Reservation Dogs Season 3 Episode 5 - INDIGENOUS Review! Alien Ending Explained! Dazed and Confused!
Vložit
- čas přidán 28. 08. 2023
- Review of Reservation Dogs by ACTUAL Native Americans!
/ indigenoustalk
/ indigenoustalkofficial
/ indigenoustalk
Hi all this is Patrick from @patrickisanavajo I have always wanted to try different content other than the "Natives React" series. Natives React is STILL coming out with new episodes! This new channel Indigenous Talk will host videos I've always wanted to do. Right now the focus is Reservation Dog's Season 3 Episode Reviews!
/ nativefilmtalk
/ nativemediatheory
/ kickin_bird203
/ patrickisanavajo
If you're reading this please consider subscribing! More videos coming to this channel soon! Ahe'hee' Thank you!
Mabel saying she wanted to be a mother, knowing what happens to Cookie had me crying
I do wonder why Irene and Bucky didn’t go since they were close with her.
Mabel’s death had to be the most beautiful golden hour shot I’ve seen on film-I’m thinking if I go back and rewatch, there will be multiple significant golden hour moments that I’ve forgotten about, but perfectly encapsulated “when the light from above perfectly matches the light we make below”
Couple things we missed but now aware from others:
-Tommy Pico was 1 of the co-writers of this Episode with Sterlin Harjo. Tommy is an Indigenous Poet! That’s why there were so many beautiful quotes and meanings woven in this episode.
-Nathan Alexis is Paulina Alexis (Willie Jack) sibling! Talent is in the family!
-"House Made of Bongs" is a reference to N. Scott Momaday's 1968 novel "House Made of Dawn," which is credited with starting the Native American Renaissance in lit and won the Pulitzer the next year.
-Chebon is a term that means "little boy" or "man", we recorded a conversation about this how Maximus calls himself that and I ended up cutting out because as the 4 of us are Navajo we didn't know what it meant. Talking to someone from Oklahoma they informed me.
Shelby Factor, the actress who played young Mabel, is Lane's sister. Love the familial connections in this episode.
Thank you!Going to get the book,"House Made of Dawn."
I went to an N. Scott Momaday "brown bag lunch" presentation in about 2001 when I was in the middle of writing my thesis. Happened at some university in Kentucky that I drove all morning to go to. After the brown bag lunch was over, I followed him down the hallway, trying to get him to answer a question I had about my thesis, something about how you do a qualitative "analysis" on a thesis that is about Native women and their stories. How can you "analyze" (a left-brained, white-man scientific approach) something that is totally right-brained and holistic? He had no answers for me and it pissed me off. I titled my thesis "Women Made of Story: Native American Women's Stories of Survival."
Another good analysis by you all. I felt that this episode is about an overarching theme of the seties, which is about the assimilated v. the traditional. It really handles it so beautifully so that if you are one or the other, you can see yourself regardless of your bias.
It’s interesting to read the non-Native reviews of this week’s Reservation Dogs episode, which provides us with the back stories of the present-day elders back when they were teens in 1976. What is most profound to me is that to a one, the critics assume that it is Maximus’ mental illness, or the acid he took, that causes him to see the alien.
From a more traditional Native perspective, we wouldn’t assume that what he saw was not real or that it had no meaning other than mental illness. His friends and family are assimilated in thought which leads to their non-belief of Maximus, much like these critics. Many of our medicine people were locked up in asylums because of the non-Native perspective about the metaphysical outside Christianity and we know from the earlier episode that Maximus will suffer that fate, confused by mental health professionals over what is real and what he feels is real about the Star People who claim to be his relatives.
The SE traditional religious beliefs play into this, as well, but I won’t go into that. But it, like in the earlier episode, provides the foundation for this episode, too. It is not having that foundation that allows his fairly assimilated friends to betray Maximus, when he needs them the most, much like Bear’s mother telling him to quit talking about Deer Lady bringing him home. Not understanding that allows the non-Natives and assimilated Natives to believe that “reality” is what they alone perceive it to be.
