Rutherford Falls Season 2 - What We Know So Far

Representation in popular culture, TV, and movies is arguably more important now than ever before. Groundbreaking shows like Netflix's "Sex Education" and "Insecure" on HBO are bringing the future of television in the right direction by allowing viewers from all walks of life to see representations of themselves on the screen. One of the most recent shows to break boundaries is the Peacock original comedy series "Rutherford Falls," which was just renewed for a second season.

"Rutherford Falls" is a comedy centered on two best friends named Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms), a descendent of the white founder of the town of Rutherford Falls, and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), a member of the Minishonka Nation, who both live in the fictional town. Rutherford and Wells' friendship is tested when city officials opt to relocate a statue of the town's namesake, as Rutherford can't seem to let go of his ancestor's questionable history. "Rutherford Falls" has earned praise for its largely Native crew along with its handling of complex topics, and it currently boasts a 94% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming season's release date, cast, and plot.

Since "Rutherford Falls" was just recently renewed, there's no official word on when Season 2 will premiere — apart from a TVLine report that "production on Season 2 will get underway later this year ahead of a 2022 debut." Everything at this point is purely speculation, but since Season 1 premiered in April 2021, it's possible that the upcoming season will drop as early as April 2022 — assuming there are no production delays. That's a bit of a quick turnaround for a whole new season, but it's still several months away, so who knows. We'll be sure to keep you in the loop once there's an official release date.

Co-creator and executive producer Sierra Teller Ornelas tweeted once the renewal of "Rutherford Falls" was made official: "I'm freaking ecstatic to announce that #RutherfordFalls will be back for season 2!!! Can't wait to get new [episodes] in front of your eyeballs soon! Until then, get your tush to @PeacockTV and catch up on season 1! What a day!!!" Tons of fans echoed her excitement with likes, replies, and happy-dancing GIFs, so it's safe to say that Season 2 is already highly anticipated.

The main cast of "Rutherford Falls" is expected to return for the next season. Aside from Helms and Schmieding, the series also stars Michael Greyeyes as Terry Thomas, the CEO of the local Minishonka casino; Jesse Leigh as Bobbie Yang, Rutherford's loyal assistant; Dana L. Wilson as Mayor Deirdre Chisenhall; and Dustin Milligan as a passionate journalist named Josh Carter. Recurring stars also include Geraldine Keams, Ben Koldyke, Adam Farabee, and Mimi Gianopulos, among several other talented and hilarious actors.

"Rutherford Falls" also has several Indigenous writers that help ensure the show is both accurate and a positive representation of Indigenous issues. The five Native writers are Teller Ornelas (Navajo), Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), Tai Leclaire (Kanien'kehá:ka [Mohawk Nation]/Mi'kmaq), Jana Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux), and Tazbah Chavez (Bishop Paiute/Nüümü/Diné/San Carlos Apache), as reported by Variety — who also noted that Greyeyes is a Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation – Treaty Six Territory in Saskatchewan. 

Ornelas stressed, per Variety, that while the "Rutherford Falls" team is "very excited to tell some of the pan-Native stories, we [Native people] are not a monolith" — so the show made sure to hire Native American writers from around the country to help make the show relatable to all. Ornelas also released a formal statement about the show's renewal: "We are beyond ecstatic for Season 2! I'm probably slightly biased, but 'Rutherford Falls' is made by the best writers, cast, and crew, on earth. ... We are very grateful to the folks at Universal Television and Peacock for continuing to champion Indigenous comedies" (per Variety).

The first season of "Rutherford Falls" ended with a bit of a twist. Though Rutherford spent the entire first season working to save his family statue from being moved, it turns out that he's not actually related to the founder of Rutherford Falls after all. This opens the door for tons of possibilities in Season 2, as well as one big question: What does this mean for Rutherford and his friendship with Wells? It will be interesting to see how the show continues to address real-world issues like colonialism and progressivism in Season 2.

According to Deadline, the President of Universal Television Erin Underhill expressed her excitement at the show's renewal, saying "It's been wonderful to watch Reagan, Nathan, Bobbie, Terry, and the rest of the Rutherford Fallians come to life in this ambitiously witty series. Mike, Sierra and Ed poured their creative geniuses into the show, and we can't wait to see what happens next." We second that statement.

Stay tuned for more updates on Season 2 of "Rutherford Falls."