Nez Perce 1.5 - Reservation

Nez Perce : Reservation
Genre : Historical
Showrunner: Scott Cooper
Writer : Dwight Gallo
Cast: Adam Beach, Matthew Rhys, Martin Sensmeier, Gil Birmingham, Julia Jones, Grace Dove, Zahn McClarnon, Ben Schnetzer and Wes Studi

Plot:1871. Chief Joseph the Elder (Wes Studi) is on his death bed in his tipi. His eldest son, Joseph (Adam Beach), kneels beside him. Joseph the Elder asks his son to bury him where the rivers meet as that earth is sacred. Joseph promises he will. With his last words, Joseph the Elder says that his country holds your father's body, never sell the bones of your father and your mother. Joseph holds back his tears and goes to get his younger brother Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier). Together they ride out with their father's body and bury him in a clearing where the Lostine and Wallowa Rivers meet.

1877. Chief Joseph and his brother Ollokot ride onto the Lapwai Reservation with General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) and his guards. The land is barren and empty. Joseph and Ollokot take a cautious look around. Howard asks them what they think. They don't answer. Howard says it's a decent piece of land. No white men anywhere in sight. They would be able to come and go and live their lives any way they please, just like they want. Joseph and Ollokot ride between a pair of empty houses. Joseph slowly turns his horse around to face Howard, and asks how long they will have to move if they accept the proposal. Howard says he can give them thirty days. Joseph glances back at the empty reservation. Howard asks Joseph his real name, his Indian name. Joseph tells him he would find it hard to pronounce, but it is Hinmuutu-Yalatlat. Howard laughs, saying he's right, that he would find that difficult to pronounce. Joseph smiles, faintly. Joseph tells Howard that he let him take Toohoolhoolzote to jail yesterday so that they could not be blamed had Howard been harmed. The same reason Joseph's father turned away from the white man's church and customs, because the white man says one thing and does another. The white man offers treaties and then breaks them. Howard tells Joseph that Larry Ott is a murderer, that he bets Joseph blames the white man for his freedom, but that he would have easily been convicted had just one of the Nez Perce testified. Howard asks Joseph if laying his hand upon the holy book is really that offensive to him. Joseph says yes, because the Nez Perce can tell the truth without having to raise their hands. Joseph rides past Howard, away from the reservation back toward Wallowa. Ollokot follows. Howard yells after them that they have thirty days to leave the valley or he will send the entire American army after them.

Joseph and Ollotkot come to a clearing at the fork of the Lostine and Wallowa Rivers. The area seems sacred. They dismount and kneel before their father's grave. Joseph wonders aloud what their father would do if he were still alive. Ollokot reminds Joseph that their father begged them to never sell the land. Joseph says he could never forget their father's last words. He does not wish to sell their country, he does not wish to sell the bones of their father and mother, but he does not want war. He does not want bloodshed. He does not want his people killed. He doesn't want any people killed. Ollokot asks Joseph if he would give up their father's grave. Joseph tells Ollokot that he would give up everything rather than have the blood of the whites upon the hands of their people. Not wishing to argue, Ollokot stands and leaves. Joseph stays behind, staring at his father's grave. He asks his father to not watch them now.

A soldier stands guard at the Lapwai jail. General Howard approaches on horseback. He orders the guard to release the prisoner, Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham). The soldier disappears inside the jail. Moments later Toohoolhoolzote comes outside, rubbing his wrists. He looks down the street and sees Howard talking to Joseph. The two men shake hands. Toohoolhoolzote can't believe his eyes.

Joseph and Ollokot stand before the tribe. Joseph addresses them, telling them that they all must leave the land of their ancestors. The tribe becomes agitated. They protest that his father never would have let this happen, and that they cannot leave their land and hand it over to the white man. Fairland (Grace Dove) and Springtime (Julia Jones) stay silent, their faces sad. Joseph looks devastated. Nearby, Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) watches.

General Howard and Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) walks towards the hotel in Lapwai. Howard tells Perry that he will be be leaving for Washington the next day and will trust Perry to make sure the Indians have relocated to reservation in no less than thirty days time. Perry gives Howard congratulations. Howard asks Perry congratulated him. Perry says for resolving the situation peacefully, for bringing balance and justice to the valley. Howard tells Perry goodnight.

Joseph and Looking Glass walk along the edge of the Nez Perce village. Looking Glass tells Joseph that he knew his father well. He did not live in such complicated times, but that he knows that Joseph the Elder would have done what is best for his people. Joseph asks Looking Glass what he plans to do. Looking Glass tells Joseph that he and his tribe will continue to live in peace and pray that gold is never found along the Clearwater River. Joseph smiles, and the two men clasp hands. They wish each other well. Looking Glass climbs onto his horse and gallops away.

I'm going to be brief here. Nez Perce is one of the best show Last Resort Television has to offer, if not the best. It all works thanks to the strong script by writer Dwight Gallo

A great production from top to bottom, starting with Dwight Gallo's script and Scott Cooper's vision, all the way to surprisingly good performances by actors not used to be in the spotlight.

I had a bit of a problem with the pace at first, but Nez Perce is slowly growing up on me. Gallo and Cooper managed to build the tension and keep things interesting. The premise might have been a tough sell, but with end result, I'm more than happy that the studio optioned this series. A grand series that deserves a much bigger audience.