We’re all at different points along the path of decolonization, after the Boarding School era and its forced assimilation. I think the beauty of this show is how it shows the metaphysical vs. “reality” dichotomy so well. These elders do the best that they can to decolonize for the next generation, but we can see how Bear’s generation have moved further along that path than their elders were able to move. Of course, they could not if the elders hadn’t done their job. We each move the People further down the path of decolonization so the next generation can move us closer to the goal.
So is Maximus mentally unstable and the acid provokes a mental break or did he see an alien that no one else could see? Or did no one believing him frustrate his purpose for his people such that the inability to serve that function drove him into mental instability?
We didn’t lock up people who were different, traditionally. They were given roles that utilized their talents within the culture and which accorded them respect, even if they were different. In this case, Maximus is out of step with time. He was unfortunate enough to be born when the People could not support or love him in the way he needed.
Bear is more fortunate to have friends who support him even if they aren’t entirely sure about his spiritual gift. They give him the benefit of their doubt. They understand that they don’t know everything and that some things we don’t understand. It doesn’t make it unreal.
Ultimately, whichever way you believe about Maximus will be informed by your level of assimilation, no matter what your culture. That is the best part of this show. It lets you choose how you perceive “reality” for yourself. Maybe you believe in the metaphysical or maybe you don’t, but either way, it tells you so much about yourself. You’re either Bucky believing that science provides certainty to us, or you are Maximus, finding out that there is more than you thought possible in the universe and not understanding it all is wisdom in itself.
"So is Maximus mentally unstable and the acid provokes a mental break or did he see an alien that no one else could see? Or did no one believing him frustrate his purpose for his people such that the inability to serve that function drove him into mental instability?"
Yes! We had a solid conversation that started here and debated both sides, this is where we agreed perhaps it was left open to our own interpretation.
I like the mention of the connection to assimilation and 70's themes! Nobody brought that up when discussing.
I totally forgot that Bucky -> Science and Fixico -> Traditional Ways, we could say rhetorically where does that leave Maximus? Ooh that is good
I'm reminded of this HP lesson:
“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry’s ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
For me, I think the lesson is it doesn't matter if it was in Maximus's head or not. When someone opens up to you, believe them. And who's to say the universe isn't so wondrous that we all didn't come from Star People? :)
This is November 2023. A month ago to the day, my mother, tsigesv, died. So I am in a contemplative mood and this popped up in my YT suggestions again. It was one of my favorite episodes, so I watched your analysis again. I have some additional thoughts.
1. We’re missing something about “Chebon”. I wonder if it is a Mvskoke term of endearment for boys and young men, like “Chooch” is in Cherokee? If so, it’s significant that Maximus is an orphan and tells everyone, even the adult male coach, the closest thing he has to a father figure, to call him Chebon. He craves family and the affection he isn’t receiving in his life.
Thus he pushes others who are getting that from their families away. That also explains-lains his grudge against Fixico. He has it easy, he tells Mabel. He has a loving family and everything that Maximus needs (but isn’t receiving from what family he does have). But now Fixico has medicine and community respect. It’s more than Maximus can psychologically bear.
Then there are the people who should be his logical family to provide the love and support his dead parents and remaining family are not: his friends. They all have dreams, which none of them deride or ridicule until it comes to Chebon. They all pile on him and his dream, ridiculing it as unattainable. Bucky just said that he wanted to be a scientist, an equally grandiose dream (which we know he doesn’t achieve, but he’s never derided for not succeeding in science). Chebon is the only one whose dream is squashed by everyone in his logical family.
2. Love. He told them to call him Chebon. Again, I don’t know Mvskoke, but in Cherokee there was traditionally no word for love. Love was something you showed in actions. Maximus, an orphan, *tells* everyone to call him Chebon. {“You’re so white sometimes, Chebon.”) He desperately needs the love he sees Fixico and Bucky receiving, which is missing in his life. No one in any of the episodes shows Maximus love even when he clearly asked for it. Or it wasn’t the type and level of love he needed. We see the Rez Dogs showing each other that kind of love and acceptance which Willie Jack calls out the elders for not having throughout the series.
