From Co-Creators and Executive Producers Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, FX’s Reservation Dogs is a half-hour comedy that follows the exploits of “Elora Danan” (Devery Jacobs), “Bear Smallhill” (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), “Willie Jack” (Paulina Alexis) and “Cheese” (Lane Factor), four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma.
After the death of “Daniel,” the fifth member of the Reservation Dogs, the crew took to stealing, scheming and saving in order to fulfill his dream of getting to California. The plan took a detour when the gang disbanded, leaving everyone to forge their own paths. Elora took off with the Rez Dogs’ mortal enemy, “Jackie” (Elva Guerra), Bear received ancient wisdom from “Spirit” (Dallas Goldtooth) in the most sacred of porta potties, Willie Jack discovered her ancestry in a prison visiting room and Cheese spent time in a boys’ home, while never forgetting his pronouns. Realizing they were stronger together, the Rez Dogs reunited and made it to Cali, where, with feet in the sand and waves crashing in front of them, they said goodbye to Daniel.
In the third and final season, the Rez Dogs find themselves stranded in Cali and have to figure out their way back home. After making it back to Okern, Elora considers the idea of college, Bear comes across a conspiracy theorist named “Maximus” (Graham Greene), Willie Jack grows more invested in healing her community and Cheese, well, he still lives with his grandmother who’s not his grandmother. Meanwhile, the aunties, uncles and elders explore their pasts and try to heal old wounds. We learn more about tribal cop “Big” (Zahn McClarnon); cannabis-loving “Brownie” (Gary Farmer); physics-obsessed “Bucky” (Wes Studi); the enigmatic “Deer Lady” (Kaniehtiio Horn); Bear’s mom “Rita” (Sarah Podemski) and her cousin “Teenie” (Tamara Podemski); Willie Jack’s dad “Leon” (Jon Proudstar); Daniel’s mom “Hokti” (Lily Gladstone); medicine man “Old Man Fixico” (Richard Ray Whitman); junkyard prophet “Kenny Boy” (Kirk Fox); gum-smacking “Bev” (Jana Schmieding); and ride-less rap duo “Mose” (Lil Mike) and “Mekko” (FunnyBone).
Season three is full of road trips, bathroom wisdom, unexpected fathers, boarding schools, Bigfoot, rumors, revenge and healing.
Filmed on location in Oklahoma, Reservation Dogs is a breakthrough in Indigenous representation on television, both in front of and behind the camera. Every writer, director and series regular on the show is Indigenous. This first-of-its-kind creative team tells a story that resonates with them and their lived experiences.
Throughout its first two seasons, Reservation Dogs landed on 180+ critics’ year-end best lists, was honored as an AFI Television Program of the Year for two consecutive years and won two Independent Spirit Awards, a Gotham Award and Peabody Award. The show was among seven programs recognized in 2022 by the Television Academy as part of its 15th Television Academy Honors, showcasing exceptional programs and their producers who have leveraged the power of television to fuel social change.
Reservation Dogs is co-created by Sterlin Harjo (Love and Fury, Four Sheets to the Wind) and Academy Award® winner Taika Waititi (Our Flag Means Death, What We Do in the Shadows) and executive produced by Harjo, Waititi and Garrett Basch (What We Do in the Shadows, The Night Of). Reservation Dogs is produced by FX Productions.
