Hulu’s original series Reservation Dogs ,season three episode one entitled “BUSSIN,” starts with D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s Bear Smallhill as he deals with his abandonment issues regarding his father. From the look on his face, the viewer can tell that he is disappointed by how he saw what his father really is. This is due to him seeing that he has another family and he too left them as well. Deep down when he saw his siblings and their mom alone it reminded him of his own upbringing. That is why he left his necklace to him as a way to let go of his past. The surprising part about this is how all of the crew have a new look on life as a result of their long journey accompanying Bear. This is demonstrated by how Lane Factor’s Cheese starts to draw more prominent things. Not to mention that Paulina Alexis’s Willie Jack learns to appreciate her home on the reservation more.
Additionally, Bear ends up having a visit from his spirit guide where it tells him that he is on the right path. Unfortunately, Bear can’t make sense of what he is supposed to do as all he feels is emptiness. K. Devery Jacobs’s Elora Danan finds out more information about her father. In her mind, she could not believe that her father was white as she did not know that much about him. This could lead to more ways for her character to develop mentally. Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, Kimberly Guerrero’s Auntie B ends up losing her job as she goes to pick everyone up. However, she is okay with it as now she can return to the reservation and be with her people again.
At the end of the episode, Bear is on his own as he missed the bus back to the reservation. In an ironic sense of humor, he sets out to the reservation on his own path just as his spirit guide told him he would. The series does a wonderful job at bringing everything together at the end of the episode. This also sets the tone of self-discovery being the main focus of Bear’s journey. In his mind, he sees that his spirit guide was right about him being on the right path. However, he feels frustrated that he won’t tell him what exactly he is supposed to do to find his true self, only time will tell.
Rating: 9.5/10