The tides have turned on Rutherford Falls. In “Skoden,” Terry (Michael Greyeyes) and Reagan (Jana Schmeiding) attend a gaming convention while Deirdre (Dana L. Wilson) launches a plan to stop the Rutherford Falls land deal.
After Rutherford Inc, Deirdre asked to meet with Nathan (Ed Helms) on how to stop the land deal. Nathan made Reagan angry by dismissing her need to repatriate items from his family’s possession. She decided to fully join Terry’s Running Lightning project wholeheartedly.
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THE CONVENTION
Reagan accompanies Terry to a gaming convention so they can gloat about their land deal. Actually, Reagan just wants as much free swag as possible. She’s about to meet the most influential entrepreneurs and philanthropists in Indian Country.
Terry appoints Reagan to the position of Associate Director of the Running Thunder casino. The title doesn’t come with a pay raise or benefits. And Reagan has to do whatever Terry tells her to do. To start, he tells her to stop pocketing swag.
Roy Crooks (Migizi Pensoneau) from the Spirit Pond and Casino in Minnesota congratulates Terry and the land deal. He’s very condescending when talking to Terry though. Roy’s casino has a water park, a dispensary and something called plyotronics.
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND
Deirdre visits Nathan to talk about her plan to stop Terry’s land deal. First, she has to convince the town that Big Larry has to stay right where he is. Deirdre wants Nathan to make a moving speech about Big Larry at the next council meeting. She will pretend to be so moved, that she will have to side with him publicly. Then they will campaign for the town’s civic pride by hosting events at the Rutherford Museum.
Deirdre’s objective is to get the town on her side. That way, when Terry’s land deal is up for final approval, the town will vote it down. And in the process, they will save Nathan’s home. Nathan likes the idea.
At the town council meeting, Nathan gets up to speak first. He admits that Big Larry is in the way, but he’s always been in the way. He talks about how Lawrence Rutherford stood in the way of the French acquiring the land by giving the Minishonka a fair and honest deal. And now he stands at the very spot where that deal was made. Big Larry is in the way and should stay in the way.
Several people at the council meeting nod in agreement with Nathan. At first the council said the statue was a public safety issue. But Deirdre changes their mind saying if two people from very different backgrounds can agree on Big Larry it’s a monument to resilience and progress of their town.
One of the council members reminds Deirdre that she went to high school with Nathan. Another council member makes the statement that they are all the same underneath. He votes to take the issue for further study. The whole council agrees.
CELEBRATION
Nathan and Deirdre celebrate saving Big Larry. Deirdre says his speech was impressive. It’s easy to be passionate when you mean it. Deirdre asks why he cares so much about his history. He shows her an old butter knife. There’s a story behind that also reveals the Chisenhall-Rutherford feud.
In 1722, Gregory Chisenhall snuck into the Rutherford’s stable and stole a prized thoroughbred horse. Charles Rutherford chased Gregory all the way to Lake Placid. When he caught up with Gregory they fought. Charles attempted to stab Gregory with the butter knife. It only left a bruise, but the knife splintered, giving Charles an infection.
Nathan moves closer to Deirdre to show her where the knife splintered. They look at each other and realize how close they are. Nathan moves closer and kisses Deirdre. .
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS

Reagan makes a couple new friends who are also Associate Directors of casinos. Lori (Cara Jade Myers) and Wilbur (Tai Leclaire) save her from a boring session with ice breakers. While sharing a drink, Reagan tells them about her plans to build a cultural center. They call her cultural center “Rick’s Honeymoon.” Lori tells Rick’s story. Rick was an AD who had a dream to take a honeymoon to Italy but kept putting it off. He eventually got divorced. They all have a dream that gets put off. Lori took a casino job so she could go to medical school. She’s been working for the casino for fifteen years.
