Stay Gold Cheesy Boy

Cheese spends time in juvenile detention

**Stay Gold Cheesy Boy** is the seventh episode of the second season and fifteenth episode overall of *Reservation Dogs*.

## Plot

Charley and Cheese sit in the driveway eating chips. Charley asks why Cheese doesn't follow him on social media. Cheese says he doesn't want to see what Charley's up to. Charley gets up to go inside and asks if Cheese needs anything. Cheese says he doesn't. After he's inside, cops surround the house. Cheese is forced to the ground and handcuffed as other cops break in the door and enter the house. Cheese asks if it's about the chip truck. Jackie watches from across the street as Charley is arrested. The two of them are led to separate cop cars.

Gene closes Cheese's file and says he'll give him the rundown. He called Cheese his given name of Chester. When Cheese corrects him, he says he'll call Cheese whatever he wants. He asks if Cheese is Native American and Cheese says he is. Gene knows a lot of Native Americans and says they're good people. They saved his life. He shows Cheese the board with the daily chores. They rotate on a weekly basis and as the new guy, he cleans the bathroom. Nearby, Julio is ironing. Cheese will room upstairs for now, but may move downstairs later if he doesn't age out. They have a required house meeting tomorrow night. No cell phones are allowed. If he sees one, he'll take it. Cheese asks if there's a way he can make a phone call. Gene and Julio both laugh. Gene says phone time is 5-6 and he's lucky to try, but he'll have to pry the phone away from James. If he does that, he can make a phone call. Gene tells him to take his things upstairs and start on his chores.

Cheese dumps his garbage bag of clothes into a dresser. Another resident approaches and he tries to introduce himself only to be told to shut up.

Cheese enters the bathroom, which is very dirty.

As Cheese is scrubbing the bathtub, Tino comes in and starts peeing all over the toilet area while Cheese averts his eyes. Once he's done, he says he appreciates Cheese and leaves. Cheese comments that Tino was really dehydrated before flushing the toilet.

Cheese lies awake, looking through his sketch book. He reads through notes from his friends, then hugs it to his chest and closes his eyes.

Cheese wakes to the sounds of someone getting beaten. Tino offers him a turn, but he says he'll just watch. Tino warns him not to snitch or he'll get beaten too. Cheese says he won't, then covers his ears.

Willie Jack and Bear are outside chatting when Jackie rides up. Willie Jack stands up and starts to remove her earrings in preparation for a fight, but Jackie tells them Cheese has been arrested and Elora's not answering her texts. They busted Charley for growing and arrested both of them. Jackie goes to leave, but Willie Jack stops her and offers her one free punch to the head or gut because of the comment about her brother. Jackie chooses head, but then only fakes a punch. She says they're good.

Elora is painting when Bear, Willie Jack, and Jackie come to her window, startling her. She's surprised to see the three of them together. They tell her Cheese got arrested.

Cheese, Tino, and Jedthrow are eating breakfast when Julio comes in. Tino asks Julio if they need more bussers at Red Lobster because he needs a job. Julio flips him off and leaves. Tino tells Cheese that you get a pass to leave if you have a job. But you can't go out to look for a job while you're locked up. Julio's been in there for a long time, so Gene basically lets him do what he wants. Gene comes in and asks them where James is. Jedthrow says he's still asleep. Gene calls for James to get downstairs. When he doesn't come right away, Gene asks what they did because he feels like something's amiss.

Cheese doodles in his book. Tino sees this and compliments his work. Cheese doesn't think it's a big deal, but Tino says he has talent. He asks Cheese to draw his son's name: TJ. He wants to get it tattooed on himself. Cheese flips to another page and gets started. Tino likes it. He introduces himself. Cheese does as well, adding his pronouns. Tino assumes he's gay because of that. He says that's cool. His cousin is bi. Cheese tells him gender identity and sexual orientation are two different things. Cheese asks how old his son is. He thinks his son is four now, but he doesn't get to see him much because he's locked up, but his grandma sends Tino pictures sometimes. Cheese says he stays with his grandma sometimes, too. Tino thinks that's lucky because old ladies hold things down. Pretty much all of his kids live with their grandmas. Cheese is shocked that he has multiple kids. Tino says he's been locked up since he's 16 and he'll age out in a few weeks. Cheese asks what he'll do when he gets out. Tino says he's trying to get a job before that happens so he can stay out of trouble and send money to his kids' moms. Tino asks why Cheese is in there. Cheese says he doesn't know. Charley was arrested and the police brought him here. He asked if he could stay with his grandma, but they said he had to stay there until they figured stuff out with his legal guardians.

Elora knocks on the door. Gene answers and she says she's there to pick up Cheese. She claims to be his auntie. Gene laughs and asks how old she is. She doesn't look old enough to be his auntie. Elora claims it's Indian ways. Gene says even if he did believe that, he's in their custody until the court says otherwise.

Bear and Willie Jack throw things at the window until Cheese appears. They tell him to get his stuff because they're busting him out. Cheese is surprised to see Jackie there with them and asks where Elora is. They tell him she's distracting the guards.

Gene tells Elora there's nothing he can do. She tries to bribe him with money. He pockets it, then says he's calling the cops.

Cheese hears Gene calling for him and tells the others to find another way to get him out.

