WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Reservation Dogs Season 1, Episode 7, "California Dreamin'," now streaming on FX on Hulu. A content warning also applies for talks about depression and suicide.
Reservation Dogs isn't shy about tackling big issues, but the biggest one has been building up in the background. It was plain from the premiere that these kids were carrying heavy grief over the death of their friend, Daniel, and his presence has shown itself in various ways over the course of the season. Last week looked at the trauma his family is processing, and this week confirms what happened, as Daniel, founding member of the Reservation Dogs, killed himself.
Like last week's hunting trip, viewers are reintroduced to Daniel, but Elora Danan's memories are stuck on the last day she spent with him. Daniel didn't want to go home yet because his parents were fighting again, but the Dogs all had reasons to split the group for the night. Elora stayed with Daniel, though, and at her urging, they went to a honky-tonk. Daniel's never danced before, so she taught him a simple two-step.
As Elora's memories continue, Daniel's taken their cute dance and turned manic, flailing around the dance floor and urging music from the live band. It's a big turn in Daniel's personality, especially in contrast to his behavior earlier. Last week's episode also showed that he returned to being subdued after he stormed away from the bar.
Reservation Dogs has gone out of its way to show that life is hard on the reservation. While its people often do their best to support each other, sometimes problems are missed. It's heartbreakingly common to miss the signs of someone unable to cope with their feelings, and withdrawal, acting out, a history of family trauma and an obsession with leaving home are all signs of someone needing help, but they went missed here. It's not the fault of his uncle, Leon, nor is it the fault of the Reservation Dogs, but they feel the guilt of it, nonetheless.
It's Elora Danan who found Daniel, but viewers piece together that Leon was the last person to see him alive. He didn't turn up for school in the morning, and Elora didn't find him at home. She searched their usual hiding places, winding up at the abandoned warehouse the Dogs use as a base. There's a shack on the property, and Daniel was inside. The shot's framed in a way that spares audiences from seeing the full picture, but it's clear what happened. Daniel killed himself, and the Dogs blame the town.
The previous episodes help unpack what the Dogs mean by this. The show has spotlighted its underfunded health clinic, a thriving meth and theft ring, scant tribal police coverage, poverty, struggling families and all of their culture's heritage and tradition strained by colonialist endeavors. It's often framed to be funny, but it's also stressful and real to those who live in communities like this. That's the line Daniel had to walk. While the jester of the group, the pressures of his life were too much.
It's a tragedy, and the weightiest part is how human it is. It's a brutal payoff to the first season's thematic storyline, artfully handled and telling a necessary tale about suicide, its victims and the loved ones left behind. The Reservation Dogs have been slowly moving on over the course of the season, but "California Dreamin'" makes it brutally clear how hard that journey has been.
If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or send a text message to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, Reservation Dogs drops new episodes every Monday on FX on Hulu.