Reservation Dogs is a popular television series that premiered in 2021. The show follows the lives of a group of Indigenous teenagers living on a reservation in rural Oklahoma. The title "Reservation Dogs" is a play on the term "reservation dogs" which refers to stray dogs that roam on Indian reservations. The show is created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, and it is the first FX series to feature an all-Native American cast and creative team. The cast includes D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor, among others. The series received critical acclaim for its authentic portrayal of Indigenous life and its exploration of themes such as identity, friendship, and community.
In Episode 2, the girls aren’t shot dead, but rather are taken in by a woman named Anna (Megan Mullally). She kindly offers them food and shelter. As they settle in to sleep, Elora breaks down crying, while Jackie lifts the woman’s keys and sits in her truck.
The Spirit then tells Brownie that the ceremony is complete and the curse is vanquished, but it ll remain in their hearts until the kids deal with their guilt. Bev clarifies that Willie Jack took Jackie s hair, had a white wizard put a curse on her, and now she needs something of Jackie s to break the curse.
The series received critical acclaim for its authentic portrayal of Indigenous life and its exploration of themes such as identity, friendship, and community. One of the key aspects of Reservation Dogs is its use of humor to tackle serious issues. The show combines elements of coming-of-age stories, crime dramas, and dark comedies to bring its unique perspective to the screen.
RESERVATION DOGS Season 2 Premiere Recap (S02E01): The Curse
The Reservation Dogs are back after the big storm rocked the community. In “The Curse,” Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) tries to break the curse she put on the NDN Mafia when bad things start happening to everyone.
In season one, we met the Reservation Dogs, Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Elora Danan (Devery Jacobs), Willie Jack and Cheese (Lane Factor). They were planning on leaving Oklahoma for California. That was the dream of their friend Daniel (Dalton Cramer) who died the year before. When the time came to leave, Willie Jack and Cheese decided to stay. Elora and Bear got into an ugly fight prompting Elora to leave with their rival Jackie (Elva Guerra) instead of Bear. All of this after Willie Jack found a White Wizard ( Todd Jenkins) to put a curse on Jackie and her gang the NDN Mafia.
Willie Jack wakes up and tells Daniel’s picture that a lot of bad things are happening. Uncle Brownie (Gary Farmer) stopped the tornado, but he’s not right in the head. Leon (Jon Proudstar) keeps losing things. He thinks the Little People are messing with him. Bear is still seeing the Spirit William Knifeman (Dallas Goldtooth). Cheese is spending more time with Uncle Charlie (Nathan Apodaca aka Doggface), but that’s actually a good thing.
Other things that happened after tornado:
- A horse landed in Kenny Boy’s (Kirk Fox) junkyard. He thinks the creator blessed him. Ansel (Matty Cardarople) cried when they found the horse.
- Big (Zahn McClarnon) is still going on about Bigfoot and the catfish heads he found, that no one else saw.
- Bucky (Wes Studi) is still having issues with his white girlfriend.
- Someone stole Mose (Lil Mike) and Mekko’s (Funny Bone) bikes.
- Elora left with Jackie, making her an enemy. Willie Jack thinks it’s all her fault.
RESERVATION DOGS — “The Curse” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs August 3) —Pictured: Elva Guerra as Jackie, Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan. CR: Shane Brown/FX. Copyright 2022, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved
Elora’s GPS on her phone is messed up. They decide to stop at a convenience store for snacks. Jackie finds a Medicine Man fortune teller machine. The Medicine Man tells her “He who hoots with the owls at night cannot soar with the eagles in the morning.” Then he gives her a card that says “Your medicine has grown weak. You must turn away from the path that you are on.” Jackie dismisses it. They buy a map and a knife before leaving.
Bear walks by Daniel’s house and sees a For Sale sign in the yard. Spirit appears, on his way to another appointment. Bear tries to tell him about how bad he feels lately, but Spirit can’t listen to him. He tells Bear to grow up and take some responsibility.
Cheese and Willie Jack walk up as Spirit disappears. They walk to their secret hangout and argue about whether or not they are cursed. Willie Jack is convinced while Bear says it’s all coincidental. When they get to their secret hideout, they find a construction crew there. A crew member tells them that a rancher bought the land. He’s building a mega church. Willie Jack is even more convinced they are cursed! About the same time, Elora Danan’s car breaks down.
Spirit’s next appointment is with Uncle Brownie. Brownie is convinced that he’s a Holy Man now. He decides to get rid of all of the colonizer stuff in his house. The Rez Dogs show up and ask Brownie for help. He says he can’t because he’s trying to be a better man. Willie Jack goes inside his house anyway to talk.
Brownie told them not to mess with bad medicine and they did it anyway. But worse … it’s white man’s medicine. He says they have to go to the source of the curse to reverse it. He won’t help them because he doesn’t mess with bad medicine.
RESERVATION DOGS — “The Curse” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs August 3) —Pictured: Lane Factor as Cheese, Gary Farmer as Uncle Brownie. CR: Shane Brown/FX. Copyright 2022, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved
Cheese tells Brownie to alphabetize his VHS tapes. Brownie offers him Sonics if Cheese will do it for him. Cheese also asks to watch Big Trouble in Little China.
Elora and Jackie start walking. A man named Victor (Josh Fadem) stops and offers them a ride. He’s a little creepy but they get in anyway. Jackie gives Elora the knife since she’s sitting in the back seat.
