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Rutherford Falls - General Discussion

BetterButter

By BetterButter
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yourdreamer

yourdreamer

I am 3 episodes in. It isn’t something that I must keep watching, but I will end up watching them all as at least background noise. I don’t hate anybody in the show except maybe the guy who got super drunk. 

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Catfi9ht

Catfi9ht

I watched the entire season. It started a little slow and I was worried that I would always see Ed Helms as "Andy Bernard", but by the fourth episode, the characters dig in and the show gains alot of momentum.

I really enjoyed the show, and each of the characters brings a unique perspective to the show. It's not laugh-out-loud funny to me, but it's interesting and pensive with some light-hearted moments.

There's alot of material they can pull from in future seasons. Although, I'm worried that since it's on Peacock, it won't get the attention it deserves. Hopefully if Peacock does get shut down, NBC would move it over because it's really enjoyable.

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Dots And Stripes

Dots And Stripes

I'm through seven episodes so far. It's not bad and it has a lot of potential.

It feels unsure if it wants to be more of a dramady (which would require really figuring out the plot more) or a straight-up comedy (it needs more jokes). While I generally like that Schur is not afraid to let characters have honest moments without jokes, this show could use more jokes throughout. 

From where I am in the series, it feels like only a handful of characters are full realized.

Spoiler

I think one of the reasons I can't get into the Reagan/Josh relationship is that Josh feels empty. I still don't have a sense of his backstory other than he went to the same school as Reagan. He doesn't have many defining characteristics other than being a podcaster and hot.

Bobby also feels like a lot of their story is missing. The character so far is a one-note enthusiastic assistant. 

 

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peachmangosteen

peachmangosteen

13 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

I think one of the reasons I can't get into the Reagan/Josh relationship is that Josh feels empty. I still don't have a sense of his backstory other than he went to the same school as Reagan. He doesn't have many defining characteristics other than being a podcaster and hot.

I agree. I wanna ship Reagan/Josh but there is just nothing there with Josh. I either didn’t give a shit about him or I found him annoying. Honestly, if they get another season, I think they should just get rid of him.

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possibilities

possibilities

I watched the first three eps. I generally like Shur shows, but I don't know if I want to pay for another subscription, which is what I'd have to do to see the rest of the series that isn't available for free-with-commercials folks. I would definitely watch it not for the paywall. I know it's not super-expensive, but still... there are already a lot of straws on my financial camel.

I wish it wasn't so heavily focused on Ed H's character. It feels like he's the main character and everybody else is kind of an accessory at this point, which I find to be both bad storytelling AND bad politics. Even when they give the other characters scenes without him, they're mostly scheming for or against him. I also wish the mayor got more development beyond the brief scenes she was in with Ed. 

I can't remember EH's character's name. I realize it was probably said a lot of times, but it didn't stick. The only name I remember is Reagan, and the only reason I know Josh's name is that I just read it upthread.

It's funny about Josh. The actor played The Boyfriend To Alexis on Schitt's Creek and was basically the same guy in a different profession. He was a veterinarian instead of a journalist, but he was basically The Hot Guy For More Important Female Character, and there wasn't much more to him. I guess it's payback for the long history of Hot Girlfriend Characters who have no personality outside of Someone For Dude To Date.

 

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Dots And Stripes

Dots And Stripes

On 5/1/2021 at 1:58 AM, possibilities said:

It's funny about Josh. The actor played The Boyfriend To Alexis on Schitt's Creek and was basically the same guy in a different profession. He was a veterinarian instead of a journalist, but he was basically The Hot Guy For More Important Female Character, and there wasn't much more to him. I guess it's payback for the long history of Hot Girlfriend Characters who have no personality outside of Someone For Dude To Date.

I had a very similar thought! I see similarities between Ted and Josh, but having watched all of season 1, I can confidently say Josh is much worse than Ted. Ted at least is very into being a vet. Josh barely does his job. He's there to do a podcast centered around Nathan's drama and yet he's only met him twice? We only see him "working" maybe two or three times even though the rest of our main characters should be integral to his project. His relationship with Reagan raises all sorts of ethical concerns too.

I totally agree that seeing a one-dimensional male love interest isn't the worst thing as Hollywood typically produces more than their fair share of bland female love interests. I do find it more frustrating that in a cast of five main characters Josh is so one dimensional.

