by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Certain television shows don’t get the credit they deserve. I always thought Sons of Anarchy, Oz, and P-Valley didn’t get enough acclaim from awards or critics. Shows like these are what drive television forward, because they aren’t part of an existing franchise, and they push the boundaries of what television can do for an audience. Sure, they may get national attention from a fan standpoint, but they are unique, and deserved more recognition than they got. One show fits this mold perfectly over the past few years: Reservation Dogs.
Reservation Dogs enters its surprising final season at a seminal moment: The crew makes it out of Oklahoma to fulfill a request for an old friend. The rest of the season deals with the fallout from those events, but also with what it means to be part of a community and how finding your way doesn’t always mean making decisions solo, as well as a critical issue of the future that past seasons have alluded to. Each member of the Reservation Dogs has decisions to make about what they want to do when they become adults.
The greatest strength of Reservation Dogs has always been its commitment to having an authentic Indigenous cast. It helps convey the story’s authenticity, and add gravity. Some of the cast members may have experienced the situations in the story themselves, or had relatives dealing with them. Representation matters, and Reservation Dogs makes the most of its cast members’ heritage and connection to Indigenous roots.
As always, the main four cast members are outstanding. We see their growth throughout the years, but this season is when we see them becoming adults. Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) is at a crossroads after his experience in California. A chance encounter with someone who knows his dad sends him into a tailspin. Woon-A-Tai has always had to carry a larger load because he is the de facto leader of the Reservation Dogs. He spends a lot of the season trying to figure out his future, and realizing how leadership doesn’t always mean having to make decisions on his own. Elora (Devery Jacobs) also carries a huge emotional burden, and this season, she has a chance encounter with her biological father. I love that episode — it perfectly encapsulates the struggles someone may face when meeting an estranged parent for the first time. The guest star for Elora’s dad is perfect casting, and their interactions are outstanding.
The standout this season, though is Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis). She typically is more of a background character and is meant for comedic relief. Due to unfortunate circumstances, though, she steps up and helps lead the reservation when dealing with the loss of one of their own. Willie Jack shows how women can break tradition in compelling ways, and how she can be a leader for everyone, not just the Reservation Dogs. Alexis has a lot of strong moments this season, and I like how she has stepped up her acting game with the dramatic parts, in addition to being really funny.
The final season mixes the story up a little by balancing episodes with the elders of the reservation along with the Reservation Dogs. I’ve been critical in the past of the stories involving the elders of the reservation, because I thought they took away from the screen time of the main four kids, but this is the first season where I enjoyed the episodes involving the elders. They feel more connected and relevant to the overall story of the season. By its nature, Reservation Dogs is a largely episodic television show. Season Three does a great job of having all the episodes build off of one another with a consistent message about the trauma Indigenous people have faced over the years.
Multiple episodes this season make sure to highlight these troubles. One episode deals with a woman on the reservation named the Deer Lady (Kaniehtiio Horn). She helps Bear when he’s trying to figure out how he can get back to the reservation. We see flashbacks of the Deer Lady’s experience in a religious school that is trying to convert Indigenous people to Christianity. It’s highly traumatic for her because the friends she makes are in harm’s way due to the poor treatment of those at the school. She also experiences issues with the language barrier, and with being alone and away from home. It’s a great episode which shows how she handles her trauma.
Another episode shows some of the elders of the reservation when they were high school students together in a changing world. The episode talks about how everyone is on different paths: Some people will be heading to school, others will be on a path toward starting a business on the reservation, and one individual has an experience that alters the course of their group. Maximus (Graham Greene), is subjected to isolation because no one believes him about his experience. This leads to a life away from the reservation and isolation from his friends. He meets up with Bear, and it finally helps pave his way back to the reservation and his community.
Being part of a community, and the difficulty of a decision that involves leaving the reservation, are major themes of the season. The Reservation Dogs have grand plans to leave the reservation for good, but the community keeps them in. Their heritage, the culture, and the people all have a hold of these kids, and help them all realize how significant it is to be part of their tribe. The eighth and final episode of the season showcases this effectively: The Reservation Dogs gather all their friends to help someone in need. It was amazing to see how all the kids work together during the episode, but it was also great to see how Kenny Boy (Kirk Fox) looks out for them after they are caught. The final episode shows the power that the loss of an individual can have on everyone in the reservation. It is a fitting way to end the episode, with everyone moving in different directions.
Reservation Dogs never got the respect or accolades it deserves. It’s easily one of the best shows of the decade, and FX’s best in a while. It knows how to blend comedy, coming-of-age drama, real-world commentary, and profoundly moving moments into a tour-de-force. The representation of Indigenous people is outstanding, and chalks up another win for Taika Waititi and his production company. I will sorely miss this group of characters, and aho to Reservation Dogs for an outstanding run on FX.
Rating: Loved It
Reservation Dogs is currently streaming on Hulu
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