User reviews

Let's start by saying I think Ed Helms is super talented and I appriciate the effort, Helms, Shur and the writers wanting to do something different.

Sadly like a lot of reviews on here something is missing as in effort to almost be super diverse in every category they have forgotten to cast better actors and add better writers to the room.

Michael Greyeyes, Ed Helms and the very underused Beth Stelling are all fantastic but the rest of the cast are exceptionally hit and miss and as a result so are the plots and the level of acting in varying episodes. Sometimes it is hilarious, satirical and heartwarming and sometimes it's a bit like a school play.

Season 2 is much better than season 1 with a range of much funnier scenes but the awful romance between Nathan and Dedria is so desperately cringeworthy and contrived for a show that is largely trying to be at the forefront of something, the whole set up seems so bad. Normally Ed has so much chrisma he can pull off a romance and you root for the two characters but these two have NO chemistry and the whole story seems forced to give Nathan a plot for the season.it's all very odd and disjointed. The show desperately needs to clean house for season 3 shifting out some current cast for new characters that can support its growth.

It can be developed but they need to add to the cast and bring more established names in to help it progress. Truth be told I should have given it a 6 but I love Ed Helms so much and don't want to bash a show that is trying to do a good thing and clearly has a good heart but if you are not a Native American or an Ed Helms fan you may struggle to stay with it,

Out of the handful of new sitcoms that have launched, THIS one seems to have kept my interest the most.

It started kinda iffy but I am currently watching the season finale and I'm hooked.

Definitely a series that benefits from the option of bingeing.

If I had to wait a whole week for an episode I might have forgotten about it. Now I can't WAIT for the next season!👍🏽👍🏽 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Like many reviewers I watched because I adore Ed Helms and his particular blend of comedy but for lots of reasons this show fails to engage with enough people, enough of the time to be funny. Season 1 was overly political and so it was hard to find the comedy in it. Season 2 was funnier but Helms just pushed himself aside to shine a spotlight on the rest of the cast and unfortunately for him, most of the cast are bad actors with little ability so without his charisma this one could never get far. Needed more star power and famous faces. I understand what he was trying to do and no doubt it was all well intentioned but for lots of reasons such as plot and acting, this didn't land.

Rutherford Falls, New York has an inconvenient statue of the town's founder in the middle of the road. Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) is desperately trying to maintain his ancestor's legacy and the statue in its place. His best friend Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding) is trying to start her native American museum. It's the start of a culture war as native chief Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes) pushes to sue Nathan. Big city reporter Josh Carter (Dustin Milligan) smells a story.

It takes about four episodes before the show gets to something compelling. Terry Thomas has an amazing character explosion. This needs to lean harder on the Native American community. Reagan Wells has to be the central character even if Ed Helms has the bigger name. I love Terry Thomas and her. Ed Helms is nominally the lead, but his character should be a wacky town side character. The show figures it out eventually. Peacock cancels it after two seasons. When it's working at its best, this show deserves more.

I was to disclose a couple of things up front first

I'm writing this as a Native who originally picked this up because this is the first major sitcom featuring a Native main character. In movies and tv, where Natives only have just 0.04% representaion, I was surprised to hear a series that will have a large Native cast and the largest Native writing staff in a big-name comedy show. It had my interest, and in the end, blew my expectations out of the water.

Yes, this is a show that is centered on systemic racism. Yes, this episode often has caricatures to drive the satire forward. Yes, this series, if you're not a minority, you might get on a defense about some of the comments they make through this series.

I enjoy Schur's past work. The Good Place remains as one of my favorite series out there, and I adore Parks and Rec. I feel this show falls very similar to the latter. You have characters that are very strong and intelligent, but they are not perfect.

Ed Helm's character, Nathan, plays on someone who is a supporter for equality. But often doesn't recognize when he lives in a bubble. He is passionate about his family's history, so much so he made it his life's goal to teach about it. Whenever it's challenge he meets it with hostility. The city wants to move a historical statue? He makes a fight against it, despite it being a repeated safety hazard and is hated by most of the town. He learns some uncomfortable truths about his family's history? He purposely dismisses or ignores it in favor of the version he likes better.

Native characters Reagan and Terry are by no means pure characters either. Both want to fight for the benefit of their tribe. But both have conflicting ideas that often are at war with one another. Terry believes money will help the Nation, and regularly exploits his identity and culture to achieve that. He worked hard surviving in a dog eat dog system, and has grew to be underhanded for what he believes is a greater purpose. He often has resentment towards the white demographic that has succeed off an unbalanced system. Showing that racism is not just a one-way street.

Reagan is not a pure character either. She worked hard to get two master degrees in hopes of opening her own museum. Her friend, Nathan, was handed the museum while she is left museum less and resented by the community. Her character explores the internal conflictions of Natives, where there is always the groups of Natives that make you question, "Do I deserve to fight for my people?". She is often at odds with herself, and regularly needs to be shown that, despite her strong will and intelligence, needs put her ego aside and learn from others.