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hula-la

hula-la

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Yes, Terry alone would make this show worth watching. The actor is a revelation to me lol.

Michael Greyeyes is a Canadian actor. I've definitely seen him in a variety of shows up here, and he is great.  Fun fact--he's a trained dancer.

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SoMuchTV

SoMuchTV

Well bummer. I checked this out after hearing very positive reviews on Pop Culture Happy Hour, but apparently only the first 3 episodes were on the free Peacock. Beyond that you need to pay. Seemed like it had potential, almost Ted Lasso vibes, but not enough to get me to subscribe to yet another service. 

One thing was confusing me though. Ed Helms’s  character was the last Rutherford living in Rutherford Falls, right? But his brother lives in the house they grew up in, which was apparently a train or plane ride away (based on his arriving in a taxi)? What did I miss? Did the family move away many years ago, then he moved back to their ancestors’ hometown?  I’m disoriented!

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Dots And Stripes

Dots And Stripes

21 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Well bummer. I checked this out after hearing very positive reviews on Pop Culture Happy Hour, but apparently only the first 3 episodes were on the free Peacock. Beyond that you need to pay. Seemed like it had potential, almost Ted Lasso vibes, but not enough to get me to subscribe to yet another service. 

One thing was confusing me though. Ed Helms’s  character was the last Rutherford living in Rutherford Falls, right? But his brother lives in the house they grew up in, which was apparently a train or plane ride away (based on his arriving in a taxi)? What did I miss? Did the family move away many years ago, then he moved back to their ancestors’ hometown?  I’m disoriented!

Peacock offers a 7 day free trial and it's also free for Xfinity cable subscribers.

I *think* Nation's brother lives in the family's former vacation home in New Jersey? It definitely could have been clearer.

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Melina22

Melina22

I LOVE this show! For me, it's filling the void left by Parks and Rec. 

I was hooked as soon as Reagan first appeared. To me she's like a younger, nicer Melissa McCarthy. (Nicer than the characters Melissa plays I mean.) I find her so funny and charismatic. (Mr. Melina finds her annoying so I guess she's not for everyone.) 

I do find Andy - I mean Nathan - unpleasantly self-absorbed, but they addressed it in the episode I just watched, which made me happy. I like that the characters, like Terry, are a mix of good and bad qualities, rather than be either all good or all bad people. 

I'm really enjoying the Native actors and themes of the show, and how they're addressing so many serious and often confusing and divisive cultural and historical issues with so much humour. It's like nothing is so awkward that it's off limits. Love it. And again, no one involved is perfect. Everyone is flawed and messy at times, but ultimately likeable. 

This is my #1 show right now. 

  • Love 8
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Cherpumple

Cherpumple

I just binged this show, and enjoyed it. It's not as quirky and funny as Parks and Rec, but I really liked the more serious parts about the complex history of the town. I loved when Reagan re-did the cultural center to add the modern artifacts and the stories behind them, and when she played hardball to get the items from Nathan's aunt, and when she "pulled down the crabs" in the Facebook meeting of people heckling her. I also liked the debate about the student film about the Minishonka made by the white boy.

I like all the characters so far, but want to see a little more self-awareness from Nathan. Bobby is great, but seems more like a college student than a 16-year-old. Terry is definitely my favorite. He's a good guy, but does the intense moments very well, like in the meetings with the lawyers. Love him! (I first saw the actor in a Lifetime movie from about 25 years ago with Janine Turner. He was even more handsome then, and I think I'm probably the only person who owns it on DVD, lol.)

On 5/6/2021 at 7:15 PM, SoMuchTV said:

One thing was confusing me though. Ed Helms’s  character was the last Rutherford living in Rutherford Falls, right? But his brother lives in the house they grew up in, which was apparently a train or plane ride away (based on his arriving in a taxi)? What did I miss? Did the family move away many years ago, then he moved back to their ancestors’ hometown?  I’m disoriented!

