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All the Pop Culture References on Reservation Dogs

Pop Culture Is an Important Aspect of Reservation Dogs — Just Look at the References

The importance of pop culture on Reservation Dogs is ingrained in its very name, which is a take on Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. "Pop culture is important, because in these rural places, especially now with the internet and everything, that's what you have," creator Sterlin Harjo said to Entertainment Weekly. "They know Wu-Tang Clan, they know Tupac, they know all the movie references, they know Quentin Tarantino. They're fans of pop culture and they kind of recreate it where they're at." Whether it's a shot-for-shot remake or a cheeky character name, ahead we've broken down some of the biggest movie and TV references featured on the show.

Image Source: Everett Collection

Reservation Dogs Episode 1 Easter Eggs

  • Smoke Signals: The opening with the radio host in the background is a callback to the 1998 film's radio announcer, Randy Peone.
  • Willow: Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs's Elora Danan is named after the baby in the 1988 fantasy film. Nearly everyone that meets her makes a reference to the film, including sharing some behind-the-scenes tidbits about the twin babies who portrayed the original character.
  • Platoon: While being hit with paintballs, Bear reenacts the death of Willem Dafoe's Sgt. Elias.
  • Reservoir Dogs: Dressed in black suits for the memorial of their friend Daniel, the group's slow walk is a visual callback to the opening of Reservoir Dogs. The group's nickname and the show's title are also a reference to the Quentin Tarantino film.
  • Futurama: While Mose and Mekko explain that the "Indian Mafia" wears red and blue because they couldn't decide to be Bloods or Crips, they call them "Blips" and "Cruds." This is a reference to the season 10 episode, "Assie Come Home," where Fry, Leela, and Bender make a delivery to rival blue-and-red-wearing gangs called the Blips and the Cruds.
Image Source: Everett Collection

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