<em>Reservation Dogs </em>Is as Fresh as It Gets
FX’s comedy, about four Native teens coming of age in Oklahoma, draws on familiar storytelling beats but feels completely new.
Reservation Dogs wears its pop-culture influences proudly, and not just in its title. FX’s new comedy series abounds with cinephilic homages: A paintball shoot-out in the pilot ends with an absurd remake of a scene from Platoon. The four teenage protagonists suit up like the thieves in Reservoir Dogs, their gang’s namesake. One of the characters is even named Elora Danan, after the baby in the cult fantasy film Willow.
Like these references, the show’s premise is classic: tells a coming-of-age story, with its
