Reservation Dogs season 3 episode 2 review: Is the second episode of the Hulu show's final season worth the watch?

The third and final season of Reservation Dogs debuted with episodes 1 and 2, on Hulu on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, fans have had high expectations from the series' final season after the preceding seasons delivered some interesting insights.

The second episode of Reservation Dogs season 3 has been titled Maximus. Tazbah Chavez has served as both the writer and director of the episode. After the first episode left viewers with two interesting questions - where Bear has decided to go next and who is Erola's father - episode 2 provided the answers to these crucial questions.

The second episode of Reservation Dogs season 3, sees Bear getting abducted by a UFO conspiracy theorist named Maximus. The episode mainly focuses on Bear's interactions with the man and sheds light upon some self-realizations of Bear. Although the pacing of the episode seems slow, it still manages to provide the audience with a riveting narrative.

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Review of Reservation Dogs season 3 episode 2: An engaging episode that continues with Bear's solitary journey

Episode recap

The second episode of Reservation Dogs season 3 takes viewers on a solitary adventure journey with one of the prime characters of the series, Bear. In the previous episode, he gets left behind and ends up at a crossroads in Texas. While on his way, he is hit by an arrow and ends up at the trailer of a mysterious old man named Maximus.

From their interactions throughout the episode, viewers can understand that Maximus believes in life beyond the Earth since he is a UFO enthusiast. He keeps Bear with him in his house and talks about his past days and his beliefs. In addition, he shows him the greenhouse he made. He also displays how he utilizes radio signals in order to establish communication with the extraterrestrials.

Later on, the man is seen sharing his words of wisdom with Bear, including how the past and future events are connected and how things exist beyond people's knowledge and more. At the end of episode 2, Maximus gets arrested by the feds after he tries to use the radio signals that night.

Towards the end of the episode of Reservation Dogs season 3, Bear ends up escaping the place through the cave-live tunnel shown to him by Maximus. Also, he takes some vegetables from the greenhouse to go. The episode ends with Bear reaching the other side of the tunnel.

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Verdict

As is evident from the contents of the episode, the writer has done a good job of presenting the audience with an immersing episode, despite its slow pacing. The episode is a reflection of Bear's own confusion about his true identity and purpose in life.

Through the character of Maximus, the episode has shed light upon Bear's realizations about his future and the importance of making the right choices in life. As such, the second episode is definitely worth the watch as it gives viewers a refreshing storyline and shows things from the point of view of Bear.

Moreover, actor D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai has done an impressive job portraying his character Bear in the episode. He has dived deep into his character and brought out all the emotionally heavy nuances on screen. The chemistry between his character and Maximus is another highlight of the episode.

Renowned actor Graham Greene, who portrays the unique character Maximus, has done a phenomenal job giving the audience a breath of fresh air with his performance. His quirky and unique personality has definitely added to the episode's success.

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Don't forget to catch episode 2 of Reservation Dogs season 3, which is currently streaming on Hulu.