3. We missed the obvious pun and metaphor: Maximus feels ALIENated by everyone, then sees an alien. In fact, Maximus (who no longer dares to be vulnerable enough to ask for love and acceptance by asking to be called Chebon) allows himself to tentatively be vulnerable to Bear because he saw he was strange like Maximus. Bear was the only person we ever see who saw Chebon’s strangeness, but showed him respect and acceptance anyway. It happened when Bear brought the water in.
4. As Bucky would surely remind us, only physical beings within the physical universe experience time as linear. Time is fluid. Perhaps it was Dniel, or who he became, who came back to look at Chebon, thus the choice of actor to play the alien.
Lots of thoughts, but perhaps they are just wild theories. Have a thoughtful Unthanksgiving, nigada.
For real, I actually had a conversation with my friend, both of us wondering if the Young Brownie was actually voiced by Gary Farmer! Incredible likeness of his voice and mannerisms, *so* good!
I read in an interview that the young cast had free reign to do what they wanted, Nathan Alexis fit so well with his portrayal!
It was Nathan Alexis himself speaking, no Gary Farmer voiceover involved. Source: Mato Wayuhi, the actor who plays young Bucky (and also the artist behind the show's soundtrack) mentioned this on Reddit. Same goes for his character and Wes Studi.
Grudges don't ever serve a purpose. Made me sad cuz Fixico tried to help. Just think if grudges weren't held onto Maximus might have never been stuck in an institution
Saw a movie recently called "Vengeance," and along the way in that movie the protagonist states that vengeance, unlike most human impulses, serves no evolutionary purpose. Vengeance is not about looking forward in any way ... only backward. Your comment about grudges made me think of that. Fwiw: Vengeance is a really terrific movie.
I've loved Reservation Dogs since the beginning and it just keeps getting better. ❤
Honestly, I thought the first episode was a little wonky and not terribly compelling. Seemed like more attention was put into connecting the cast to the "Reservoir Dogs" reference that the that the title evokes, rather than setting up what the series became. I did not have high hopes. But, damn, they so ably corrected course and turned it into a brilliant comedy/drama about Native culture and growing up. It quickly turned from amusing into brilliance. This most recent season has just been spectacular. So glad I stuck with it ... and so glad I found this YT channel too. There is so much insight in these casts ... I just love it so much. I feel blessed.
I was stunned by young Brownie. I had to rewind that first scene with him a few times trying to decide if it was actually Gary Farmers voice dubbed in.
I am the same age as these guys. Windowpane.....the best times I don't remember.
We 👏🏽 Need 👏🏽 More 👏🏽 Young 👏🏽 Brownie 👏🏽
I feel like with each episode of reservation dogs the show keeps getting more amazing. The layers and the poetry of it all...!
Thank you all so much for these reviews and analysis helping me appreciate more fully the awesomeness of this brilliant work of art 🙏🏽❤️
As soon as I saw the actor who played the alien credited, I knew it had to be someone important, and when you explained who it was, my jaw dropped. Star People are from other places, but they're also the ones that come briefly into our lives yet affect us deeply.
I'm so happy I found these reviews / discussions! Such awesome people going through their reactions to such an amazing show. Thank you!
Next episode is gonna kill it. Can’t wait for you guys.
Nan is Sterlin’s mom and Tim is Tim Sampson, father of Tafv Sampson who did set design on the show and played Gram in “Offerings” and “Dig”. They found out that Tim and Nan had dated while attending Sequoyah High School-a former boarding school in Tahlequah. Tafv and Sterlin decided to honor that with the graffiti. Tafv is the granddaughter of Will Sampson.
I've gone back and rewatched all of Season 1 now and I'm taking notes...and I'm halfway through Season 2. Man, there is so much I've forgotten. All these connections. I think you have to rewatch the earlier episodes so you get the significance of what's going on in Season 3, and you'll see lots of little gems they throw in there that -- at least I missed, first time around.
Such as the hot pad at the white lady's table that Jackie and Elora eat with the white lady (early Season 2). Did you notice it's in the shape of an owl, with eyes, and before they pray, Elora picks up the owl hot pad and flips it over so she doesn't see the eyes? I didn't see that the first time through; saw it today.