Victor is on his way to a huge cross since he’s a Christian and all. He turns on country music and talks about how Gary Allen speaks to him. After 15 minutes of rambling, Victor turns on a dirt road. The girls question the turn and things turn really scary. Victor tells them to keep calm, but Jackie is ready to kick him in the face. She tells him to stop the car and he refuses. Jackie kicks him in the face and tells Elora to stab him. Elora stabs Victor in the shoulder and he stops the car. The girls jump out and Victor takes off … with all of their bags and money.
Willie Jack and Bear go to the bar where she found the White Wizard. He says he can’t reverse the curse. The barfly next to him tells the kids to get a job. The White Wizard says they need a level five wizard to undo his spell. And they’re all dead. The kids leave to continue their search.
Aunt Bea (Kimberly Guerrero) is cutting Bucky’s hair when the kids walk up. Auntie Dede (Dorothea Porras) is also on the porch and tells Bear that she could have been his momma. She knew his dad back in the day. But he’s gone now, leaving Bear “all dad-less.”
Willie Jack asks Bea for some more of Jackie’s hair, but Bea pretends she has no idea what the girl is talking about. Bucky offers to sweep up his own hair. Willie Jack doesn’t know what the big deal is. Bucky warns them against using medicine on people, but it’s too late.
After they leave, Bear gets really quiet. Bucky catches up to them and says he will help them break the curse. They need something personal from the person they cursed, but it doesn’t have to be hair. Willie Jack says they could ask Jackie’s aunt, but they don’t know where she is. Bear says Jackie’s auntie works at the IHS clinic … she’s the receptionist (Jana Schmieding).
RESERVATION DOGS — “The Curse” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs August 3) —Pictured: Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan. CR: Shane Brown/FX. Copyright 2022, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved
Elora and Jackie stop at a restaurant and bond over the fact that they lost someone close to them recently. Jackie is also impressed that Elora actually stabbed that creepy driver. Elora is afraid he will die.
Bear waits for Willie Jack outside with Bucky. Bucky catches up with Old Man Fixico (Richard Ray Whitman) and they talk about Man Moons. Willie Jack tells Bev about the curse and how she needs something from Jackie to reverse it. Bev thinks she’s crazy and dismisses her.
Bear gets annoyed and says there is no curse. He’s hungry and ready to go. Willie Jack is a little sad, saying she would help him reverse a curse. Willie Jack also texted Cheese to let him know that Bucky is helping them. When Cheese tells Brownie, Brownie gets excited and decides they need to go. Bucky doesn’t know what he’s doing.
On the way to get food, Bear decides he needs to go. He asks Bucky to stop the car and gets out. He tells Willie Jack that he supports her before leaving. Bucky makes Willie feel better, saying string theory explains it all. He says they are all like vibrating notes in a song. Take away a part and the song changes, but the song never dies.
Elora and Jackie walk along a dirt road, contemplating stealing a car. They find a house with several cars parked in the yard. Jackie looks at the car on the end and easily find the keys inside. Someone comes out from behind the house and sees Elora get into the car. The person yells at people in the house, telling them that someone is stealing their car. Elora and Jackie take off running as a truck full of guys with shotguns drive up behind them.
Watch the Reservation Dogs on FX on Hulu.
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Uncle Brownie sits nude and talks to a nearby dog.
It deals with topics such as poverty, addiction, and the impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities, but it does so in a way that is both insightful and entertaining. In addition to its portrayal of Indigenous characters, Reservation Dogs is also known for its depiction of the reservation itself. The show explores the beauty and challenges of living in a rural and often overlooked part of America. It highlights the complexities of reservation life, from the struggles with limited resources to the unique cultural traditions that exist within these communities. Reservation Dogs has been praised for its authentic representation of Indigenous culture and the issues faced by Native American communities. It has also been commended for its diverse and talented cast, as well as its refreshing and often humorous take on storytelling. The show has resonated with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous viewers, sparking important conversations about representation and the need for more diverse voices in the entertainment industry. Overall, Reservation Dogs is a groundbreaking television series that shines a spotlight on Indigenous experiences and challenges stereotypes. It brings to light the rich culture and heritage of Native American communities while also telling compelling and relatable stories. The show has not only entertained audiences but has also sparked important discussions about representation, diversity, and the importance of authentic storytelling..
Reviews for "Analyzing the Gender Dynamics in Reservation Dogs"
1. John - 1 Star
I didn't enjoy "Reservation Dogs" at all. I found the humor to be tasteless and offensive, often relying on stereotypes and derogatory remarks. Additionally, I felt that the characters lacked depth and development, making it hard for me to connect with or care about their stories. The plot felt disjointed and didn't flow well, leaving me confused and uninterested. Overall, I was disappointed with the show and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 2 Stars
While "Reservation Dogs" had a unique concept and showcased Indigenous culture, I felt that it fell short in execution. The pacing was slow and dragging, and there were many moments where I found myself losing interest. Furthermore, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the characters. While the show had the potential to be engaging and thought-provoking, I was left feeling underwhelmed and uninvested in the story.
3. Michael - 2 Stars
I had high hopes for "Reservation Dogs" based on the positive reviews I had heard, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The humor felt forced and fell flat, often resorting to cheap gags and predictable jokes. The plot lacked originality and seemed to rely heavily on clichés. Additionally, the acting was subpar, and I found it hard to emotionally connect with the characters. Overall, I was disappointed with the show and wouldn't recommend it to others who are seeking a fresh and entertaining series.