Season Three of “Reservation Dogs” feels like a comedown from the fragmented tension of the last season, a “what now?” for its scattered group of tribal misfits. The pain of Daniel’s loss has tainted their relationship for two whole seasons; that cathartic moment in the California surf last season, a group hug visited by Daniel’s spirit, brought them some much-needed closure. (And as someone for whom the loss of a close friend like Daniel is particularly recent, it’s a moment that hits particularly hard.)
But like myself, Bear, Elora, and the rest wonder where the next chapter of their journey takes them. Escape to California is no longer the end goal; their bus ride home is depicted, fittingly, as a piece of tribal art, a drawing of their Greyhound traversing an American map noted not by state borders but by which tribes that land belongs to. Now, it might be time for them to figure out where they fit into the cultures and traditions they’ve kept at a distance. The fourth episode is a relaxed reset for the show, a waystation for the kids as they reflect on their catharsis and forge new paths. I can’t wait to see what journeys these remaining six episodes take on while lamenting that this is all we have left.
Then again, it’s oddly fitting that “Reservation Dogs” ends when it is, despite the dearth of Native-focused content ready to replace it. (Jana Schmieding’s IHS secretary is a hoot in every scene and a bitter reminder that her Native-led sitcom, “Rutherford Falls,” also suffered an untimely demise.) Our four leads can’t stay teenagers forever, after all. Do they continue to run away from the economic and spiritual depression of the rez, clinging feebly to health departments with shoestring budgets and cityfied Native influencers who offer nothing but platitudes? Do they sit down with their elders and learn how to carry on the practices they’ve stewarded for generations?
However the rest of the show answers these questions, it’ll likely do so with the wit, specificity, and heart that has elevated it to one of the most well-received shows in FX’s current slate. And while the show may end, I hope its spirit will live on, much like William Knifeman’s—imparting deceptively insightful wisdom from beyond the grave, preferably wearing a pair of assless chaps.
The first four episodes were screened for review. “Reservation Dogs” premieres August 2nd exclusively on Hulu.