From what I understand, Rutherford Falls was founded in the 1600s by Lawrence Rutherford, and Nathan is now the last one in the extended family still living in the town. I don't know if they specify whether or not he grew up in the historical house he lives in now. The house his brother lives in was built in 1821 by some other Rutherford, and has been passed down through the family. Nathan says that he and his brother spent their summers there, so I guess they still lived in Rutherford Falls as kids, and just visited whoever lived in the larger house for vacations, before it was passed on to Nathan's brother. But yeah, it was weird that he arrived by taxi to a house in NJ, when Rutherford Fall is clearly somewhere near NYC (since Josh lives in Brooklyn and goes back and forth so much).

And I could be wrong, but it REALLY looks like the set of the town square is the same one used in Back to the Future.

  • Love 1
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whiporee

whiporee

Bobby is gorgeous. The actor/actress playing the role is very attractive, and they've done a great job with the character.

I liked it, but I think we missed a couple of episodes due to COVID. I can't imagine they thought they'd end the season that hung up in the air. 

Ed Helms keeps playing Ed Helms. I think it would be interesting to see him play something else, because I've never found an Ed Helms character likable. Not on the Daily Show, not on the Office, not when I've seen him in movies and frankly not here. The self-aggrandizing, patronizing, goofily unaware, too-caught-up-in-name-and-entitlement upity New Englander who somewhere has a decent heart just isn't appealing to me anymore.  

It was nice of Mike Schur to give the guy who played Brent on The Good Place the chance to not be an asshole. On the podcast he said he was always cast as guys like Brent, so it was good to see.

I like the Native American through line, and both Terry and Regan are good characters who are entertaining. Regan's coworkers are also fun. 

I'll watch if it comes back, but I gotta think there's some stuff left out there somewhere. 

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Catfi9ht

Catfi9ht

On 6/3/2021 at 10:08 PM, whiporee said:

Ed Helms keeps playing Ed Helms. I think it would be interesting to see him play something else, because I've never found an Ed Helms character likable. Not on the Daily Show, not on the Office, not when I've seen him in movies and frankly not here.

I've never liked Ed Helms either and it took me about four episodes to not see him as Andy Bernard. He seems to be the go-to for white, rich, entitled characters because he plays them really well. Nathan is definitely a toned-down version of Andy, and I did warm up to him eventually. He had some really great moments on this show especially where he was flirting with the Mayor. I thought the two of them had great chemistry.

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SomeTameGazelle

SomeTameGazelle

My favorite scene may have been the one where Nathan was objecting to the inconsistencies in his historical costume, completely oblivious to the idea that the Minishonka have presumably felt the same way about "Indian" costumes concocted by other people. 

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cleo

cleo

I'm just on the last couple eps. This show is starting to lose me, though I agree Terry is great. The plot is just too much all over the place.

So first a legal battle, then an old fashioned theme park, then he's not a Rutherford. It's like trying to make meaningful stories or statements but has ADHD or something. Rather than exploring a couple themes more deeply it just jumps from one to the next. 

I hate to give up on it but I'm getting there. 

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lovinbob

lovinbob

I binged this this weekend and I loved it! Mike Schur has made all of my favorite shows--I just love his work. 

On 6/3/2021 at 10:08 PM, whiporee said:

It was nice of Mike Schur to give the guy who played Brent on The Good Place the chance to not be an asshole. On the podcast he said he was always cast as guys like Brent, so it was good to see.

I had never seen that actor before The Good Place. He was great at playing an entitled asshole. Now I have a huge crush on the guy!

On 7/27/2021 at 6:10 PM, SomeTameGazelle said:

My favorite scene may have been the one where Nathan was objecting to the inconsistencies in his historical costume, completely oblivious to the idea that the Minishonka have presumably felt the same way about "Indian" costumes concocted by other people. 

This was absolutely my favorite. At the risk of sounding totally ignorant, I don't think I had ever fully understood why Native American costumes (headdresses and the like) are so offensive to Native peoples. This scene helped me understand that it's not just about cultural appropriation, but about the damage done by historical inaccuracy and stereotypes that are reductive, inaccurate, and just plain silly. 

I saw a review (and a comment here) that said the show was too much about Nathan and the white characters' storylines, but that's not what I saw. I love the focus on Reagan and Terry, both of whom are breakout stars IMO! 

I can't wait for Season 2!