I don't think I've ever seen a show that has really captured some of the most significant problems in Native culture so well. It brings a lot of uncomfortable truths forward that encourage a deep discussion. My spouse is non-native, and the episode where Nathan and Reagan were conflicted about awarding a non-native student for his pandering video on Natives pressed us to pause the show and discuss at length about it.

That's what a lot of these episodes ended up sparking. With each episode, character, and problem, it led to a discussion about the situation. I rarely have seen a show that has been able to execute this while filling me with laughs.

Lastly, the comedy I really appreciate. There are some jokes there that were obviously made with a Native audience in mind. I've introduced this show to my dad who told me he was joyfully rioting in jokes. He loved the truth in jokes like "Why wasn't there a statue for the chief?" and the Native museum barren of exhibits.

Some of the stuff in the last few episodes were admittedly too on the nose. This show served to be a show not tell for 80% of their points, but the last bit were met with explaining them. Things like about how we're a group of people, not a monolith. Or, how the experience is just not going to be understood by everyone no matter how much you try. Things I felt like they did well to show us throughout the series, but for some reason they included them as talking points in the latter episodes.

I really hope for a season 2, and cross my fingers this gets picked up for one. I felt this series was not going to be a show with high viewership like Schur's previous work. Shows about Native people usually aren't, and shows about racial topics is usually met a lot with people not wanting to listen. It's why I recommend if you watch this show, be open minded about it.

There are some harsh realities sprinkled into this sitcom. Ones that may take you away from the usually fantasy of TV. But in our current times, I believe that's where we need to be.

Like a lot of Mike Schur projects, this series only hit its stride after a slightly awkward beginning. The first two episodes might be the weakest ones, but concentrate on the amazing acting talent of Michael Greyeyes (who also seems to have A LOT of fun playing this part) and others until the whole cast has caught up and is feeling their storylines. Then, the show hits its stride.

Some of the most insightful funny dialogue, an amazing cast of Native American actors and the familiar feeling of... Pawnee? Mike Schur Land, for sure.

This is not Ed Helms show fyi - they put him on the poster as a lead to get viewers because most of the cast are not famous and some don't even have an acting background. Truly, this all shows because the acting is God awful. Helms stands on the side of most scenes, making the odd quip or face, very funny when he is allowed in it but he isn't in it much.

His storyline in season 2 keeps him isolated from the main story and out for the centre of the action. I'd imagine that gap will only grow as time goes on now we have this stupid baby plot which was so cheesy and unnecessary. Maybe he likes being out of the action It's probably easy money but hedoesn't seem particularly invested in the character being more than a caricature

The cast is less than average and the plots are weak at best. It could be about the daily life of a town and be funny but it's about nothing much and it's hard to find a character to really support.

Huge shout of to LA comedian Beth Stelling who is super under utilised as Peggy Fish but should be a lead character/ love interest for Nathan instead of the terrible "romance" storyline he is in with the pregnant girl.

It should work it is written by the amazing Mike Schur so it should be great but it's singular focus on social commentary largely means it misses actual humour. The second season is slightly better than the first one, finding some funnier moments and new ideas but not much.

I will absolutely watch the next Helms and Schur projects individually but this one isn't strong enough to compete with current tv shows.

I really like this. Michael Shur is behind some great shows and sketches on SNL. I also really appreciate the diversity in the cast! It's one of those things where you're double taking because you have to think "am I a lead on this show?". Seeing yourself in characters is not rare but seeing your skin on screen with shared story line and time as a major star like Helms, is awesome! It's not common for me to laugh out loud and this show has done so in the first couple of episodes. Bravo! To the entire cast and writing team. Also the timing seems perfect for America and its current state of affairs. I don't know what other people have been watching or if it bothers them to see different leads on a major network show but this is profoundly well done. It can be developed into one of those great shows of a decade!

I love Ed Helms so was hopeful regarding this show. However, I found it so boring, and not really funny at all.

It's not traditionally funny like the Office or Parks & Rec, but it was definitely refreshing to watch. Not to mention, I loved that so many Native Americans are featured on this show when they are so often excluded from television and film or are only portrayed in a way that leans more towards a caricature.

I absolutely loved Reagan's character. She has so much heart, and I am glad to see a bigger woman portrayed on screen without being a joke or purely seen as the "bigger girl."

Smart writing and relevant, this show packs such a great punch. I am so hoping for a season 2.

Really wanted this to be good. I like Ed Helms a lot, he's talented and has great comedic timing. Sadly, he's not a good comedy writer, because over 2 episodes in and I'm still waiting for a hint of comedy in.... you know..... a COMEDY series.

It's mildly amusing (being generous), and the acting is decent, but as a comedy it falls flat.

