Reservation Dogs (Season 3) Episode 3: The third season of ‘Reservoir Dogs’ started on a solid note. While presenting its trademark idiosyncrasy-driven humor, it also took surreal detours the way it did in the past seasons. The gang was in California to fulfill their late friend’s wish. While the others decided to return to Oklahoma, Bear planned to stay back to meet his father. Unfortunately, that wish remained unfulfilled. After missing a bus back home, he ended up on a solitary path of soul-searching. He met an old man who was ridiculed by his loved ones for his beliefs. Through their conversation, Bear realized the value in his life, with friends that care for him and support him. At the end of episode two, the old man gets arrested, leaving Bear to walk a lonely path.
Now, the third episode shows Bear’s encounter with Deer Lady. It gives us a look into her past and where she got her reputation. Please note that the episode contains depictions of Native Boarding School abduction and abuse. So viewer discretion is advised.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Reservation Dogs (Season 3) Episode 3 “Deer Lady” Recap:
The third episode of Reservation Dogs season 3 largely explores the life of Deer Lady (Kaniehtiio Horn) and her meeting with Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai). The episode begins with the day of Deer Lady’s life. She enters a shop and heads straight to the washroom. Inside, she looks at her teeth and confirms that they are clean. Meanwhile, she tries to clean the blood off a horn. Through a surreal montage, we get a look into her past and future. But more on that later. For now, we see her get out of this place and drive away.
Deer Lady’s Childhood
As a kid, the young Deer Lady (Georgeanne Growingthunder) was abducted and taken to a Native Boarding School by a truck. They were other children, along with her, being transferred to this facility. The white folks who ran this school made them feel scared for their lives. These kids were brainwashed to believe that they could never leave the premises. Their long hair was cut against their will. Later on, they were served ludicrous meals and were not allowed to ask what they were. The children were not even allowed to speak their native tongue. As a punishment for such behavior, a sister pushed young Deer Lady’s face into her food.
Back in their common room, a boy, Koda (Michael Podemski-Bedard), warned young Deer Lady to be cautious of that woman. He shared that he has no home and that his family is dead. She revealed that she has a grandfather. For them, escape was not an option until they died. He told her to smile as a way to rebel against these people, who would rather expect to see them struggle and weep. Right after, two nuns came inside the room and took a boy away. Some other day, Koda told young Deer Lady not to look the white folks straight in the eye. Later, while finishing a chore, he told her to be worried about Mr James Minor (Alex Mortensen). Koda calls James the evilest ‘wolf.’
Unfortunately, this wolf became a reason for Koda getting mercilessly dragged away from his bed. This incident made young Deer Lady determined to escape the hellhole. So, one day, she left her room and made a run for her life. On the way into the woods, she came across a deer that asked her who she was running from. This deer offered his help to run fast away from the school. While the men from that facility looked around for her, they instead found sister Jenson dead near a tree trunk.
Deer Lady & Bear
In the present, Deer Lady stops by a diner next to a gas station. She orders two whole pies – one cherry and one apple. The waitress gets confused by her huge order and envies her metabolism. Soon after, Bear walks inside and asks for a charger. The counterman refuses to give it to him for free. So, Bear just sits down and asks for a glass of water. Deer Lady sees him in that poor state and invites him to join her at her table. She says she already knows his name and refuses to explain how. Instead, she offers a piece of the pie for him to eat. Then, she starts to think of a reason why he crossed paths with her.
She drops her book – I Remember by Joe Brainard, which makes him realize that she is the infamous Deer Lady. He believes that she is there to kill him. She says that Bear reminds him of a boy she once knew (Koda). Bear becomes curious about her reality since he has only heard of her through stories. Now, he understands that Deer Lady is very much real. She accepts that she is not just a folk tale and offers Bear a ride back home to Oklahoma. He agrees. On the way, she makes a stop at a house. She walks inside on her own to find James Minor (John Getz), now in his old age. He recalls his past memories fondly and seems to have no regrets. Seeing him crib about trivial matters frustrates her even further. So, she walks up to him and stabs him repeatedly to death.
Reservation Dogs (Season 3) Episode 3 “Deer Lady” Ending Explained:
Human Wolf: Does Bear return to his home in Oklahoma?
After killing evil James Minor, Deer Lady walks out in shock. Along the way, she accepts a sense of catharsis in this act – bravo to Kaniehtiio Horn’s acting chops for expressing that subtext just through her facial expressions. After this traumatizing incident, she drives Bear back to Oklahoma. So, he finally makes it back home. Before leaving, he thanks her. She thanks him back. He cannot help asking whether she killed someone inside the house where they stopped. The blood on her coat made him suspect that. She says, ‘She killed a human wolf.’ Before he gets down, she tells him not to worry about becoming like his father. She also advises him to keep smiling, as Koda told her. Mose and Mekko greet him back in the town. Meanwhile, Deer Lady recalls her time spent with Koda Littlebird, who was killed by human wolves.