Terry watches Roy’s presentation about the advancement of his casino. He asks how soon his revenue will increase. Roy says his projections are for 2023. Terry realizes his casino is technologically behind. Reagan interrupts him and says she has to go on Rick’s honeymoon. He’s too busy writing notes from the current presentation by the Navajo Nation. They are going to start using virtual reality to create a Native experience for tourists. (Think WestWorld)
THE MORNING AFTER
Deirdre wakes up in an Aunt Ida’s birthday t-shirt. At first, she’s a little freaked out, but Nathan made her breakfast, so she stays. When she gets ready to leave, Nathan just smiles at her. He’s excited because this is the first time in history a Rutherford and a Chisenhall have hooked up … that he knows about.
It’s not long before both Deirdre and Nathan tell their closest confidants about the night together. Deirdre tells her assistant Charlie (Adam Farabee), only because he immediately noticed that she’s wearing the same outfit as the day before. Then Deirdre gets worried that Nathan is blabbing to everyone.
Nathan texts Reagan and tells Bobby (Jesse Leigh) as well. Bobby wants to hear all of the tea. He compares them to an old Hollywood couple, like Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. Nathan feels good about everything. They just have to keep the momentum of playing the victim card, so people stay sympathetic to his cause.
TRAGEDY
Deirdre goes to the museum to let Nathan know that someone vandalized Big Larry with spray paint. It was Nathan. Nathan is that someone. He had help from Bobby. They did it to get more sympathy for Big Larry. That was step two. On to step three … more sex … Afterward, Nathan decides to go clean up Big Larry and Deirdre will go with him to condemn vandalism.
Deirdre talks to the press while Nathan cleans the statue. He finds some writing on the statue that says “Mal Merde.” Nathan takes a picture of it and takes it to Minishonka tribal council member Rayanne (Geraldine Kearns). Rayanne says Mal Merde eventually became Mal-mer. She translates the phrase as “don’t trust Mal-mer.”
Mal-mer is a monster that came across the sea and hid in the woods near the Minishonka. It wore the mask of a white man and pretended to be a friend of the Minishonka. The monster had an insatiable appetite for the poop of children. The legend of Mal-mer is about Lawrence Rutherford. Rayanne says Lawrence was a jerk to the Minishonka. Nathan doesn’t believe it and asks Rayanne if her knowledge of the language is accurate. Rayanne slaps Nathan and he immediately apologizes.
LEVEL UP
Terry is intimidated by the VR presentation, but Reagan says it’s a step in the wrong direction. She doesn’t like when Terry pouts. She asks if he’s going to sit around a cry about it or stand up and be the badass everyone knows Terry Thomas is. Terry stands tall and proud. ‘Skoden! ‘Stoodis!
Reagan says the VR promotion is not progress and they can do better. Terry hates when white people portray Native people. Now Natives have a little bit of power, and they are going to do it to themselves. Terry comes up with an idea and says they have a lot of work to do.
Nathan finds a book about Mal-mer. He’s disgusted by what he’s reading but look at Big Larry’s picture. Deirdre texts him to let him know that something big is happening with Terry. She tells him to go to the casino.
YE OLDE RUTHERFORD VILLAGE
Terry’s idea, and credited to Reagan is a shopping center, or retail tourism community. The entire town would transform to 17th century Rutherford Falls with period costumes and everything. It will create new jobs as will the Running Thunder casino and resort. Reagan says their future is their past.
The Minishonka owns the land but the town stays the same size, minus the area used to expand the casino. An influx of new business and visitors means the tax revenue will go way up. Deirdre is interested but Nathan finds it absurd.
Reagan says they can showcase the Rutherford brand in the way Nathan always imagined. Terry says they are trying to make Disneyworld and they want Nathan to be their Mickey Mouse. As long as Nathan works with them, he can remain in his house and run his museum.
Nathan is shocked by Reagan’s proposal. From his perspective, they are taking his land and allowing him to stay on it on their terms. Terry calls it a “fair and honest” deal. Nathan gets angry, declines the offer and leaves.
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