Rutherford Falls (Season 1)

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First and foremost let me start by thanking Ed Helm’s character, Nathan Rutherford, for pronouncing “NEVADA” correctly. As a Vegas native I love hearing people from the other side of The Mississippi pronounce my home state correctly. Rutherford Falls, so far, has been a unique watch. I don’t think I’ve quite seen a (modern) show like this. Rutherford Falls is based in a town called…Rutherford Falls. A small town founded by European settlers who actually stole the land that they “found” from the local Native American tribe. That’s the typical American Discovery Story though so no one is surprised! The Town of Rutherford Falls is unofficially ran by Nathan Rutherford and officially ran by The Mayor, Diedre Chisenhall, who just so happens to be a Black woman, and officially unofficially owned and ran by the Minishonka Nation. See the dilemma? Ultimately this show is about (the removal of) a controversial statue within the towns center square. Some want it removed because if it’s racist undertone, others want it removed because it’s a literally traffic hazard. Nevertheless the fight Nathan Rutherford puts up to keep his Town namesake & family statue in tract is impressive but wrong. This idea of preserving heritage while overlooking the negative aura & negative meaning that it represents seems to be the mindset of quite a few Americans, especially white Americans. This show’s script is accurate in many ways.


I personally and honestly feel like The Office was the ceiling of all ceilings for Ed Helms. That is NOT a diss. That is NOT a negative statement. The Office set the bar so high I don’t ever see it being reached by any other show. Ever. In this lifetime. EVER! I say that to say that when I watch Ed Helms in other projects I’m expecting “Andy” to show up but I have to remind myself that “Andy” no longer exists and is gone forever..unless I watch a rerun of The Office(like I do daily). Ed, if you ever read this I pray you understand what I’m saying and know that this is a compliment! After you climb to the top of Mount Everest successfully I doubt any other hike will ever be able to compare or give you that feeling again but if you continue to climb other mountains I guarantee you’ll be chasing that same high whether knowingly or unknowingly. 


The writers of Rutherford Falls did a great job capturing the beauty of todays diversity in our modern society. The town has a Black mayor, a Native man (Michael Greyeyes) in a position of power and has the ability to outwit his white counterparts. The show also has a handsome fit man falling for a voluptuous semi-nerdy woman & an interracial love fling that gets real spicy mid-season. I also love that this show puts a huge spotlight on indigenous Culture from a point of POWER rather than just a point of being victims. Although people indigenous to this land are/were victims I believe it is important to show them in more of an optimistic light because they’re fight and advocacy isn’t over. As an African-American I understand and see that.


As mentioned above, season one of this show was a unique watch. It took me 2 months to fully watch the first season of 10 episodes. There are a lot of molasses moments but there are also some very comical and relatable moments! So far I’d rate this show a 6/10 BUT I’m hopeful that they’re renewed for a second season and get the chance to redeem themselves! Michael Schur, who was a writer and producer on The Office, as well as playing Dwight Schrute’s weird  non-telephone using cousin MOSE, is a co-creator and writer on Rutherford Falls so I have lots of hope for this show to get better within the next season. Also,I will gladly rewrite my review for season two & add my new thoughts once the time has come. That’s all for now.. I’m hopeful for season twos redemption! Also, Jana Schmieding has a bright future! You heard it here first!








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