Deer Lady, Cookie, and the Many Spirits of Reservation Dogs
“Wahoo!,” the seventh episode of Reservation Dogs‘ third and final season, adds yet another spirit to the show’s spectral roster. Elora’s (Devery Jacobs) mom Cookie (Janae Collins) returns to the Rez for some unfinished business. Let’s explore why Cookie’s return is important and delve into the rest of Reservation Dogs‘ many spirits.
Through three seasons now, apparitions of deceased ancestors have become quite common for the Reservation Dogs audience. That’s why it’s particularly fun for “Wahoo!” to present a ghost to a character who is not familiar with this whole thing. Bear Smallhill’s mother Rita (Sarah Podemski) is about as grounded as they come. As a dedicated employee of the local Indian Health Service (IHS), she’s just trying to get through the day like any single mom. That all changes when one evening she starts to see her dead friend Cookie clear as day.
For those paying close attention to last week’s episode “Frankfurter Sandwich,” Cookie’s sudden reappearance may not be completely shocking. She was indirectly mentioned in that installment by Big (Zahn McClarnon) as one of the people he was unable to save. We found out previously that Elora’s mother was a victim of drunk driving, perishing in a violent crash alongside her boyfriend. Big has always blamed himself for not arresting him.
Cookie’s appearance here is a prime example of why Reservation Dogs‘ approach to spirits works so well. It begins as whimsical and fun (Cookie just wanted to stop by to gossip and play “Wahoo!” with her friend) before progressing to something uncomfortably real. After convincing Rita to take her to her mother Mabel’s house to see Elora, Cookie dresses Rita down for not spending more time with Elora since she, herself can’t. Like the most important episodes of Reservation Dogs, it all comes down to community and family.
William Knifeman
“Aho young warrior!” Look, William Knifeman just rules. He’s been a part of the show since the pilot and he always seems to know how to brighten the mood. William claims to have died in the Battle of Little Bighorn when his horse tripped and crushed him. Despite his less-than-stellar record in military conflict he’s a font of (mis)information about the Indian ways for his young charge Bear. Interestingly, William has also appeared to Uncle Brownie (Gary Farmer) previously. We haven’t seen him again in season 3 since Bear dismissed him back in episode 2. But hopefully he has a major role in one of the few episodes to come.
Deer Lady
The specter of the Deer Lady (Kaniehtiio Horn) has loomed large over Reservation Dogs ever since Big first recounted the story of seeing her in season 1. So-named because of her lady-like appearance and cloven hooves, Deer Lady at first to be a vengeful wight who seeks to purge the world of wicked men. The season 3 episode named after her reveals that she’s definitely that but that she was also once a member of the community herself. As a youth, she was kidnapped and imprisoned in a (sadly true-to-life) Native boarding school. Her path to vengeance began after meeting the spirit of a doe and killing the nuns who victimized her.
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