After two seasons on Peacock, the single-cam comedyRutherford Fallshas been canceled. StarringEd Helms,Jana Schmieding,Michael Greyeyes,Jesse Leigh, andDustin Milligan, the series proved to be a hit both with critics and audiences alike with a mix of humor and social commentary. Season 2 premiered back on June 16.
Rutherford Fallsfollowed Nathan Rutherford (Helms) and Reagan Wells (Schmieding), two lifelong friends who suddenly end up on opposite sides of the same issue when a statue of Nathan’s ancestor is set to be removed. Nathan fights for the monument to stay to honor his ancestor’s memory while Reagan, a member of the Minishonka tribe, wants it out because of how the ancestor notably attacked her people. Thanks to its status as a comedy series, Season 1 was able to work through the issue in a more light-hearted manner as Nathan came to terms with what his predecessors did through a series of discussions about the issue while Season 2 expanding the conversation beyond statues.
Critics especially loved the comedy for its tactful discussion of a more serious topic while still providing the laughs in spades. It also boasted a production packed with Indigenous creatives to properly translate their perspective to screens. BetweenSierraTeller Ornelas,Bobby Wilson,Tai Leclaire,Tazbah Chavez, andMichael Greyeyesalongside Schmieding, the series boasted Navajo, Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota, Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux, and Plains Creek people among their ranks. It all came together to form one of the largest Indigenous crews and casts on television today.
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Teller Ornelas was a co-creator on the series alongsideThe Good PlaceveteranMichael Schurand Helms. Aside from starring, Schmieding also served as a writer on the show with Helms, Teller Ornelas, and Schur executive producing alongsideMike Falbo,David Miner, andMorgan Sackett. For Schmieding in particular, the show served as a breakout opportunity for her, and she’d later go on to appear in several episodes of another Indigenous American-centric series in FX’sReservation Dogs.
This is the second such cancelation a Schur series has suffered over the past year. Previously, he was set to pen the reboot ofField of Dreamsunder the Peacock banner before that, too,was unceremoniously cut. For NBCUniversal, he’s still considered one of the golden geese after working onParks and Recreations,Brooklynn 99, and the aforementionedGood Place.
AlthoughRutherford Fallsis done, all episodes are currently still available on Peacock. Check out the Season 2 trailer below:
