F*ckin' Rez Dogs

**F\*ckin' Rez Dogs** is the first episode of the first season and first episode overall of *Reservation Dogs*.

## Synopsis

One year after the death of their friend, four Native teens commit crimes to fund their efforts to leave their home in rural Oklahoma.

## Plot

Bear begins his day by listening to the radio and meets up with his friends Elora, Willie Jack, and Cheese. The four teenagers are getting ready to rob a delivery truck full of chips. The kids take off and ready the truck for takeoff as soon as the driver enters the store. Elora and Bear rush to the front and argue about the importance of wearing seat belts. Willie Jack and Cheese try to put the ramp back up, but they take too long. They close the back door and take off, with the ramp dragging behind.

Elora decides to take a shortcut, but the route she chooses puts them in the path of Big Hill. Fortunately, Big is too engrossed in his phone watching conspiracy videos to notice the truck go by. The kids take the truck to a salvage yard, which is a popular hangout for local meth addicts. At the salvage yard, Ansel asks them if they have been followed. To finalize the transaction, he directs them to Kenny Boy.

Kenny Boy tells them that they're the best thieves in town. He asks for their names. He's taken back a little when he hears Elora Danan's name and asks her if she was named after the baby in the Ron Howard film Willow.

Cheese is in the truck, keeping an eye on the chip boxes. Ansel approaches Cheese and Cheese introduces himself with his name and pronouns. Ansel claims to be a Native American.

Kenny Boy dismisses them, but they have one final request. They want to keep the chips for themselves. For all of the chips in the truck, Kenny Boy charges them a dollar.

The four of them carry boxes full of chips.

Bear has made a documentary about his life and the people he appears to like, like Cleo and Rob from his favorite restaurant. In the video, he mentions his friend Daniel, who died last year, and says he and his friends will be holding a memorial for him later that week. They're also raising money to relocate to California. Ms. Rothrock turns the video off before it's finished.

In Bear's front yard, Willie Jack, Cheese, and Elora Danan sell the stolen chips. A kid buys some and Willie Jack says to tell their friends, but they claim not to have any. Their next customer claims to have friends, but Willie Jack knows they don't. Elora notices a trio of new kids watching them from across the street and wonders what that's about. Mose and Mekko come over to buy chips and debut their most recent song for Willie Jack, Cheese, and Elora Danan.

One of the kids watching says they don't seem like bandits and another says they need to go get White Steve.

Bear keeps a box under his bed where he stores his share of the California money. He places some of the money in his mother's wallet.

In the bathroom, Bear's mother, Rita, gets ready to go out, taunting him about finding him a new father because his father is a rapper, but he's not very successful and he hasn't been around much.

Willie Jack struggles to get the money out of the gas tank she put it in. She says she told the others not to put her in charge of the money because her family has a money curse. Bear joins his friends in the front yard and Big drives up. He tells them about a chip truck that was stolen in town, but they act as though they don't know anything. Big tells them that crime has increased lately. Two cars were stolen, 20 street lamps were stripped of copper, all of the steaks from the local grocery shop were taken, an elderly lady's edible gummies were taken, and that there's also been a lot of graffiti lately. Big claims he is concerned about the crime but more concerned about the supernatural activity going on. Deer Lady was spotted in the vicinity, according to someone. He tells them that the Deer Lady was spotted in the area, according to someone. Willie Jack even references her uncle's three-year marriage to Deer Lady. They realize he's only trying to scare them, but it doesn't work. Before leaving Big asks Bear about Rita. Willie Jack makes fun of Bear for Big trying to snag his mother.

The youngsters decide to grab a bite to eat. Elora figures out their financial status along the road. She believes they will be able to relocate to California in two months. Bear is surprised by that. He thought it would take longer to raise enough money. A black Malibu approaches them while they converse. They stand there watching as the windows roll down revealing the newcomers. The new kids take out their guns and point them at Bear, Elora, Willie Jack, and Cheese. They start shooting paintballs at them, hitting them many times. As they drive away, the newcomers declare that that street is now their territory.

Bear passes out and sees William "Spirit" Knifeman, a spirit warrior. He tells Bear that he was a participant in the Battle of Little Big Horn. He didn't actually fight, but he was present. William was killed when his horse tripped in a hole and fell over on him. He reminds Bear that being a warrior isn't always easy and asks what Bear and his friends are doing to help their people. William says it's easy to be bad, but it's hard to be a warrior with dignity. People in his day died for their people and their land. He asks Bear what will he will fight for. He tries to leave but his horse decides to sit down.

