to 3:30:11. That is technically 26 seconds, not 23.
- The iPod: Sully actually confirmed in his book and a later essay titled "What I Got Back" that his iPod was recovered from the submerged plane. However, it was packed in his luggage, not his pocket.
- The Musical Taste: Sully did mention Evanescence in his book, but he also mentioned Sheryl Crow and Green Day. Nathan just chose the funniest one to fixate on.
Nathan Fielder vs. Captain Sully: The "Miracle Over the Mojave"
The drama didn't stay on HBO. After the season finale, Fielder went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in full pilot regalia. He wasn't just playing a character anymore; Nathan Fielder actually went out and got a real pilot's license to fly a Boeing 737 for the show.
He started calling his own flight the "Miracle Over the Mojave."
📖 Related: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
"I mean, not to create a competition or anything, but I did put down my plane safely on land," Fielder told Kimmel. He basically shaded Sully for landing in a river, implying that landing on a runway is technically a more "successful" completion of a flight. It’s a classic Fielder move—taking a heroic feat and turning it into a petty, bureaucratic competition.
Kimmel joked that Nathan was "one up on Sully," and Fielder just nodded, saying, "Us pilots, we just show up to work and we’re just doing our job." It’s that faux-humility that makes the bit so infuriatingly funny.
Why the "Pilot's Code" Actually Matters
While the breastfeeding scenes and the Evanescence theories are pure absurdity, the episode "Pilot's Code" actually touched on a real issue in aviation: Crew Resource Management (CRM).
The "Pilot's Code" refers to the dynamic between a Captain and a First Officer. Historically, many crashes happened because First Officers were too intimidated to point out a Captain’s mistake. Fielder’s whole season was built around the idea of rehearsing these interactions so that communication never breaks down.
👉 See also: Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus Explained (Simply)
He even created a hyper-realistic simulation involving three "cloned" dogs and "imported air" from San Jose just to ensure the environment was perfect. It sounds insane—and it is—but it mirrors the way real pilots use high-fidelity simulators to prepare for the worst.
What Sully Sullenberger Thinks
Sully himself has remained mostly silent about Fielder’s "biopic." Sources close to the captain say he declined to participate in the show, which isn't surprising. Can you imagine the real Sully Sullenberger sitting across from Nathan Fielder while Nathan explains why "Bring Me to Life" is the ultimate aviation anthem?
The silence from Sully’s camp has only added to the legend. In the world of The Rehearsal, if you don't debunk it, it's basically true.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Pilots
If you are obsessed with the Sully Sullenberger Nathan Fielder connection, there are a few things you can actually do to dive deeper into the reality of the situation:
- Read the Real Memoir: Check out Highest Duty by Chesley Sullenberger. It’s a genuinely great look at a life dedicated to safety, even if it lacks the "giant baby" scenes from the show.
- Verify the Transcripts: You can find the full US Airways Flight 1549 transcripts on the NTSB website. Reading the actual dialogue between Sully and Jeff Skiles makes you realize how much "rehearsal" (in the form of years of training) actually goes into a miracle.
- Watch the "Miracle Over the Mojave": If you haven't seen the Season 2 finale of The Rehearsal, watch it for the sheer technical achievement of Nathan actually learning to fly. It's a rare moment where the "bit" becomes a real-life accomplishment.
- Listen to the Chorus: Play "Bring Me to Life" and time it yourself. It’s roughly 23 to 25 seconds depending on where you start the count. Is it a coincidence? Probably. Is it a better story than the truth? Definitely.
The connection between these two men is a bizarre intersection of a real-life hero and a man who has turned "rehearsing life" into a high-art form. Whether Sully ever acknowledges Nathan or not, the "Pilot's Code" has forever been changed by a comedian in a uniform.