Last week, FX confirmed that the third season of its critically acclaimed series “Reservation Dogs” would be its last. It’s the second TV program about indigenous communities after Peacock‘s “Rutherford Falls” to get the ax recently. But hopefully Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi‘s series goes out on a high note in its final batch of episodes. After all, “Reservation Dogs” received high praise its first two seasons.
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Season 3 sees the Rez Dogs — that is, Elora (Devery Jacobs), Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Cheese (Lane Factor), and Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) — stranded in California, making their way back to Oklahoma. Along the way, there’s road trips, bathroom wisdom, unexpected fathers, boarding schools, Bigfoot, rumors, revenge and healing.
Here’s an official synopsis for the latest season of “Reservation Dogs,” courtesy of FX:
This 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 work through the impending crush of adulthood on the horizon.
“Reservation Dogs” also stars Zahn McClarnon, Gary Farmer, Wes Studi, Kaniehtiio Horn, Sarah Podemski, Tamara Podemski, Jon Proudstar, and Lily Gladstone. Other cast members include Richard Ray Whitman, Kirk Fox, Jana Schmieding, and the rap duo Lil Mike and FunnyBone.
Regardless of the show ending, “Reservation Dogs” remains an essential demonstration of the need for Indigenous talent behind and in front of the camera. The recent premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” has sparked conversations about the role of creatives — not just consultants — when it comes to telling Indigenous stories onscreen. And since showrunner Sterlin Harjo remains committed to staffing his show with directors and writers like Tazbah Chavez (the Bishop Paiute Tribe) or Blackhorse Lowe (Navajo Nation), “Reservation Dogs” remain the standard for Hollywood to aspire to even as it comes to a close.
The first two episodes of “Reservation Dogs” Season 3 premiere on August 2. Watch a trailer for the show’s final season below.