Laughing MATTERS
DANIELLE DE WOLFE SPEAKS TO ITS STARS AND CREATORS RESERVATION IS BOTH FUNNY
WHEN it comes to creating a ground-breaking sitcom, what makes for the perfect recipe? For some, it’s an instantly recognisable name – like The Hangover’s Ed Helms, perhaps. For others, it’s about tackling rarely broached subject matter in a new and exciting way.
It stands to reason then, that Rutherford Falls – a comedy about diverging cultures, set against the backdrop of a Native American reservation, would prove a hit with audiences. Series one broke new ground, cementing the show as the world’s first Native American sitcom.
Now, returning for a second series – which continues to not only star, but be co-written by Ed – Rutherford Falls sees writer and series producer Sierra Teller Ornelas (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine Nine) return to the helm, alongside Emmy Award-winning scriptwriter Michael Schur (The Office, The Good Place).
“This was always conceived as a comedy,” explains Ed, 48, who describes the series as a vehicle for tackling social issues head on “but in a fun way”.
“We’re funny people – I hope. We think we’re funny. We’re very arrogant about being funny. And so this is what we do,” laughs the actor, gesturing to his co-star Jana Schmieding, 40.
Ed, best known for playing straight-laced Stu in The Hangover franchise and Andy Bernard in the US remake of The Office, stars as Nathan Rutherford. The lifelong best friend of Reagan Wells, played by Reservation Dogs actress Jana, the pair tackle all manner of work, romance and life challenges from their small town which borders a Native American reservation.
A succinct blend of heart-warming friendship and cultural discourse, the sitcom even sees Jana take on a few action sequences of her own. “It turns out I am the Tom Cruise of comedy,” she announces with a guffaw.
The subject of Native American culture is something co-creator Sierra is all-too familiar with, given she herself is a member of the Navajo Nation, more specifically, the Edgewater clan, the name given to the 25,000-mile Indian reservation extending into the US state of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. Her first-hand experience of the nation’s rich history makes her the perfect conduit for such a tale.
Noting that shows with Native people are “almost always helmed by white men”, the writer says that traditionally, Native individuals are positioned as secondary characters on screen, “usually dying before the third act”.
“Often, Native stories that are told by non-native people either focus on trauma or feel like homework. It’s just sort of like ‘eat your vegetables!”’ shrugs the creator.
“We never really ever wanted to tell stories in that way. I feel like we know that we’re funny, it’s just new to everyone else. Comedy, at the end of the day, humanises the subject matter – I think that’s why we take down whole political movements with comedy.”
It’s a sentiment shared by indigenous Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes (Wild Indian, I Know This
Much Is True), who notes: “The reason why comedy works universally is it’s easy to swallow.”
Describing humour as the common thread that weaves its way through their culture, the actor says both Native and indigenous populations have “learned to laugh” at the “absurdity” of many cultural and political situations.
“Inside that moment you learn about yourself. You learn about why you’re laughing, why these situations are in conflict. And I think that’s what (Rutherford Falls) showed us so beautifully.
“It takes on really potent stories and conflicts, and we find, as Native people do, the humour in nearly everything.”
AS RUTHERFORD FALLS RETURNS,
ABOUT WHY THE SITCOM SET AROUND A NATIVE AMERICAN
...Native people never ever get to see themselves fall in love, have sitcom hijinks, and find the most hilarious ways to make sense of their lives. You don’t know what you don’t have until you have it. Series producer and co-writer Sierra Teller Ornelas
Reprising his role as Tribal Casino CEO Terry Thomas in the series, filming was an experience the actor and scholar describes as “freeing”. After more than three decades in the film industry, Michael, 55, says he found that “for the first time” a production was so well-informed, showrunners didn’t rely upon his own “experience or knowledge of a community to correct the writing or direction”.
Describing the series as brimming with “Native joy”, Sierra says the combination of Ed and Jana’s characters makes for thought-provoking viewing. Depicting contrasting experiences, the creator says both characters are “champions for their own histories”. Yet, despite the systemic issues that surround and divide them, friendship ultimately prevails.
It’s a point Sierra elaborates on, describing how the team “felt this great responsibility” to tackle as many topics as humanly possible during series one, in light of the platform they’d been handed. It’s a sentiment shared by Ed, who describes the show as “a blast” to film.
“In season one we were building this community and building this world,” he explains. “This season, we get to just live in it. We’re not doing as much exposition, we’re just getting to be these hilarious characters in this crazy community.”
“My favourite thing about making comedy is that a small joke in a certain episode can turn into a whole episode,” smiles Sierra.
Going on to describe a memorable Dirty Dancing sequence which appears in the opening episode, the writer begins recounting a seemingly innocuous moment that has stayed at the forefront of her mind.
“While we were watching Michael [Greyeyes] and Kimberly practise on set, writer Tazbah Chavez just started crying. It was the weirdest thing,” recalls Sierra.
“She just yelled ‘we never get this!’ And there’s just this feeling of centuries of watching media and never getting to experience certain things, meaning Native people never ever get to see themselves fall in love, have sitcom hijinks, and find the most hilarious ways to make sense of their lives.
Sierra adds: “It’s like you don’t know what you don’t have until you have it.”
The series truly bucks a Hollywood trend when it comes to stereotyping. And yet, the production went further still, with the Rutherford Falls writing team working collaboratively with actor Jesse Leigh to cement their character Bobby as non-binary – which Jesse also identifies as. It was a scripting development the actor says “felt amazing”.
“To be able to play a non-binary character – we don’t see them as much on television.
“And to see them in a place of power, running for Mayor, it’s even more important.”