Gobbledygeek episode 455, “Reservation Dogs (feat. Nikki Stafford)”,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

The best show on TV is on FX–well, FX on Hulu, that is. It’s called Reservation Dogs, it was created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, and it is about four Indigenous kids from Oklahoma dreaming of escape to California. To discuss this funny, heartbreaking show, Paul and Arlo are joined by pop culture writer extraordinaire Nikki Stafford. The gang discusses the show’s subtle storytelling, its incredible cast, the way Harjo and his team thread the needle between tragedy and comedy, and how this series breaks ground for mainstream Native representation in America. Plus, Arlo almost killed Paul.

NEXT: second time’s the charm; hopefully, we’ll actually do a Four-Color Flashback on John Layman and Afu Chan’s Outer Darkness.

BREAKDOWN

• 00:00:42  –  Intro / Guest
• 00:10:45  –  Reservation Dogs
• 01:25:45  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

• ‘Stoodis!’ & ‘Skoden’ — ‘Reservation Dogs’ Puts NDN Slang in Focus by Jeanette Centeno, powwows.com
• “‘Reservation Dogs’ Co-Creators Sterlin Harjo & Taika Waititi Talk Using Humor “To Subvert Expectations” In Indigenous Representation – TCA” by Alexandra Del Rosario, Deadline
• “’Reservation Dogs’ Creator Talks New FX Series,” All Things Considered
• “‘Reservation Dogs’: The Interview” by Jonathan Sims, The Paper.
• Sterlin Harjo on creating FX’s ‘Reservation Dogs’ with an Indigenous cast and crew — The Business Podcast
• There There, a novel by Tommy Orange

MUSIC

• “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges, The Stooges (1969)
• “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone, Wovoka (1973)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/