It's SO nice to see native americans as main cast members on tv. This show just started and will have a few things to iron out but so far it's off to a great start.

This show has a lot of actors and actresses I like in it; plus, like most people, I am more interested in finding truly funny comedies than ever before because I could really use a good laugh. Unfortunately, this show doesn't offer much in the way of humor.

Instead of jokes, this show seems to be most interested in educating the audience, which is the same mistake a majority of shows seem to be making these days. When you tune in to be entertained, you want that to be the focus of what you get, yet Rutherford Falls puts all its effort into teaching you lessons you didn't ask for and don't need. The very few comedic elements this show does contain come across as an afterthought.

Another major problem this show shares with its contemporaries is prizing diversity above reality. Instead of creating a believable portrait of small town life, the creators of Rutherford Falls obviously turned to a diversity checklist to determine the composition of the cast: Dumb white guy who's the butt of every joke: check! Plucky fat chick who's the smartest person in the room: check! Horny, desperate white woman everyone despises: check! Strong black woman who is superior to everyone in everyway: check! Gender nonbinary person of color: check! Etc...

In addition to shoehorning in more diversity than the "It's a Small World After All" ride, the creators of this series crammed way too many competing storylines into the show in general. Honestly, watching the pilot felt like trying to watch three different unrelated shows at once. You would think with an entire season to explore various storylines they would have made some effort to spread them out a little, but no. Moreover, there is so much going on that the audience doesn't know who or what to invest themselves in. At the end of the first episode you're left wondering which of the many causes you are supposed care about and why because you aren't even given clear heroes to root for.

While there is always a possibility this show will become funnier and less cluttered as the season unfolds, I am not optimistic. I fear it is far more likely that this will continue on as it began, a convoluted mess that elicits more eye rolls and groans than laughter.

There's a lot of soul in this show. Each character is fun to see on screen, not to mention the character interactions and dialogue. Very wholesome in moments but also not shy to talk about realer stuff. Comedic timing is good too. Recommended watch.

It reminds me a bit of Schitts Creek. If the producers are brave they'll let it keep going for a few more seasons. I want to see everyone be more "them" for more time. I want to see it distill more. You can't watch this show just for some easy brainless laughs and not think. I think that's what people are complaining about. They have to think. Go get some Big Bang blah for that. This is smart and thoughtful and beautifully structured and is a great grounding for a multi-seasonal thing. I hope they let loose with a bit more edge but not too much. It's feel good and I love it. Short shiny eps at the end of the night. I hope they do a second season at LEAST.

Four people in the room it and it seemed a struggle for all to fight through the first episode. The previews gave me high hopes but this never really got out of the starting gate. When the show preaching began I noted the faces in the room seemed to slip from 'trying hard to give this the benefit of the doubt' to 'I'm done with this'. Granted... there were a few amusing moments along the way... but once it was over ... it was a universal thumbs down in the room.

This is what happens when you have a diverse cast AND writer's room; you get a show where indigenous characters are real people, not caricatures. This show subverts so many stereotypes, and does so in an incredibly entertaining way!

I'm enough of an Ed Helms fan to tune in when he has something new, but not enough that I stick around no matter what. Unfortunately, that's the problem with this show; if you arent willing to stay just for Ed Helms, then there's really no reason to stay with it.

Not funny, too woke, pointless, and unentertaining.

This is one of the smartest and funniest shows I've seen in a long time. And I don't care much for Ed Helms. In this, he is brilliant!

The actor that caught me by surprise (most pleasantly), is Michael Greyeyes. WOW! He is so smooth and so funny yet slick. He would have made a great lawyer! Jana Schmeiding and Jesse Leigh were a breath of fresh air.

Is this series off center? Absolutely! Delightfully so.

So if you want something that is different no matter how you look at at, this is it! Sit back and enjoy this oddness of it. And be prepared to laugh at literally everyone and anything!

I get why this show wouldn't be for everyone - not your style of humor for example, - but it IS a good show. It's well written, it's well acted, and it has some very deep moments. Sure it's not non-stop comedy, but the story is very good. And I loved getting to see what indigenous storytelling looks like. What jokes they have. Learning cultural aspects. It really is a very good show. I really hope they get more seasons! I have recommended it to my friends.

I completely adore Ed Helms, he is hilariously funny but always plays his characters with such joyful precision and Mike Schur rarely misses in the great comedy department . All that said, this doesn't work.

Cast are generally not strong actors, jokes are funnier than the way they are delivered but the cast has no cohesion or chemistry and you don't believe they have all known each other all their lives in a small town. The show seems to focus on pushing Helms character into the background for the most part and as a result, it doesn't deliver. It should be centred around him but still it would have needed more likeable characters and stinger actors.

Hope Helms and Schur work together again but I just didn't find this one great.

Really enjoyed this series and hope there will be a 2nd season. This show is exactly what is missing on TV and is so funny! Loved every episode, definitely worth checking out!