‘Reservation Dogs’ Ep. 5 – ‘Come and Get Your Love’ Review

1973 the band Redbone came out with their hit song “Come and Get Your Love”. The song can be heard in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy among others. Redbone is a band featuring Native Americans from the Cherokee, Yaqui, Apache, and Shoshone tribes. The song plays a large role in the latest episode of Reservation Dogs that sees Big (Zahn McClarnon) and Cheese (Lane Factor) go on a ride-along.

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The episode opens with us seeing the Deer Lady (Kaniehtiio Horn) get into a white man’s vehicle. A young Big (Bodhi Okuma Linton) sees the interaction and goes back inside to his grandmother. Present-day, Big picks up Cheese from school for their ride-along. Cheese learns what it’s like to be a Light Horseman policeman… kind of. He and Big are on the search for a stolen truck and copper wire. Big’s cousin Bucky (Wes Studi) and Kenny Boy (Kirk Fox) are the main suspects. They also run into Jackie (Elva Guerra), White Steve (Jack Maricle), and the NDNs.

In the flashbacks, we see young Big’s interactions with the Deer Lady. One is at a gas station where he’s in dire need of toilet paper while getting cigarettes for his grandma. Two men try to rob the place and face her wrath. Cheese asks Big why he became a police officer, and at first, he’s hesitant but we get our last flashback. The Deer Lady explains to young Big what she does and who she is. He then vows to do the right thing. The ride-along ends with a hilarious moment when they find who stole the truck and copper wire.

Blackhorse Lowe is back directing for this episode of Reservation Dogs, with Sterlin Harjo writing the script. This episode was an odd choice considering how the last one ended. We got no follow-up with Elora (Devery Jacobs) possibly joining Jackie’s gang. I’m sure it’s coming, but just odd not to give us the immediate conclusion to that fallout, and Bear’s dad ditching him again. All in all, the episode was really good and had some of the funniest moments of the show so far. Harjo knows how to keep the comedy flowing in this show.

The usage of the Deer Lady in this episode was interesting. The Deer Lady is a Native American spirit associated with Fertility and Love. Many know her to lead promiscuous men to their deaths, which she does a few times in the episode. It’s interesting folklore that was tied into the show greatly.

This was a fun episode that used different elements to make the episode. The comedy, the lore, the buddy cop theme between Cheese and Big. The representation continues and ending the episode with “Come and Get Your Love” was a cherry on top. Harjo and Lowe are a really good team that love their culture, and it shows in this episode. – Rascal F. Kennedy

Rating: 8/10

Reservation Dogs premieres Mondays on FX on Hulu!