The Reservation Dogs are making their way to California, but first they have to raise some money. In “NDN Clinic,” Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) and the gang spend the day at the Indian Health Services Clinic for multiple reasons. And the declared war with the NDN Mafia heats up.
This episode is directed by Sydney Freeland.
Spoiler Alert.
‘Stoodis!
RELATED: Reservation Dogs Series Premiere Recap (S01E01): F*ckin’ Rez Dogs
Things start out bad when Bear gets jumped by the NDN Mafia. One of the locals Danny Bighead (Keland Lee Bearpaw) rides by on a bicycle to watch the fight, but does nothing to stop it. Bear passes out after getting beat up and sees the spirit warrior William Knifeman (Dallas Goldtooth) again. Bear tells William about his plan to go to California and William accuses him of running away. He sees that Bear’s nose is bloody and swollen. He tells Bear to go to the clinic to get checked out.
Elora Danan (Devery Jacobs) and Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) set up a table outside of the clinic to sell meat pies. Bear tells them about the fight and they say his nose looks messed up. Bear goes inside to check in to see the doctor.
The lovely admission clerk (Jana Schmieding) gives Bear a hard time. He says he’s been there a thousand times and his mom, Rita (Sarah Podemski) works at the clinic. Then he asks the clerk not to tell his mom that he’s there. The clerk doesn’t really care either way.
Big (Zahn McClarnon) is at the clinic to flirt with Rita, but she’s clearly not interested. Willie Jack offers a meat pie to their neighbor vendor Old Man Fixico (Richard Ray Whitman). He declines and warns the girls about the people who come to the clinic on Mondays. He says someone could throw a curse on them and turn them into a white man. I guess that’s why Old Man Fixico is selling cedar, sage, herbs and bingo daubers.
Cheese lurks around inside the clinic, looking for candy. He gets caught by one of the nurses in the optometry clinic. She says the candy is for patients only and signs him up for an eye exam.
Danny Bighead stops by to buy a meat pie and says he saw Bear get beat up. He tells the girls that Bear cried afterward. Elora has a stomach ache and Willie Jack is worried that she ate a meat pie. She did not eat the food and goes inside to check in.
Elora encounters the same lovely clerk. The clerk thinks Elora just needs to go to the bathroom but Elora says it’s something else. Elora announces that they have meat pies out front. The clerk announces to her co-workers that the girl with stomach pains is selling meat pies outside.
Doctor Kang (Bobby Lee) examines Cheese and says he needs his eyes dilated. Cheese refuses, but the doctor insists. He tells Cheese about all the things that could go wrong if he doesn’t do it. I’m sure he made up all of these things. Cheese gives in and lets him put the drops in his eyes.
Bear runs into Big at the vending machines. Big says Bear is contributing to the white man’s warfare by buying a soda. Sugar was designed to kill the Natives. Big on the other hand is getting something “organ-tic.” An energy drink made from energy.
Bear joins Elora and Willie outside while he waits to see the doctor. The Jackie (Elva Guerra) and the NDN Mafia drive by, staring at the Reservation Dogs. Willie Jack tells Bear what Danny Bighead said. He gets angry and says it’s tough being a leader. People lie about you. The girls laugh as Bear is called back to the admissions desk.
The clerk wants Bear’s address. He reminds her that his mom works there. When the clerk picks up the phone to call Rita, Bear stops her and gives her the address. Bear hears Elora’s name called and asks the clerk why she got in before he did. The clerk just smiles at him.
Mose (Lil Mike) and Mekko (Funny Bone) show up to buy some meat pies. Big joins them and notices that Cheese is eating a bag of Flaming Flamers. Mose says he bought the chips for Cheese. Big reminds them that a chip truck was stolen and warns them not to buy black market chips.
Cheese goes back inside and hears a woman (Casey Camp-Horinek) call out for her grandson. He goes into her room and starts talking to her. She’s not his real grandma, but he can tell she’s lonely. Cheese sits down and starts listening to the elder talk about being in the hospital. She just wants to go home.
Bear goes to see Willie Jack’s dad Leon (Jon Proudstar) and asks for fighting tips. Leon tells him not to block with his face. Bear sees a picture on the wall of him, Daniel and the rest of the gang. Leon tells him to take the picture.
Dr. Kang examines Elora Danan. He asks if she ate something weird. Her stomach is lined with tiny ulcers. Elora has only been eating the Flaming Flamers chips. She eats 10-14 bags a day. Dr. Kang tells her to stop eating the chips because she could die. He prescribes soup and white bread.
Bear is finally called back to see the doctor and sees William Knifeman in the room next to his. Dr. Kang examines Bear as well. It’s pretty normal for one doctor to examine everyone who comes in. Bear asks him not to tell his mom that he was in there. Dr. Kang slyly asks about Rita’s relationship status. Bear only says that his dad is not around and she’s not remarried.
Bear tells the doctor that he got jumped because he’s the leader of his gang and he has big responsibilities. Dr. Kang goes off on a rant about his responsibility to the clinic for the last ten years. He says he’s ready to go home. Bear assumes he’s from China, but Dr. Kang is from San Diego and he’s Korean. Dr. Kang says Bear’s nose is just swollen and prescribes him some ibuprofen. Bear asks how long he should wait to fight. Dr. Kang tells him to fight all he wants.
Dr. Kang goes to see Rita and mentions that Bear is a good kid. He tries to flirt with her and lets it slip that he saw Bear after he got punched in the face. Rita grabs her things and storms out of the office.
Willie Jack made $50 from the meat pies. Bear shows Elora and Willie the picture from Leon’s office. The NDN Mafia returns to the clinic, leaning on Bear’s car. The two gangs prepare for a showdown. Willie Jack even takes off her earrings, so you know it’s serious.
The two gangs get in each others’ faces and start yelling at each other. Rita shows up and pulls Bear back. White Steve (Jack Maricle) tries to apologize to Rita and she tells him to shut up. Big comes out of the clinic and threatens to arrest all of them. Jackie calls Bear a momma’s boy as Rita pulls Bear away from the girl. Big tells everyone to leave, but Willie Jack still has meat pies to sell.
As the day ends, we see Dr. Kang enjoying a bag of Flaming Flamers and smoking a cigarettes near some combustable substances . And Cheese takes his new grandma outside for some fresh air.
Watch the Reservation Dogs on FX on Hulu.
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