Reservation Dogs
Reservation Dogs is an American comedy drama television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It follows the lives of Indigenous teenagers living in rural Oklahoma, as they navigate adolescence while balancing their heritage with their desire to escape the confines of life on the reservation. It was renewed for a second season in 2021 and a third and final season in 2022, which premiered on August 2, 2023. The series concluded on September 27, 2023.
It is the first American series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost entirely Indigenous North American cast and crew. The initial season was filmed entirely in Oklahoma, marking a historic first for a scripted series. The series premiered on Hulu under FX on Hulu branding on August 9, 2021.
Reservation Dogs received widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including two Peabody Awards and two Independent Spirit Awards. It was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe, six Television Critics Association Awards, and nine Critics' Choice Television Awards. Additionally, it was consecutively listed as one of the ten best television programs by the American Film Institute in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Premise
The series follows the lives of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma, in a small town in the Muscogee Nation, where they spend their days "committing crime and fighting it." Their friend Daniel, who dreamed of moving to California, died one year before the events of the show. As the Rez Dogs grapple with his death, they contemplate whether to make the trip to California themselves. They each need to address unresolved issues in their lives and community and make plans to leave.In Season 2, the Rez Dogs are still experiencing grief over Daniel's death and have lost some of their connection to each other. The "California dream" does not turn out as they expected, resulting in more feelings of disappointment and abandonment. They cope using humor but also increasingly face adult challenges. Financial and family responsibilities arise as they continue to try to figure out their lives.
Season 3 explores the history of the elders in the community and how the events and choices of their youth led to their present day lives. Parallels are drawn between the Rez Dogs and the younger selves of the aunts, uncles and grandparents.
Cast and characters
Main
- Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan Postoak. Named for the Willow character, she is the most responsible and driven member of the gang. Elora lost her mother when she was still a toddler.
- D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Bear Smallhill. Bear sees himself as the "leader" of the Rez Dogs gang, despite being the only one of the group to think so. He grew up with only his mother parenting him and is still very close to her. He longs for a relationship with his estranged, deadbeat dad. Bear experiences visions of a spirit guide.
- Lane Factor as Chester "Cheese" Williams. More laid back than Elora or Bear, he rolls with the flow of whatever mischief or misadventure comes his way. He lives with his "cousin uncle", Charley; Cheese tends to connect with various adult characters in the show.
- Paulina Alexis as Wilhelmina Jacqueline "Willie Jack" Sampson. A tomboy, she is very close with her parents. Daniel was Willie Jack's cousin and she is strongly affected by his death.
Recurring
- Sarah Podemski as Rita, Bear's mother. A devoted single parent, Rita works at the local Indian Health Service clinic and frequently fields advances from male admirers. She is determined to find a man who can be a better father figure to Bear than Punkin.
- Zahn McClarnon as Officer Big; a lighthorseman known for his patience with petty criminals as well as for his superstitious nature.
- Dallas Goldtooth as William "Spirit" Knifeman; a self-proclaimed warrior who died at The Battle of Little Big Horn, even though he did not do any fighting; he has been sent to act as a guide to Bear. In season 2 he also appears to Uncle Brownie.
- Gary Farmer as Uncle Brownie, Elora's uncle. While the bar fights of his past are legendary, he now lives in the woods as a hermit. Part of the 1976 friend group, when he spoke of wanting to one day open a dojo.
- Elva Guerra as Jackie, leader of the NDN mafia; she grew up in the city and wants to return to urban life. She and Elora bond during their first attempt to reach California. She also lost her brother to suicide.
- Lil Mike as Mose, half of a local rap duo along with his brother; they ride around the community on their bikes or kick scooters, keeping track of local gossip and commenting on events.
- Funny Bone as Mekko, the other half of the local rap duo.
- Jack Maricle as White Steve, member of the NDN mafia.
- Jude Barnett as Bone Thug Dog, member of the NDN mafia.
- Xavier Bigpond as Weeze, member of the NDN mafia.
- Dalton Cramer as Daniel, Willie Jack's late cousin and friend of the Rez Dogs, who died by suicide a year before the start of the show. He appears occasionally in dreams and flashbacks. He wanted to go to California, a dream that the Rez Dogs try to fulfill in his honor. He had a secret crush on Elora.