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possibilities

possibilities

I finally shelled out the $5 to see the last 7 eps. I remembered I'd really liked the first 3, and I've been cranky, so I decided it would be worth $5 to do something I was pretty sure I'd enjoy. And it worked! I loved this.  For me, it got better and better as it went along. I mostly was glad when Nathan got less focus, because I found everyone else more interesting. I don't really get why Reagan considers him her best friend; it kind of makes me sad for her. 

I hope S2 gives more development to the Mayor. But the thing I enjoyed most was Reagan, and Terry. I get why Nathan was a necessary foil to make certain points (like about the "costume", but I can only take so much arrogant douchebaggery in one sitting, so I prefer when they only use him a little and he's not the focus. 

Thankful Josh didn't last. But he wasn't the only character who was used as an accessory. He actually got more development than Terry's wife and daughter, and about as much development, but more actual screen time, as the Mayor.

Now I have to decide whether to cancel my Peacock sub or whether there's anything else over there I want to keep it for.

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AngieBee1

AngieBee1

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

Now I have to decide whether to cancel my Peacock sub or whether there's anything else over there I want to keep it for.

If you like British television Peacock has distribution rights to a few I've enjoyed like "We Are Lady Parts" (comedy), "Code 404" (comedy), "The Capture" (drama).  I didn't love "Intelligence" but some say it's good (comedy created by and starring Nick Mohammed of "Ted Lasso"). 

Of Peacock's original programming I liked their adaptation of "Brave New World" and "Saved by the Bell".

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ShowsILoveToHate

ShowsILoveToHate

I only discovered this show a couple of days ago and my husband and I have binged all of Season 1, and are on episode 3 of Season 2.  
 

My favorite character is Terry, followed closely by Reagan. Someone asked why Reagan considered Nathan to be her best friend. As I understand it, they’ve been good friends since childhood and I also get the impression that they were both considered “uncool” by the rest of the kids. I don’t know. Lol. 
 

I like how they showed Terry as a child. It gives great insight as to how he must’ve developed as a shrewd businessman. Good for him for making his own brownies! I love how his daughter cannot be bought off by him. lol. 
 

I could say more but I’m typing on my iPad mini and the keys are small. 🧑‍💻

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ichbin

ichbin

This is better than a lot of primetime sitcoms on broadcast TV.  Like other platforms, not enough publicity given to a decent show. Peacock really should promote it more.  I think I'm enjoying the second season more than the first.

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Kiddvideo

Kiddvideo

(edited)

I didn’t rewatch S1, but Terry seems to be more accepting this season, even likable and funny. I remember him being angry and vindictive. I cheered when he actually said to Roy that he needed help. I guess Feather is the villain, and she’s not evil just an opportunist looking out for herself. Bobbie is so much fun, and I’m totally Teams Nelson and Diedra!

ETA: I didn’t get the correct spelling of Bobbie’s name.

Edited by Kiddvideo
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MerBearStare

MerBearStare

(edited)

Another person who binged the whole season without intending to (whoever invented autoplay really knew what they were doing). I enjoyed the season overall and wish there were more than 8 episodes. 

I don't like that they ended this season setting up a love triangle between Reagan, Josh, and Nelson. I think for a love triangle to work well, the two people competing over the third person need to be equally matched, pros and cons as individuals and pros and cons in their relationship with the third person. All Josh has going for him is that he's super hot (centaur hot, if you will). But this is better than the average show, so maybe this is a fake out and there won't actually be a love triangle at all. Hopefully the show will get renewed so we can find out.

Edited by MerBearStare
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Kiddvideo

Kiddvideo

2 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

All Josh has going for him is that he's super hot (centaur hot, if you will). But this is better than the average show, so maybe this is a fake out and there won't actually be a love triangle at all.

I was surprised by Reagen’s reaction to Josh. I thought they hadn’t ended well, and after his Popcorn Guy treatment of Nathan I didn’t think she’d be interested in him.

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grandmabegum

grandmabegum

On 6/19/2022 at 1:06 AM, MerBearStare said:

I don't like that they ended this season setting up a love triangle between Reagan, Josh, and Nelson.

This and also the sorta love triangle between Nathan, Diedre and Peggy. I didn't rewatch the first season, but I don't remember it being this much melodrama.

Oh well, I still enjoyed it enough that I binged through it like others. I thought it was going to be ten episodes like the first season so I was a little disappointed when it ended -- mainly cause I didn't like the cliffhangers that much.

