Where does a television show go after giving its leads exactly what they always wanted? Leave it to Reservation Dogs to rise to the challenge—and with such bittersweet beauty, no less. The outstanding swan song of FX’s groundbreaking comedy sees its crew of Indigenous teens achieve a long-held goal: after two seasons spent scheming to realize their late friend’s dream of moving to California, Season Three finds them at last on a Santa Monica beach. But before too long, they’ve lost their car and their cash—and soon enough, a series of detours leads them back to their sleepy reservation hometown of Okern, Oklahoma.
But as T.S. Eliot once wrote, “The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” In these extraordinary final episodes, Willie Jack, Elora, Bear, and Cheese develop a maturing appreciation for the community they’ve fought so hard to leave. As ever, Reservation Dogs is unflinching about the painful injustices of life on the reservation, but tender in its depiction of community bonds. As Wille Jack’s aunt (played by Lily Gladstone) tells her, “That’s how community works. It’s sprawling. It spreads. What do you think they came for when they tried to get rid of us? Our community. You break that, and you break the individual.” I could’ve hung out with the Rez Dogs forever, but as they ascend into television history, I can only hope that their breakthrough leads to an outpouring of Native storytelling.—A.W.
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