- Bobby Lee as Dr. Kang, the primary physician at the tribal clinic.
- Kirk Fox as Kenny Boy, owner of the local salvage yard; constantly trying to convince people he is Native American, interspersing his speech with mispronounced and misunderstood words and concepts in Navajo, Lakota, and Ojibwe, much to the annoyance of actual Natives.
- Matty Cardarople as Ansel, a worker at the local salvage yard.
- Jon Proudstar as Leon, Willie Jack's father. Since the loss of his nephew, he has become overprotective of Willie Jack.
- Kimberly Guerrero as Auntie B, Willie Jack's aunt, a paranoid beadworker.
- Jana Schmieding as Bev, the clinic receptionist and Jackie's aunt.
- Casey Camp-Horinek as Irene, the grandmother Cheese meets at the clinic. She later becomes his foster parent. In the 1976 friend group at high school, she is a budding activist who wants to join AIM.
- Kaniehtiio "Tiio" Horn as Deer Lady, a spirit in the form of a beautiful woman with deer hooves.
- Geraldine Keams as Mabel, Elora's grandmother. In the 1976 friend group, she says she wants to have lots of babies. Maximus and Fixico had a falling out in 1976, partially over a love triangle with Mabel.
- Jennifer Podemski as Dana, Willie Jack's mom
- Tamara Podemski as Teenie, Elora's aunt. She is Mabel's daughter and Cookie's sister.
- JaNae Collins as Cookie, Elora's mom and close friend of the Aunties and Big. She died when Elora was very young, but is seen in flashbacks; in season 3 she returns as a spirit, but only Rita can see her.
- Wes Studi as Bucky, an eccentric local artist; part of the 1976 friend group at boarding school
- Richard Ray Whitman as Old Man Fixico
- Bobby Wilson ) as Jumbo, who works at the weed dispensary
- Migizi Pensoneau as Ray Ray, Jumbo's good friend
- Warren Queton as Clinton, Rita's boss at the IHS Clinic
- Nathan Apodaca, as Uncle Charley, the "cousin uncle" Cheese lives with who is arrested in season 2
- Nathalie Standingcloud as Natalie, an ophthalmologist that works at the clinic, one of the Aunties
- Macon Blair as Rob
- Darryl W. Handy as Cleo
- Rhomeyn Johnson as Miles
Guest
- Garrett Hedlund as David
- Lily Gladstone as Hokti, Daniel's mom and Willie Jack's auntie, a medicine woman who is currently in prison
- Graham Greene as Maximus, eccentric recluse who sees spirits and is waiting for the return of the Star People; in the 1970s, lived on the Oklahoma reservation, attended the same residential school as Deer Woman had in a previous era, and had a friend group similar to the current Rez Dogs.
- Evan Adams as Larry, the IHS mental health therapist, who interrupts, talks over, and dumps his own trauma on clients
- Tafv Sampson as Gram, an ancestor of Willie Jack and Hokti, who now watches and helps them as a spirit. She walked the Trail of Tears and, in the afterlife, is in a hot sexual relationship with William Knifeman
- Sten Joddi as Punkin Lusty, Bear's estranged father, a rapper living in California
- Bill Burr as Garrett Bobson, Elora's former basketball coach and driving instructor
- Brandon Boyd as White Jesus of Los Angeles
- Amber Midthunder MissMa8riarch, alleged online influencer, youth seminar leader; claims to be many things.
- Quannah Chasinghorse as the 1976 version of Irene, Cheese's adopted grandmother
- Elisha Pratt as Augusto Firekeeper, self-described "actor, model, poet, hatmaker", etc.
- Joy Harjo as Manager of the convenience store where Elora works
- Megan Mullally as Anna
- Michael Spears as Danny, Daniel's father
- Marc Maron as Gene, head of a foster home, who "spends his days harassing and trauma-dumping on Native youth."
- Ryan RedCorn as Olf, "a Comanche-Ponca Juggalo" on the bus trip from California to Oklahoma
- Keland Lee Bearpaw as Danny Bighead
- Tim Cappello as sax player on beach
- Ethan Hawke as Rick, Elora's father
- DeLanna Studi as Jackie's mother
- Angus Sampson as a chemist in Kenny Boy's crew
Episodes