Bear wakes up a little confused. Mose and Mekko drop by and tell Bear, Elora, Willie Jack, and Cheese that the newcomers call themselves the NDN Mafia. Jackie, her cousins Bone Thug Dog and Weeze, and their friend White Steve make up the NDN mafia. Jackie came from the city and initiated her cousins along with their friend. Mose and Mekko warn them that the NDN mafia is looking for them, because they heard they were the reservation bandits. It's most likely because Mose informed the mafia that Bear and his friends are the Reservation Bandits, the toughest in town. They even offered Mose and Mekko to join the NDN Mafia, but the duo is more interested in seeing who will win. Bear should be careful, according to Mekko, because Jackie seems to be serious.

They go to their favorite restaurant, Rob-n-Cleo's Market. Rob, who is running the cash register, asks Cheese to let him know if he's going to steal something so he can write it off on the books. Rob gives Cheese a nod as he takes a lollipop. He joins the others at the table as Cleo brings them their catfish. The truck driver, Miles, comes in as the kids are eating. They overhear him telling Rob that he lost his job, his wife left him, he's diabetic and would most likely lose his foot, and he's now bankrupt. Bear feels so bad that he cowers into the seat, trying to be invisible as he imagines Miles berating him. On his way out, Miles stops by their table and urges them to enjoy their lives and the little things that make them happy. Because a thief could steal their truck, and their life could be turned upside down.

Bear sulks as they return to their secret hideout. He resents what they did to the driver, which effectively gave him diabetes. He claims that they ruined the man's life. Willie Jack and Elora Danan don't feel bad and are kind of mad that Bear feels bad. Bear recommends that they return the money. Elora refuses and says that she will not return anything. Elora says the town they live in sucks and they don't owe anyone anything. Elora is determined to get out, with or without them. Cheese becomes depressed once Elora leaves.

Elora goes to the hideout later and stares at a photograph of Daniel.

Meanwhile, as Bear goes home later that night, he notices someone standing beneath the streetlight. He looks away as he cries out to Daniel. When he returns his gaze, the individual has vanished.

The next day, Elora goes by Bear's house and gives him a meat pie from Willie Jack, and makes the decision that she is not mad at him. She gives him her cut of the money to return to Kenny Boy in exchange for the truck. She believes they will be able to reclaim the truck, take it back to the store, and save the driver's life from diabetes.

When they get to the salvage yard, The truck is torn into pieces. They lost this battle, according to Kenny Boy, but they will fight the next one. As he walks away, he says, "Hoka hay," which he incorrectly says means, "it's a nice day to die" in Lakota. When Willie Jack points out that they aren't Lakota, Kenny Boy responds that no one is perfect.

The kids regroup at the hideout, dressed in black suits. They light a cedar fire and stand in front of Daniel's photo, placing various objects close to it. Willie Jack gets emotional, saying it's been a year since Daniel died. She informs Daniel that Cheese was shot in the head and wishes he had been present to witness it. They are all missing him and hold on to one other in order to tell Daniel how much they love him.

Jackie and her NDN Mafia drive past again as they leave the hideout. This time, the car is being driven by White Steve. As Jackie stares at them from the back seat, he drives slowly enough to let them know they're the NDN Mafia. They have copper in the trunk, which Cheese notices.

As they walk home, Mose and Mekko ride by and warn them that NDN Mafia has declared war on them. Mose also gave them a new gang name, the Reservation Dogs. Elora gets annoyed and advises them to gather their money and leave right away. Bear won't let Jackie and her crew chase him out of town. He wants to stay and defend his home. Instead of becoming criminals, he advises they become vigilantes. Willie Jack hates the idea of being a vigilante, but Cheese enjoys it. Bear says they have to protect their home and walks away, followed by Willie Jack, Elora, and finally Cheese.

Big finds a dead catfish in a field. He checks it out, then goes to get back into his car only to find himself locked out.

## 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

* Sarah Podemski as Rita Smallhill
* Matty Cardarople as Ansel
* Macon Blair as Rob
* Kirk Fox as Kenny Boy
* Zahn McClarnon as Big Hill

### Co-Starring

* Lil Mike as Mose
* Funnybone as Mekko
* Jude Barnett as Bone Thug Dog
* Keland Lee Bearpaw as Danny Bighead
* Xavier Bigpond as Weeze
* Elva Guerra as Jackie
* Dalton Cramer as Daniel
* Dallas Goldtooth as Spirit
* Darryl W. Handy as Cleo
* Kendall Howell as Chip Kid #2
* Rhomeyn Johnson as Miles
* Jack Maricle as White Steve
* Laura Spencer as Ms. Rothrock

## Notes and Trivia

* Title Drop: Elora says it at the end, remarking on the name Mose gave them.

## See Also

 **#02** | "NDN Clinic"
 **#03** | "Uncle Brownie"