Ed Helms gets a Cameo from Olivia Rodrigo’s horse in the trailer for Rutherford Falls’ second season
The feel-good comedy starring Helms and Jana Schmieding returns to Peacock on June 16
Aux News Ed Helms
While the first season of Rutherford Falls ended with Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) alone and far from home, the band is back together for the second season, premiering on June 16. The Peacock comedy series follows Nathan and Reagan (Jana Schmieding), lifelong friends whose relationship becomes complicated when they are forced to confront how race impacts their dynamic.
Nathan takes pride in being descended from an early settler of the eponymous upstate New York town, while Reagan is a member of the fictional Minishonka nation and navigating the nuances of modern Native American identity. Though the Rutherford heir is now reconsidering his roots, the first season gave him a long way to go when it comes to addressing his privilege.
The second season kicks off with Nathan continuing to deal with the fallout from the podcast that NPR producer Josh Carter (Dustin Milligan) made about the town. Meanwhile, Reagan gets to fulfill her dream of running the new Minishonka Cultural Center, housed in the former Rutherford Falls Heritage Museum instead of a side room in the Running Thunder Casino. However, having more space and resources comes with with growing pains, as she clashes with her new co-curator Nelson.
Of course, this is still a comedy, so there’s still plenty of room for hijinks and what looks like an excellent Halloween episode. The series was co-created by Michael Schur, who made ethics and the afterlife hilarious on The Good Place.
Rutherford Falls was also co-created by Helms and Sierra Ornelas, who additionally serves as the showrunner. Other co-stars include Michael Greyeyes, Jesse Leigh, Dallas Goldtooth, and Kaniehtiio Horn.
Native American representation on television has seen marked improvement recently. Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s Reservation Dogs premiered on Hulu just months after Rutherford Falls in 2021 and is set to return this August. The AMC detective series Dark Winds, starring Zahn McClarnon, launches on June 12.