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Why Is It a Shame That Reservation Dogs’ Emmy Hopes Seem Low?
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Reservation Dog’s Emmy Competition
Every year, the Emmys distinguish themselves from their older brother Oscar by putting on a less controversial, arguably safer awards show. With the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, the show ‘s most underrated comedy isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Instead, it’s being overlooked in favor of safer commercial offerings and shows that push the boundaries of what can be considered traditional comedy.
Reservation Dogs follows a group of Indigenous teenagers in Oklahoma as they spend their days committing crimes to save enough money to leave their community. Reservation Dogs is notable for its almost entirely Native American crew and all Indigenous writers and directors. The show is truly a slice-of-life comedy in a unique sense, capturing a group of people who rarely get top billing in comedy settings. Very much the indie darling in a group of more talked-about comedy nominees, its lack of Emmy attention speaks to the route the show is taking as TV shows how it values different trends and topics.
Why Is It a Shame That Reservation Dogs’ Emmy Hopes Seem Low?
Reservation Dogs has been one of the more overlooked comedies of the last few years. It’s divorced from the prestige buzz of The Bear and lacks the star power of Only Murders in the Building. Given that these two shows are most likely Reservation Dogs’ strongest competition, it says something about the lack of comedic diversity on display this year and, importantly, what is attracting voters. The Bear’s more mixed third season and Only Murders in the Building’s continued success, Reservation Dogs‘ lack of Emmy attention is a disappointing result for one of TV’s most refreshing comedies.
This isn’t just refreshing in the representation television sorely lacks, but the type of comedy Reservation Dogs has mastered in its three-season run. A growing trend with shows like Bojack Horseman has been to blend comedy with melancholy drama, with both of these shows painting what that looks like for specific communities. Both The Bear and Reservation Dogs share a low-key tone at times, but The Bear sticks closer to the trend of emotionally distraught characters that TV always has time for.
Reservation Dogs uses this brand of ‘quirky’ dark comedy to explore Indigenous grief and aspiration that hasn’t been seen since something like Wind River or, recently, Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s a shame that a show that dares to be different has been given the unofficial label of the cool underground show that doesn’t appeal to the masses, despite its similarities to producer Taikia Waititi’s popular works.
Reservation Dog’s Emmy Competition
The stiffest competition this year is arguably The Bear, which broke the record with 23 nominations, surpassing the comedy record set by 30 Rock. The Bear is an interesting golden horse for The Emmys to pin their comedy hopes on. A show that truly questions where the boundary is between comedy and drama, Reservation Dogs has been ‘snubbed’ by a show that takes lots of interesting creative risks, especially in its recent third season. So, it shouldn’t be considered a loss for the original comedy because The Bear is hardly lacking in originality.
The other fan favorite is Only Murders in the Building, a show that announced itself with a bang and hasn’t slowed down since. Only Murders in the Building is one of the last popular shows that consistently produces seasons, with a fifth season just announced and four seasons in four years.
The nature of television is changing, and episodes are becoming a waiting game, but Only Murders in the Building feels like a show that could ignore multi-year season gaps and tell its story with all the passion of a career-high Steve Martin and Martin Short pairing. Abbott Elementary also has the consistency advantage, producing seasons quicker than most.
So, it could be argued that Reservation Dogs being lost in the shuffle isn’t all that much of a surprise. Its inspired story-telling and interest in the unexplored corners of America might not grab as many as seeing Jeremy Allen White being anxious in a kitchen, but that’s OK. The Emmys have shown themselves to be a strong awards show, and even if they don’t pay attention to all the great TV shows, it might only be because the golden age of TV isn’t quite dead yet. Trends are trends, and just because Reservation Dogs doesn’t neatly fit into them doesn’t take away from the excellence of the show. Reservation Dogs is streaming on Hulu.
