House Made of Bongs

**House Made of Bongs** is the fifth episode of the third season and 23rd episode overall of *Reservation Dogs*.

## Plot

**Okern, Oklahoma 1976**

Brownie pulls his car into a parking spot at St. Nicholas Training School. Irene can't get out of the back seat because the door is jammed, so he has to open it from the outside to let her out. She joins Mabel and they walk into school together.

Bucky comes into a classroom singing and Coach tells him to leave. Once Bucky is gone, he tells the class, including Maximus and Jimmy, not to be shitasses over the summer. He reminds them to take all their stuff out of their lockers and dorms by the end of the day unless they're staying for the summer. As everyone leaves, he goes to Maximus, who is going by Chebon, and asks if he's staying for the summer. Maximus says he is. Coach tells him to reach out if he gets board because Coach will be there all summer.

Maximus records his classmates as he walks down the hall. He declares Jimmy his favorite super senior. He then comes to Irene and Mabel, who aren't happy to be filmed. Mabel tells him to turn it off because Brownie is waiting for them. They remind him of something and he realizes he forgot. He promises he'll get them some windowpane.

Outside, Maximus films three teens by the dumpster. He tells one that he and his friends are looking for some windowpane. They tell him to check with his cousin because Fixico always has some. Maximus refuses and they ask if he and Fixico are still fighting over Mabel. Maximus says they're not fighting over Mabel. Fixico and Mabel broke up.

Bucky asks if Maximus is sure he doesn't want to come home with Bucky for the summer. Maximus says he doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. He has movies to watch and books to read. Bucky says Maximus should make things right with Fixico, but Maximus doesn't know why everyone cares so much. Bucky says they're cousins so they shouldn't stay mad. Maximus says he's fine and snaps at Bucky. He apologizes and insists that he's okay. He's just going to read a lot. Bucky gives him a book, *Mirrors Made of Millenia*, to add to his pile.

Coach talks to Brownie, asking him how things are going. Coach says Brownie could have been something if he'd stayed in school. He was a good tackle. Brownie says football and school aren't for him. There are too many rules. Coach says he's so free right now. When he grows up is when they'll really lay on the rules. And breaking them will lead to jail, which has more rules. Coach sniffs and asks if that's marijuana. Brownie says it's cedar. He tells the kids to have a good summer. They load up and leave.

Brownie takes them to Sonic. He's upset because Maximus failed them by not getting the acid. Bucky says it's his favorite drug of all. Mabel thinks he does too much of it. Brownie sees Fixico pulling up and says he'll ask if Fixico has any. Maximus tells him not to and Irene questions if Maximus is still mad at Fixico. Maximus says no, he just thinks they can get it somewhere else. Irene blames Mabel, but Mabel says he's just doing her own thing and it's all them.

Brownie goes to Fixico, who asks if his cousin is in the car. When Brownie says he is, Fixico asks if he's still mad and Brownie says yes. It's been a long grudge. Brownie asks about the acid and Fixico says he's about to try to score some. He tells Brownie to meet him at the river. Brownie goes back to his car to collect the money for it, but Maximus refuses to pay for it when it's Fixico. He finally agrees, but only for Mabel's sake. At Mabel's request, Maximus explains the Golden Hour, when the light from the sky matches the light from the ground. Irene says he talks funny, but Mabel likes it.

The teens party together. Mabel sees Maximus watching Fixico and tells him not to be like that. She and Fixico dated for a week a month ago. Maximus says he's not mad about them, despite what people say. He doesn't want to talk about the real reason. He says he doesn't want to know. He says it's family stuff. Fixico said stuff that's hard to take back. Fixico has always looked down on him. Fixico is being trained to do medicine. He's always had things. He has parents and Maximus doesn't. It's not that he has those things, but him not acknowledging that Maximus doesn't have them. And now he's training in medicine, so people treat him like a pope. When they were younger, they were the same. But things have changed. That's why they got into it. Mabel understands. Everything around Maximus starts to get distorted. Brownie brings him back to earth by calling for him. Maximus says he was just thinking, but they know he's stoned. Brownie says ever since he left school, he's been welding and pipelining. He gets to travel. Irene asks him if being a welder is his dream. He says he wants to save up enough money to start his own dojo. Irene plans to join AIM and storm the capital. Mabel says Irene just wants to snag a northern boy with two braids. Mabel wants to raise little Indian babies, be a better mom than she had. Maximus wants a big family, too. Bucky wants to be a scientist. Mabel asks Maximus what he wants to be when he's older. Maximus says he might want to make movies, maybe about futuristic sports. The others laugh at him and tell him he won't be making any movies. Maximus asks why they have to tear down anyone who has a bigger dream than theirs.

Maximus and Mabel dance together as the party continues. Bucky dances around Fixico. Brownie smokes against his car. Bucky tells Fixico about Heisenberg.

Brownie pulls out a bag and tells everyone to stick out their tongues. He puts acid on all their tongues.

Bucky realizes Maximus has never done acid before. He promises not to tell anyone. Bucky asks how he's doing, if he's feeling it yet. Maximus says no, but he's kind of interested in the sky. Bucky says that means he's feeling it. You don't realize you're feeling it until you've been feeling it for a while. When you can't remember feeling any other way. Maximus gets disoriented.

Mabel tells Maximus they're getting ready to leave. Brownie asks Maximus if he can drive and Maximus says he can. Fixico comes to Maximus and asks if they're leaving. Fixico asks Maximus if they're good. Their grandma has asked about her and says he's always welcome at the house. Maximus tells Fixico he doesn't need his help. He's doing perfectly fine at the school alone. He says Fixico is the opposite of a medicine man. He's a poison man. Fixico tells Maximus he loves him, which makes Maximus angry. They all get in Brownie's car and leave.

Irene says the concept of boarding school is anti-Indian. Society is strong with elders and children. As she explains, Mabel tells her to shut up because her head hurts. Bucky says it's disrupting the links. He quotes a book passage about it and then starts singing. Maximus struggles to stay awake as he drives. He asks Bucky what happens next, but everyone else has fallen asleep. He sees a flash of light and stops the car. He gets out and sees an alien.

The others wake up and get out of the car, wondering where they are. They ask Maximus what he's doing. He asks if they saw the alien. They think it's just the acid and tell him it's all in his head. He says no, it's their relatives. He's upset that they don't believe him. Brownie gets in to take over driving.

## Cast

### Guest Starring

* Isaac Arellanes as Young Maximus
* Mato Wayuhi as Young Bucky
* Shelby Factor as Young Mabel Postoak
* Quannah Chasinghorse as Young Irene
* Nathan Alexis as Young Brownie

### Co-Starring

* Josiah Wesley Jones as Young Fixico
* Thosh Collins as Coach
* Ben Davis as Jimmy
* Lauren Smallwood as Teen Girl
* John Finley Kitchen as Teen Guy 1
* Kaar Jorgenson as Teen Guy 2
* Dalton Cramer as Alien