Rutherford Falls: A Fresh Sitcom Perspective

I decided to watch Rutherford Falls because it was co-created by Mike Schur. He was a writer on The Office and subsequently went on to create Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place, so this is a man I trust when it comes to excellent sitcoms. However, while he is the reason I started watching the show, co-creator and showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas is the reason I bingewatched all ten episodes over two days. This is a show that proudly places the focus on indigenous people, both in front of the camera, and behind it (the writing staff on this show is half indigenous). Over the course of ten episodes, you’ll get a hilarious and searingly empathetic look at what it means to be Native American today, and how exhausting it can be to deal with white people, whether they are well-meaning or not. 

The show stars Ed Helms and Jana Schmieding as Nate and Reagan, childhood best friends who grew up in the town of Rutherford Falls. Nate’s full name is Nathan Rutherford: his ancestors founded this town 400 years ago after coming to a "peaceful" settlement with the Minishonka Nation who lived on the land and he now runs a museum celebrating the history of the Rutherford family and this town. Reagan is Minishonka, though she is considered a “city Indian,” who doesn’t speak the language and doesn't live on the reservation. Nonetheless, she is proud of her heritage, and after getting a Master’s degree in Museum Studies, she is pursuing a dream of funding a proper cultural center to educate the public about the Minishonka. Unfortunately, for now, all she has is a room in the local casino run by Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes). 

Much like Parks & Recreation, which kicked off with everyone being obsessed about a pit in the middle of the small town, this show kicks off with everyone being obsessed with an inconveniently-placed statue of the founder, Lawrence Rutherford, in the middle of the town. There are calls to pull down the statue because it keeps causing accidents, but Nate defends it, saying it’s not like all the other statues of white men being pulled down across the country. The initial focus is on his struggle and attempts to rally support. But the focus soon shifts to Terry and Reagan and the chain of events that are set into motion with the Minishonka Nation as things quickly boil over into chaos. Not to mention the arrival of Dustin Milligan as an NPR journalist who wants to do a podcast about this town and stirs up some additional trouble.

This show is trafficking in serious themes, but the delivery is earnest and sweet and splendidly funny. There aren’t many villains here, just people in need of an education. Which is reflective of us as the audience. Oftentimes, we get extremely stereotypical portrayals of Native people in our pop culture, but this show is righting that wrong. There is a scene where Terry tries to explain something to Reagan by referencing mystical folklore, and she goes, “that only works on white people.” I love how the Native characters talk to each other when they’re alone as opposed to when they’re with non-Native people, because it is so reflective of the freedom minorities have to express themselves in their own community without having to explain themselves. Turns out that while this show is shining a spotlight on indigenous people, it still contains some universal truths that all minorities can relate to.

I imagine my recommendation is clear at this point, but watch Rutherford Falls. It is smart, endearing, and entertaining, and also features a boppy theme tune that I couldn’t stop humming for days afterwards. The production design is stellar and reminiscent of the creativity and vibrancy of The Good Place set, and I wanted to move to this town right away. As always, the casting by Allison Jones is spot on, and every single actor on this show is doing remarkable work. I haven’t even mentioned that the town’s mayor is a Black woman, played by Dana L. Wilson, and there is a brilliant dynamic between her and Terry as they butt heads but have to grudgingly respect each other for the obstacles they both have overcome as minorities who have succeeded in this town. It’s so clever and poignant and hilarious, and seriously. Just watch this show. It’s the greatest.