Gene and the others recite the Serenity Prayer as they stand in a circle. Then they all sit. Gene says they're ready to get into step five. Cheese raises his hand and asks what they're doing. Gene says it's part of his recovery. When he was young like the, his life was in shambles. He was a drunk drug addict, an abuser and thief. Then he hit rock bottom. He made his way back home and found his wife in bed with two midgets and a radio DJ. He lost his mind and chased them out of his house. He was going to kill the DJ, but the DJ kicked his ass. He might still be with Gene's ex-wife. He wandered out to the woods, where he met a Lakota medicine man, Wakan Mani, who picked him up and showed him the ways. It changed his life and now he's a better man. He hands Tino a decorated stick and tells him to read step five and say a few words. Tino reads them and then says he hasn't done anything wrong since last week, so he's going to pass. He hands the stick to James, who also passes and hands it to Cheese. Cheese tries to pass as well, but Gene says he's the new guy, so he has to say something. Cheese says he was arrested for no reason, sent to a poorly-funded group home, and he hates it there. Julio says he has something to say and takes the stick. He asks Tino what's wrong with his bicho, because there's pee everywhere every time he walks into the bathroom. He wonders why Tino can't aim. After a few minutes, Gene takes the stick from him. He says everyone except Cheese failed to engage with the step. He's happy they're all walking the path with him.

James tells his girlfriend that he loves her repeatedly. Cheese comes over and tries to ask if he can have a turn with the phone, but James ignores him. When Cheese tries again, James says he'll get his ass beat if he doesn't leave James alone. Cheese goes back over to the couch, where Tino asks if he was trying to call his girlfriend. Cheese says he was trying to call his grandma and tell her he's okay. Julio pulls a phone out of his picket, warning Cheese not to let Gene see it. He can use it at night after Gene has gone to sleep. Gene is snoring on the couch, but Julio says at night only.

Cheese sits in the bathroom and flips to the page in a notebook that has Grandma Irene's number. He calls it. She asks where he's been and tells him to come by. He says he's been helping Charley with stuff and hopes he can come over soon. Irene says it's good to hear his voice and warns him not to get too busy for the people who care about him. He says he won't. Irene tells him to tell her if he needs anything.

Gene comes in with cops looking for Jedthrow. The cops cuff him and he curses as they drag him out before he can even get dressed. Once he's gone, Gene says he's been triggered and asks if the others want to get a snack or have a group hug. He makes a point to say not all cops are diddlers like Jedthrow claimed. He tells them all to come down for a snack.

Tino says Jedthrow had the right idea with the cops. If you attack them, they'll kill you, so you at least have to talk smack about them. Julio agrees, saying when they arrest him, he'll do the same. Cheese, on the other hand, tries to stay on their good side, so maybe they'll think he didn't do anything wrong. Tino says that's being a coward, but Cheese says he and his friends stole a chip truck and he convinced the cop investigating them to take him on a ride-along, telling him it was for a school project. Tino says he's like Don Corleone. Cheese says he's more like Tom Hagen. Tino says he'll be the Don then. He just hopes none of his kids become Fredos. Julio is shocked to learn that Tino has kids. He never knew before. That's why Tino is always asking for his help getting a job. He doesn't want his kids growing up like he did. Julio always thought Tino was messing with him. So many people come and go that he sometimes thinks it's better just to be alone, rather than get to know someone and then never see them again. Cheese thinks it's okay to guard you feelings, but hopes one day, Julio can have healthy relationships without the fear of losing people. Julio asks why he talks like that. Cheese tells him about Daniel. He read about the reasons why Daniel might have ended his life and he wants to treat others like they want to be treated so they'll do the same. They agree that Cheese is a good man. Gene calls lights out. Julio says there's an opening at his job and offers to talk to his boss for him. They give each other the finger.

Cheese comes down to breakfast. Julio sees that he's wearing a wrinkled Sade shirt and gestures for him to follow.

Julio teaches Cheese how to iron the shirt carefully.

Gene tells Cheese it's time for him to go. Big is there. Tino asks if that's the cop he went on the ride-along with, but Cheese shushes him. Big has to handcuff Cheese. Cheese asks if he can talk shit while he does it and Big says that's fine. Cheese says he's a child molester, so Big tells him to knock it off. Tino tells Cheese to come see him at Red Lobster once he gets the job. They hug and Big takes Cheese away. Gene says Cheese will always be his friend.

At the car, Big uncuffs Cheese and Cheese climbs into the front seat. Big's taking him to his new placement.

Big drops Cheese off at Grandma Irene's, where Jackie, Elora, Willie Jack, and Bear are waiting for him next to Irene. They're all wearing "Free Cheese" shirts. Irene welcomes him home and leads him inside as Big leaves.

## Cast

### Starring

* Devery Jacobs as Elora Danan Postoak
* D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Bear Smallhill
* Lane Factor as Cheese Williams
* Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack Sampson

### Guest Starring

* Marc Maron as Gene
* Travis Thompson as Tino
* Reynaldo Piniella as Julio
* Casey Camp-Horinek as Grandma Irene
* Nathan Apodaca AKA Doggface as Uncle Charley
* Elva Guerra as Jackie
* Kamron Alexander as James
* Zahn McClarnon as Big Hill

### Co-Starring

* Damon Carney as Marion/Cop 1
* A.J. Voliton as Jedthrow