I'm glad they had a warning about difficult, triggering scenes and themes at the beginning. Be warned, there is NO Rez Dogs comedy here--even Dallas Goldtooth's spirit doesn't make an appearance to lighten things up. This episode makes me think the series arc for Bear is going to be deep, with him making some major strides. The actress who plays young Deer Lady is luminous. Be ready for some gory retribution! This episode, while dark, inspired me to go back to the Season 1 introduction of Deer Lady-rewatch if you can. Taika Waititi is not Native American but perfectly has the pulse of conquered indigenous peoples; I'm sure the Maori stories are equally disturbing.
3 Reviews
Strong episode
tfyvzwq18 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Such a great episode. Horn and Growingthunder give such great performances as the Deer Lady.
The audio for the school board members being unintelligible just hits home knowing that these invaders were strange to these native people whom did not know what was happening. Hearing the school board members refer to the native folk as savages while not realizing the natives see them as savages is done well here.
Bear's dismissal and rudeness to his Spirit Guide did not sit well with me last episode. It's great to see him realize the Spirit and Deer Lady will be part of his being. It was nice to see Bear being a good individual (holding the door open for someone, being polite and humble at the restaurant) as it's something in him and not something bestowed to him from the spirits he sees.
My heart broke seeing Koda dragged off in the boarding school. Hearing the school director rambling and reminiscing about his life in his older age did not give me an ounce of sympathy. Just a powerful episode.
"There's nothing out there but the devil, child."
The audio for the school board members being unintelligible just hits home knowing that these invaders were strange to these native people whom did not know what was happening. Hearing the school board members refer to the native folk as savages while not realizing the natives see them as savages is done well here.
Bear's dismissal and rudeness to his Spirit Guide did not sit well with me last episode. It's great to see him realize the Spirit and Deer Lady will be part of his being. It was nice to see Bear being a good individual (holding the door open for someone, being polite and humble at the restaurant) as it's something in him and not something bestowed to him from the spirits he sees.
My heart broke seeing Koda dragged off in the boarding school. Hearing the school director rambling and reminiscing about his life in his older age did not give me an ounce of sympathy. Just a powerful episode.
"There's nothing out there but the devil, child."
Deer Lady and Boarding Schools
nbalko199715 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is my first review on IMDB. This episode is not just important to the series, but important to our native siblings all over the world. The Trigger Warning at the beginning is not to be taken lightly, given the subject matter. It shows not only this iteration of the Deer Lady, but one of the many horrors that the natives went through. This episode (in such a short time mind you!) shows a glimpse of the atrocities that were inflicted on these people. And each moment I was rooting for Deer Lady! Not only is this show important, but this episode is extremely important in native representation!
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