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Reservation Dogs

Reservation Dogs

Leading the pack.

2021–2023Ended3 seasons28 episodes~30 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

Four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma steal, rob and save in order to get to the exotic, mysterious and faraway land of California.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Reservation Dogs?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Reservation Dogs streaming on Hulu.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about Reservation Dogs?

Reservation Dogs earns 8 badges, led by Top 5% of shows and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Reservation Dogs worth watching?

Reservation Dogs' Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all shows, from 29K ratings across 2 sources. 91% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of shows

95th percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)95th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

82 /100

91st percentile of all shows

93rd percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

91% liked it

95th percentile of all shows

95th percentile among Comedy95th percentile among 2020s
91% rated it 7–109% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

95th percentile

29K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 72% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A coming-of-age story about four Indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma navigating grief, poverty, and community.

Fans praised

  • Authentic Native humor blending wit, deadpan delivery, and sudden drabness
  • Strong character writing with natural chemistry among the young cast
  • Fresh, original perspective on underrepresented Indigenous life

Detractors panned

  • Aimless, meandering plot with no narrative drive
  • Unfunny, forced humor and contrived acting
  • Negative stereotypes reinforcing prejudices about Native youth

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive92

Fresh, unprecedented portrayal of contemporary Native American life

ActingDivisive88

Natural, authentic performances from young newcomers and seasoned actors like Zahn McClarnon

Emotional impactDivisive88

Heartfelt, poignant moments handling grief and resilience

DialogueDivisive86

Witty, naturalistic dialogue with authentic slang and one-liners

CharactersDivisive85

Fully realized, relatable characters with depth and memorable traits

AtmosphereDivisive85

Immersive world-building of rez life with warmth and grit

HumorDivisive82

Dry, subtle, and often absurd comedy balancing tragedy

Plot and storyDivisive62

Slice-of-life storytelling; simple premise of escaping to California but often meanders

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 34 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 20 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 19 points higher than non-US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2023 · 10 episodes · 7.7 average across 1 rated episode

  • S3E1

    BUSSIN'

    Aug 2, 202329 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S3E2

    Maximus

    Aug 2, 202330 min
  • S3E3

    Deer Lady

    Aug 9, 202330 min
  • S3E4

    Friday

    Aug 16, 202322 min
  • S3E5

    House Made of Bongs

    Aug 23, 202328 min
  • S3E6

    Frankfurter Sandwich

    Aug 30, 202325 min

Watch experience

What is Reservation Dogs like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and charged — a slow-burn watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Dry humor
Register
WarmPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcOne continuous story
ToneThe series presents its characters' lives with warmth and wit, balancing comedy with genuine emotion, never mocking its subjects.
The rideThe series balances lighthearted moments of teenage friendship with heavier episodes dealing with grief and systemic hardship, with the emotional weight deepening in the second season.
StructureEpisodes follow a conventional three-act structure, with occasional flashbacks providing character context.
Episode formatEach episode focuses on a specific character or event on the reservation (case-of-the-week feel), while the series traces the four friends' coming-of-age arc across the three seasons.
Season formatThe same core cast and setting continue across all three seasons, with the characters' lives and relationships evolving as they approach adulthood.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulCozy · 5% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves viewers feeling hopeful and warmly connected to the characters and community.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe series is a character-driven ensemble comedy-drama with no single plot archetype defining each episode.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

FriendshipCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Coming of age · 9% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on the deep friendship among four teenagers as they support each other through poverty, grief, and the search for identity on their reservation.
StanceThe series gently interrogates what friendship and community mean on a reservation that is simultaneously a site of poverty and cultural richness, neither romanticizing nor condemning it.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
FolkRockSupportive music · hybrid
SettingThe fictional reservation of Okern, eastern Oklahoma.
MusicThe soundtrack blends Indigenous artists with classic rock and hip-hop, underscoring the characters' cultural hybridity.

Content guide

Is Reservation Dogs okay for kids?

TV-MA

Reservation Dogs is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (36/100), sexual content at mild (30/100), language at severe (82/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (64/100) and frightening material at moderate (45/100). Overall it is heavier than 38% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 28 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France18
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • ArgentinaSAM 16
  • Austria16
  • BG18
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK18
  • Greece18
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyVM18
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland18
  • Portugal18
  • PRTV-MA
  • RO18
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK18
  • Spain18
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • Türkiye18+
  • VITV-MA
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 64% of all showsHeavier than 38% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 18%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 15%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 78%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 70%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 33%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Reservation Dogs have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Reservation Dogs?

Cast

At least 2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 3 award-winning performances in the cast.

D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
as Bear Smallhill
Spirit win: Independent Spirit Award — Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Devery Jacobs
as Elora Danan Postoak
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Paulina Alexis
as Willie Jack
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Lane Factor
as Cheese
Spirit win: Independent Spirit Award — Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series
Elva Guerra
as Jackie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sarah Podemski
as Rita Smallhill
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Lil Mike
as Mose
Funny Bone
as Mekko
Zahn McClarnon
as Big
Spirit win: Independent Spirit Award — Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jude Barnett
as Bone Thug Dog

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