For 2 directors, 'Reservation Dogs' has been an incredible experience: 'There's so much humanity'
[This story includes spoilers for "Reservation Dogs" Season 3, including Episode 6.]
The third and final season of "Reservation Dogs" has been taking some bold swings.
After a second season that saw Bear (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Elora Danan (Devery Jacobs), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) and Cheese (Lane Factor) set off on a cathartic cross-country road trip in honor of their late friend, the coming-of-age series, created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, has taken some time to explore the backstories of established characters outside of its core teen protagonists.
As the Rez Dogs continue to grapple with figuring out who they want to be, early episodes in Season 3 like "Deer Lady" and "House Made of Bongs" have revealed how a certain vigilante spirit and some of the community's elders became who they are.
Directors Danis Goulet and Blackhorse Lowe, who combined have directed four of the first six episodes of Season 3, have relished both the creative freedom and collaborative creative community they have experienced while working on "Reservation Dogs."
"I heard a lot of horror stories about what it's like to work on the television side, especially if you've come up in independent film," said Goulet, a Cree-Métis filmmaker who previously directed the Season 2 episode "Mabel." "But coming onto 'Reservation Dogs' was the opposite of that experience. It was like being embraced by this incredibly supportive community in Oklahoma of everyone that is so passionate about telling these stories."
"The great thing about shooting in Oklahoma, it's just so community-based, and the heart and soul of the story is all there," added Lowe, a Navajo filmmaker who has worked on the show since its first season. "I think out of all my television experiences, this is the one I'm most spoiled on because Sterlin gives us the most creative control to get the job done. Having his support, along with everyone in FX, it's a very good place to be."
On a recent video call, Goulet and Lowe discussed their individual episodes, their experiences on the show and how "Reservation Dogs" has changed how TV can be made. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