The sad part is Irene never made it to be a big wig at AIM. Mabel did get her dream. Fixico still helping people on the Rez with good medicine.B ucky never made his science dreams come true. Maxims's life was shot to hell. He may have had a mental illness. Not sure though. How did Maxims get into a psych ward. What led him to that point. Will we ever know.
I think Maximus was mentally ill vs having visions like Bear, because Bear sees the “reality” of cops coming for Maximus, not starpeople. Bear we know has visions, so I think Sterlin is making a point about Maximus by not having Bear see the same. Also, Maximus acknowledges in “Send It” that he manipulates his medications to get a vacation in the air-conditioned hospital and get fed good food. If he weren’t mentally ill, the meds wouldn’t have that effect.
The actor who plays Irene gets some AIM shit done, though! She was active in NE Oklahoma with the Water Protectors.
This was an exceptional episode. Great season, great show. Also, really love Indigenous Talk. You guys are terrific. I really appreciate your observations and insights.
There's quite a bit of conversation on the Reservation Dogs Fan Page on Facebook about "Coach" and "Big." My first impression was that Coach IS Big. I think now that maybe Big is one of Coach's kids that he went off and left behind. Remember how Deer Lady told young Big not to be like his dad, and he wouldn't have to be afraid of seeing her again? And he promised. Coach and Big sure do resemble one another, though.
Big would be about the right age to have been conceived right about at the time of the party in 1976.
I can tell this show will be watched multiple times to find different things hidden about. The show that keeps on giving
Alright Alright Alright
Alright Alright Alright
@@IndigenousTalkOfficial Rezed and Confused
Thank you for this Convo! After this episode I was thinking 🤔 ok why did we need an episode, I associated more to being Maximus's back story, and kept thinking why was this needed. I did walk away with his wanting to disassociate from those around him and the two main instances are not believing in his dreams, and not believing what he said he saw in the star people. I thought those two were connected. But hearing the native perspective really grounds this episode and is another reminder of how powerful this writing is. This is why telling these stories is important. Shout-out for the AMAZING acting from these young actors. They crushed this and really set the time tone. Beautifully shot and amazing cinematography
okay. i got chills. This was deep. Okay....i have to go back and watch all your episodes. I love your reviews. **SUBSCRIBED***
Man, Patrick, great find discovering that Daniel’s actor played that alien.
I really enjoyed this deep dive discussion. It really deepened the show for me in ways that I didn’t think possible. I love it.
Yooooo the connections in this episode are crazy
Another solid episode! They really put their time and care into crafting this one
Thanks for this review. I finally recognized the location where the alien scene was shoot. It didn't look like that 60 years ago when I live directly across the street from there. If for no other reason that reliving my childhood in these locations. Also, your analyzing these episodes gives me better insight into the things I didn't understand back then.
Thank you for this video! I had no idea who the people were in this episode!
The party at the lake I witnessed that exact scen Many times at Lake Tenkiller oklahoma in the 70s.
Just catching up on this series after resubscribing to Hulu. While this reminded me a lot of my growing up in the 70’s it was confusing for me and I appreciated your explanations and connections of the characters. This series is so deep, I miss a lot of the nuances. And I remember windowpane but never experienced halos 😂
This was very helpful. My wife and I were very confused by this episode, partly because we couldn’t keep track of everyone, so it was difficult to make these connections. We thought it was the weakest episode but hearing this review and the intergenerational links, we need to rewatch this, thank you for this breakdown! Missing the show 😢
Truly headed to award winning show. ❤thanks guys
Man, I wish there was a way express how this show is helping me through my grief, the show itself, the analysis all of it. I'm not Native, but I grew up in Canada as an immigrant, my Dad took me to the reservations... And somehow this appreciation of elders is parallel to my own culture... I love it helps me 'meditate' on the love I had for my predecessors. This is probably going to be the only show I ever end up rewatching ❤
I love these videos so much! Always funny, always pretty deep in a good way, too. I wish Reservation Dogs was going on for more seasons just so we could get more of these -- hopefully a 'Reservation Dogs Extended Universe' comes out of this - great episode!
