Just like in films like Stand by Me—or more recently, the sudsy Netflix teen drama Outer Banks—Reservation Dogs explores what happens when young people get caught up in a grown-up world they don’t fully understand, all while navigating their own personal relationships and lives. “These kids… decide to become vigilantes and clean up the community, but in a funny way,” says ReservationDogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo. The show centers around Bear Smallhill (D’Pharoah Woon-a-Tai) and his friends Elora Danan (Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) and Cheese (Lane FactorB), four teenagers who long for something more than life on their Oklahoma reservation. They make the fateful decision to steal a food truck, and the show takes off from there. They have to stay one step ahead of the sheriff while taking on a gang and dealing with the everyday realities of reservation life. Curious to know more? Here’s everything we know about Reservation Dogs, including how and where to watch.
Is ReservationDogs a movie or series?
If your mind keeps confusing Reservation Dogs with Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 indie film Reservoir Dogs, you’re not alone. The series is clearly inspired by Tarantino’s heist-gone-wrong cult-classic. Not only do both the show and the movie focus on a gaggle of would-be thieves, but in Reservation Dogs, the four main characters appear in suits just like Reservoir Dogs’ pilfering protagonists. Vulture, meanwhile, has noted that “the series name Reservation Dogs is both an allusion to the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs and the real-life phenomenon of the Rez Dog (stray dogs that wander in packs around the rez and are usually not to be toyed with).” Other than that, however, there isn’t much of an overt connection.
What is ReservationDogs about?
The show follows Bear and his friends as they reach for a life beyond their Native American reservation. A friend’s death has been weighing on them; the crew is convinced that their friend Daniel died because of small-town life. Their only way out seems to be stealing a food truck; they think it can finance their escape to the far-away, grass-is-greener location of California. Despite their wrongdoing, they’re still decent kids; in one memorable scene, one of them even implores anther to put on her seatbelt before they drive away in the stolen truck.
Who created ReservationDogs?
The masterminds behind Reservation Dogs are Harjo and TaikaWaititi. Oscar winner Waititi is red-hot these days; since directing Thor: Ragnarok, the New Zealand native with a knack for “happy sad” cinema has created the FX on Hulu show What We Do in the Shadows (based on his 2014 film) and established properties like The Mandalorian. Waititi’s father and family are of Maori descent, and his work has highlighted the indigenous experience in his own home country, making him a natural match forHarjo, who is himself a Seminole-Muscogee native American. “Sterlin and I have known each other for many years,” Waititi explained during a Television Critics Association press tour panel earlier this month. “When we first met, we connected through sharing stories from when we were growing up. We know a lot of people from Indigenous communities… and all of those people share the same experiences.” The two are eager to tell a story rooted in reality while keeping a sense of humor. “One of the similarities in all of those Indigenous communities is humor,” said Harjo, who also co-founded a five-man comedy group called the 1491s. Harjo has directed three films which offer a deeper look at the Native American landscape. Of particular note is the film This May Be the Last Time, a movie about his own grandfather, who disappeared in 1962. What do the two co-creators hope people get out of the show? “For me, it’s about Native kids being able to watch this show and identify, and see themselves reflected on the screen, something that none of us grew up having,” says Harjo. “It’s important to feel seen, and it’s important to see yourself reflected. It’s going to be different, but there’s a lot of universal truths that not just Native people can identify with in this show.”
Is ReservationDogs based on a true story?
While the show’s plot isn’t directly taken from a specific story, the all-indigenous writing room and directing team ensure that Reservation Dogs is true to life about the reservation experience. “If it was a non-Native-controlled writers room, it wouldn’t be as rich with characters or even just the surprising turns in the stories," Waititi explained in an interview. Harjo agrees. “Having an all‑Indigenous room helped us not be afraid to go hard and tell the truth, and also to be funny and push the envelope,” Harjo has said. “We were able to pull from our own experiences and make it real.” Because the show is so authentic, it can steer clear of stereotypes and other problematic issues. “Sterlin and I share very similar sensibilities, that we don’t want to see ourselves portrayed standing on the mountaintop blowing a flute, talking to a tree, communing with ghosts,” Waititi has said. “We’re sick of that.”
Who is in the Reservation Dogs cast?
The main cast of the show consists of the four “Reservation Dogs,” who are:
D’Pharoah Woon-a-Tai as Bear Smallhill
Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan
Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack
Lane Factor as Cheese
The series’ recurring and supporting characters include:
Zahn McClarnon as Sheriff Big
Dallas Goldtooth as Spirit
Laura Spenceras Ms. Rothrock
Bobby Lee as Dr. Kang
Jana Schmieding as Clinic Receptionist
Funny Boneas Mekko
Jude Barnett as Bone Thug Dog
Keland Lee Bearpaw as Danny Bighead
Is there a trailer for Reservation Dogs?
The new show’s trailer introduces the four main characters and the turn that their life takes after they steal the truck. There are also cameos of the variety of people on the reservation. In the trailer, there’s a lone Native American on a horse who looks like the stereotypical Native character many people may be used to. Bear seems to see the ghost-like spirit character periodically—and while one might expect him to be a wise ancestor guiding the young man as has been seen in many films and movies, this guy is sometimes funny and doesn’t always give the best advice. “It’s letting non‑Natives into the room and going, ‘Look what you thought we were,’” Harjo said about the character. “But it’s actually kind of honoring our past, too, because we actually were like that at one point. So it’s poking fun at the stereotype, but also acknowledging the truths in that.”
Why is Elora Danan in ReservationDogs?
If the Reservation Dogs character Elora Danan has a familiar-sounding name, it’s probably because that’s also the name of a character in the 1988 fantasy film Willow. And the characters in the show know it. “Yeah, like the baby in Willow,” Elora explains in one scene to a teacher, who humorously replies, “Oh, you mean the knock-off Lord of the Rings, because they couldn’t get the rights?”
Where was ReservationDogs filmed?
While many movie and TV productsins have been filmed at least partly in Oklahoma, Reservation Dogs marks the first time that an entire show was filmed in the Sooner State. Harjo felt strongly that the show had to be made in the state, where he’s from. “Shooting in Oklahoma is a dream,” Harjo said in a news release. “It’s my backyard around the people I love. And you can’t beat our locations.” The first season will feature locations in Okmulgee, Tulsa, Sand Springs, Beggs, Inola and Terlton.
Are there spoilers for the first season of ReservationDogs?
Spoilers aren’t easily had; it seems that the four-person team will continue to deal with the fallout of stealing a truck while the sheriff and others are nipping at their heels. It’s still unclear if their dream of going to California will continue or if their goals will change as quickly as their circumstances.
Is there a Reservation DogsSeason 2?
Right now, it’s unknown how many seasons the series will have. But if the trailer is any indication, Waititi and Harjo have created a show that can last a number of seasons as it follows Bear and his friends on their quest for a bigger, better life.
Where to watch Reservation Dogs
Reservation Dogs is a FX on Hulu show; however, even though it’s an FX original, you can’t watch it on your cable’s FX station. Instead, it appears exclusively on the Hulu streaming service. The first two episodes debuted on Monday, August 9; the rest of Season 1’s three episodes will appear weekly on the following three Mondays: August 16, August 23 and August 30. Next, check out the coolest Easter eggs from TedLasso Seasons 1 and 2!
