Rutherford Falls returns to Peacock for season 2 on June 16, and stars Ed Helms and Jana Schmieding are along for the ride. Not only do the two comedic geniuses portray lifelong best friends Nathan and Reagan on the series, however, they also actively participate behind the scenes. Helms executive produces the comedy and lends it his signature touches. Schmieding is a writer, meanwhile, ensuring that the fictional Minishonka Nation is represented with the authenticity of real-life Native voices.
Season 2 of Rutherford Falls finds Nathan returning home after abandoning the town in a fit of self-doubt, though plenty has changed while he has been out. Reagan is busy trying to run the Minishonka Nation cultural center, paving the way for a new coworker to come into her life. While neither of the best friends are necessarily prepared for what's in store, they will at least have each other to fall back on when times get tough.
Screen Rant spoke to Helms and Schmieding about how their characters' romances would unfold in Rutherford Falls season 2, and which dynamics they're most excited to see explored.
Screen Rant: After a soul-searching journey, we may have uncovered yet another new Nathan. Ed, can you speak to Nathan's attempted new perspective when he returns to town?
Ed Helms: I think that at the beginning of season 2, Nathan is very much still trying to figure out his perspective. He hasn't quite confronted some of the damage that he caused in season 1, but he gets through it and very quickly steps in it in other ways. And hopefully what we love about Nathan - if we're doing Nathan right, and I hope we are - [is that] we're sort of with him as he's making these terrible mistakes.
Jana Schmieding: There's little bit of shame about him; he's embarrassed.
Ed Helms: He has enough integrity to have shame also.
Jana, I just love Reagan in love. I loved her story in season 1, and now we have a new blossoming romance in season 2. What can you say about getting to really explore an Indigenous romance?
Jana Schmieding: Yeah, we have never seen as much Indigenous romance. I don't know if we have - not on TV anyway, and not in comedy, certainly. Our showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas is a Navajo Mexican-American woman, and she loves a romcom. She was very excited about championing our first native romance on television.
And it was really fun. It was great to work with Dallas Goldtooth, who plays Nelson. He's such a funny, fun, willing performer - and it was easy to build onscreen chemistry, because we were buds in real life. The same goes for Dustin Milligan, who plays Josh; he's just a great person to work with. It's fun to get to do little romcom scenes, for Sierra and for those of us who love romance.
Speaking of romance, Nathan has some options. I don't know what you can say about it, but what does romance in his life look like this season?
Ed Helms: At the end of season 1, just before he has a complete collapse and identity crisis, there are some sparks with Dierdre. Those sparks are still present in season 2, but a rather dramatic and massive shift to the dynamic of that relationship takes place. Which is both, I think for Nathan, terrifying and thrilling. And hopefully for audiences as well.
Aside from your fabulous friendship with each other and your romances, what is one dynamic that you're excited about this season?
Jana Schmieding: Boy, I'm really excited about the political dynamic between Feather Day and Bobbie Yang. Feather Day is played by the incredible Kaniehtiio Horn, who's from Kahnawake, which is sort of the homelands of the region we're trying to represent on the show. She was really fun to work with, and depicting this... I don't know how to describe her politically.
Ed Helms: She's mercenary. [Laughs]
Jana Schmieding: Yeah! Going up against the potential youngest mayor in the United States, that was so fun to write for. And I'm really excited to see how audiences react to that.
In Season 2 of Peacock’s hit comedy Rutherford Falls, life-long best buds Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding) help each other tackle work, romance, and major changes to their small town and the Native American reservation it borders, initiated by Tribal Casino C.E.O. Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes).
Check back soon for our other interview with the cast and crew of Rutherford Falls.
All 8 episodes of Rutherford Falls season 2 will be available to stream on Peacock starting June 16.
Rutherford Falls stars Ed Helms & Jana Schmieding chat about the romances that await their characters in season 2 of the delightful Peacock comedy.Tatiana Hullender