Great review and insights. Thanks guys
Thank you for watching and commenting!
✨✨ I loved this episode and this reaction video from you gentlemen. The end tripped me out . I can’t wait to see how it will all end . Thanks again for sharing your views. 🦋💙😊 ✨ so fun
Thanks for watching! 🙏🏽 Same here, I’m hoping for a beautiful send off to end the series
I couldn't remember exactly which movie this episode reminded me of!!!"Dazed and
Confused! "Thank you😊
I hope they do an episode touching on A.I.M.
and Russell Means.
And the Medicine Wheel
So the actor who played young Brownie, Nathan Alexis, is Paulina Alexis' big brother! They're both from the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation and I think its pretty damn cool that the name of their tribe/nation is their surname, and I'm sure acting runs in the Nation.
The Sonic scene was shot in Pryor Oklahoma.
If Sonics was invented in Oklahoma, I guess Brownie really was livin off the land 😂
Fired up about Travis Thompson (Tito Season 2) and the Snotty Nose Rez Kids in Oklahoma City!
Spin-off Native Dazed & Confused
season 3 is so freakin good
I saw my uncles through different eyes after this. Puzzle pieces just falling into place. HOLY SHIT! They were way cooler than I thought they were.
I WAS in High school when windopane hit the uscapitol. Trippin’ balls
10:33 In New Zealand they call this “lateral violence” Tall Pop Syndrome.
Brownie is really that uncle that is all "I could have been pro..." I think a lot of why our elders are the way they are is for reasons you all touched on. They didn't have the opportunities to be soft. Even when you think about the generation between the Elders and the Rez Dogs, we in that generation often weren't given the space to be soft, but we do better by the next generation. The generation that is coming up is doing a lot for the betterment of emotional and mental health.
I'm glad you put all that together, i would never have noticed all those details, although I will say I wasn't confused about who anybody was
Everyone brings a different perspective and that just makes for a good conversation, so much to think about! If I wasn’t doing this I probably wouldn’t be so Eagle eyed with trying to find connections 😅
The Halo is from the window pane☮️
I grew up in Shawnee with a bunch of my family and we grew up eating sonic. On weekends in high school everyone used to hangout at sonic on kickappo srreet. Everyone used to drive up and down Kickapoo and try to find parties. It was called cruisin the poo😂
Last night's episode puts together the 70's episode. And cheese reminds brownie and bucky of their friend they turned their backs on.
Also noticed that in dis episode they seem more afluent- like the seventies people had more money than they do now.
♥♥♥
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Maybe the reason, why the others don't believe Maximus is that their minds were swept clean by the aliens.
Much like the normal people in MIB...
Perhaps they had the same experience like Maximus, but they can't remember it?
Maximus is seeing himself as his cousin, chosen to connect to a higher power-- the star people
Thank you so much for letting us know who the young Elders were! Not only does it make this episode better, it makes the other episodes better too, on rewatch 🥰🙏
Nan is Sterlin's mom's name!
And Tim was her BF in HS, Tim Sampson, son of Will Sampson and father of Tafv Sampson. ❤️
I was gonna audition for Young Fixico but man.. i didn't get the part smh Damn that could have been me
Patrick, if a studly White guy is known as a Chad, a Black guy a Tyrone, what do we call a studly Native man?
I didn't think Max wanted to be white. I don't understand that. He just wanted to make movies. Why is that frowned upon. The younger generation are more together but in season one or two the two girls left Bear behind. I see these kids growing up and staying on the Rez. When they were in Cali they just wanted to be back home.
that’s my boyfriend & i in the beginning kissing haha
The tots are gone = all his freinds freinds?
what about wiener water soup lol
you guys are too young.. sad..
As an experiencer, this episode hit HARD! Brilliant in every way! 👻👽🪶🐻🦉
That merkaba though… I think Nephew Sterlin has had some experiences of his own. The spirit contact in “Offerings” was spot-on.
Love you hermanos
I need that tshirt 😍