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Zaffy

Zaffy

Are we going to start a Club?

Well I also didn't intend to watch season 2, but  when I started I couldn't stop and I am really glad I did cause it was quite good! This show needs more promotion.

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mledawn

mledawn

Saw this today on Instagram (please can’t we just have posts in our feed in order!?) but it’s from a few days ago.
Why Taylor Sheridan Shows Can’t Catch A Break With Emmy Voters

The article was picked up by a few outlets but this paragraph is what has been screenshot and shared by showrunner, cast, crew, and fans…

Quote

There are widespread theories about Yellowstone‘s MIA status during awards season. Voters may continue to see the Kevin Costner drama as a red state western, a show about the other part of America that only your dad watches. And it certainly doesn’t help that Peacock’s Rutherford Falls likes to mock Yellowstone with its show-within-a-show called Adirondack, an adult drama about cowboys that features stereotypically drawn Native American characters.

My eyes about rolled right out of my head. Then I laughed.

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Lois Sandborne

Lois Sandborne

On 7/5/2022 at 8:33 AM, peachmangosteen said:

It needs any promotion lol.

Agreed. I hate that it's on Peacock; that's like barely even a network. I basically go there for this show and Columbo.

It's so hard to tell how anything is doing anymore, but I wish there was more chatter about the show. When I recommend it to people they've generally never heard of it. I don't blame them for not getting any Emmy love; they probably never heard of it either.

Which is a real shame. It's such a gem, especially this season with more of the Minishonka community getting the spotlight, and more focus on Bobby too. I don't know what a success even is by Peacock standards but I hope they give it another season.

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AngieBee1

AngieBee1

I attended a few NBC/Universal/Peacock events this Emmy FYC season and while they did hold a RUTHERFORD FALLS panel at the Academy, NBC didn't give it the push and promotion it deserves and needs. At the Peacock pop-up they promoted virtually every other show on the streamer notably BEL-AIR,ANGELYNE, KILLING IT, and WOLF LIKE ME. At their NBCU FYC House they promoted GIRLS 5 EVA (they even hired skywriters to fly across the city for that), a huge push for DR. DEATH and other Universal fare and even AMERICAN AUTO - a show I never heard of until I attended the panel. Nothing about RUTHERFORD FALLS

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wknt3

wknt3

On 7/23/2022 at 6:45 PM, Lois Sandborne said:

Which is a real shame. It's such a gem, especially this season with more of the Minishonka community getting the spotlight, and more focus on Bobby too. I don't know what a success even is by Peacock standards but I hope they give it another season.

For Peacock to have standards of success it would need to have some sort of plan or strategy for programming. As far as I can tell there is none and it's just there so NBC has a presence in streaming until they either figure out what they are doing or somebody else does and buys them out. As far as getting another season I'm guessing it's probably less about viewership and more about keeping Mike Schur locked up and other intangibles like actually being pretty good, being able to point to it as an example of diversity, etc.

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Cherpumple

Cherpumple

I just binged the second season and loved it. I'm particularly glad they pivoted from a Nathan-centric storyline and allowed the other characters to shine. I enjoyed the mayoral race story more than I thought I would, but still think it was a mistake to make Bobbie a high school student rather than a college student, as it's just too much of a stretch for me to believe that an 18 year old would make a good mayor. Have these people never heard of Ben Wyatt and the disastrous Ice Town??? However, I would love for Bobbie's make-up tutorial videos to be a real YouTube channel- they always look gorgeous!

Terry was once again my MVP. Amazing actor, amazing character. I rewatched the scene where he dressed down the "pretendian" (great word, by the way) multiple times because it was so awesome. And I will forever love this show for actually giving us a pay off for Terry's throw away line from season one, "do you know how many Dirty Dancing classes I've had to teach?" He IS a great dancer!

I didn't mind Josh in the first season, but I'm 100% team Nelson now. Don't screw this up Reagan!

I really hope there's a season 3!

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Catfi9ht

Catfi9ht

I'm rewatching Reservation Dogs in preparation for season 2, and I realized the actor who plays Nelson, Dallas Goldtooth, also plays the Spirit on Reservation Dogs. The characters are different but his comedic timing is excellent in both! If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. It's a good mix of drama and comedy.

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