Reservation Dogs: Friday

August 17, 2023 3:52 PM - Season 3, Episode 4

The rez dogs take their punishment for the California trip, Cheese gets a facelift of sorts and Elora and Willie Jack consider their futures.
posted by mediareport (8 comments total)

Hilarious, touching episode. You can't beat the kids interacting with each other and with their rez elders. Loved Willie Jack helping Cheese get his eyes fixed already, Rita and Bev (probably not) misreading the argument between Bear and Jackie (Bev: "I'll take the baby on the weekends, don't worry"), and Willie Jack gearing up for medicine lessons. I love that Elora's decided on school, even if she's not sure what that means yet. I'm trying to imagine an end to her arc that has her working in the IHS that feels fulfilling, but can't help hope she's got more in store than that.

Bev and Big's slutty flirtation cracked me up, esp the outtake during the credits. I love the way this show handles sex. I wonder if we'll see any of the kids have any; they've been pretty chaste for TV high schoolers these days. Don't get me wrong; it's refreshing, just wondering if they'll go there.

Fantastic episode, a nice break from the intensity and violence of last week but still rich and interesting.
posted by mediareport at 4:11 PM on August 17, 2023 [7 favorites]

The kids together really are the best. I’ve enjoyed Bear’s walk-a-bout, but the eps with them together are my favorite.

Willie Jack has become my favorite — she’s such an *embodied* person. The lack of eye contact… until she really needs to know what someone is feeling. All the adjusting her hat and a thousand little movements. And two seasons ago, going into a brawl with the other gang, armed with a chancla. Adore her.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:04 PM on August 17, 2023 [14 favorites]

You know what else I like about the show? It’s not kids versus adults. It’s kids being little shitasses, right on schedule, surrounded by caring adults who have more stuff to manage than resources to manage with, and the kids slowly becoming more and more aware of their larger stories; the larger connections. It’s a lot of irreverence grounded in a deep landscape of respect.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:49 PM on August 17, 2023 [14 favorites]

Love this show. It's so good.

Is shitass an Oklahoma thing? I never heard it before this show.
posted by DowBits at 10:16 PM on August 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

Has there ever been a contest on this show that wasn't won, in whole or in part, by White Steve?
posted by Parasite Unseen at 8:57 AM on August 18, 2023 [8 favorites]

I love the word shitasses, and I love all the shitasses on this show.

Has there ever been a contest on this show that wasn't won, in whole or in part, by White Steve?

Bev taking White Steve down quietly in the background killed me. And Bev and Big, whew!

I really like that the show isn't forcing the kids to leave the rez or taking their return as a failure. We're getting to see them mature and figure out what they want without insisting that they leave Okern behind.

I am missing Dallas Goldtooth, so I hope William Knifeman comes back for Bear soon.
posted by gladly at 6:39 PM on August 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

Vulture.com recap for the Willie Jack's Deadly Meat Pies.
posted by fiercekitten at 4:44 PM on August 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

I also love that White Steve is called White Steve even though he's the only white guy and the only Steve.

I took a family member to the emergency department today (they are fine now) and the receptionist reminded me of when we first met Bev in this series. No empathy, acted like we were wasting her time even though there was no one else needing to check in. I think she barely contained her eyerolls. Would have sucked except that I thought of Bev and was entertained.

Bev: "You missed some important teaching then."

Elora is played so precisely, her projected confidence which is totally see-through as insecurity.
posted by Emmy Rae at 4:22 PM on August 27, 2023 [1 favorite]