A couple of weeks ago my sister got us a Peacock subscription, so while she’s paying for it for the month, I am taking advantage of it! Somewhat high up on my watchlist was the comedy Rutherford Falls. When you’ve got Ed Helms at the lead of a show, it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll tune in. Not only his name was the draw though. After seeing Michael Greyeyes in a bunch of stuff this past year, he was another huge reason for me to watch, and especially in a comedic role! Let’s dive in!
Nathan Rutherford is about as passionate of a person as I have ever come across. He fuels all of his energy into the running of his family museum and his love of the town that his family founded. Now, it should be noted that Nathan’s family got the land for this town from the local Minishonka tribe. No one seems that bent out of shape from it until Nathan starts making a big stink about moving a statue of his ancestor dubbed “Big Larry” that’s located in the middle of an intersection.
With that being said, local casino owner Terry Thomas definitely has it out for Nathan, mainly because he thinks his people are owed. And really, they are. Nathan is just a means to an end though, as Nathan has a seat on the board of conglomerate Rutherford Inc. Most of the season is spent working up to the lawsuit and a meeting with Rutherford Inc, but there’s plenty of hilarity in between. Nathan is sometimes pretty tone deaf when he complains about his “hardships.” Meanwhile, his best friend Reagan, a Minishonkan, is very sympathetic to his cries while also trying to deal with her own life. She wants nothing more than for her cultural center located in the casino to be successful. It turns out Terry’s ultimate plan for the town will do just that.
Obviously, Nathan is upset with the settlement that was agreed upon and this causes actual conflict between him and Reagan. As he storms off, Reagan decides to head to his great aunt’s house in order to collect some Minishonkan antics that clearly belong to the tribe. While her and, very cute, Josh root through everything they find some letters indicating that Nathan is not actually a Rutherford at all! Josh, who’s been in town trying to write a groundbreaking piece about the town knows that this is what he needs for a slam dunk. Unfortunately this strains things between him and Reagan, but her concerns aren’t going to stop Josh from publishing his findings. Nathan is obviously distraught and he ends the season on a roadtrip.
I was really excited that this show got picked up for a second season. Everyone is really likeable even when they are doing some sort of shady things. It’s clear that almost everyone here is looking out for their people rather than themselves. It’s also great seeing Native Americans taking center stage (here’s looking at you Michael Greyeyes!). I definitely wasn’t laughing at this non-stop, but the storylines were very interesting and I had a smile on my face for most of every episode. I know Peacock doesn’t have a lot to offer, but if you’ve got a subscription to watch The Office for the fiftieth time, then I ask that you take a detour to Rutherford Falls.