Lily Gladstone’s Backup Dogs Character Explained (And How Her Performance Compares To That Of Killers Of The Flower Moon)

Lily Gladstone may be most famous for her performance in Flower Moon Assassinsbut she also played a significant role Reserve dogs. The acclaimed FX series ran for three seasons and tells the story of four indigenous teenagers living on a reservation in rural Oklahoma who are left reeling after the death of their friend Daniel, a year before the events of the show. Reserve dogs was widely praised for its authentic depiction of Indigenous life, with the series featuring many Indigenous cast and crew.

Before his work in Reserve dogsGladstone has been acting in film and TV since 2012, including a recurring role in Billions like Roxane. But it was her breakthrough performance as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s Flower Moon Assassins which really solidified Gladstone as a huge star. Launched in 2023, Flower Moon Assassins depicts the true story of a series of murders of members of the Osage tribe in 1920s Oklahoma. The film received a polarizing reception, although Gladstone was universally praised. And its performance in Reserve dogs is equally strong.

Lily Gladstone plays Hotki, Daniel’s mother and Willie Jack’s aunt, in Reservation Dogs

Hokti helps Willie Jack in his grief

Lily Gladstone Hokti Sampson is featured in Reserve dogs Season 2, Episode 9, “Offerings”, when Willie Jack comes to visit her in prison. Both Hokti and Willie Jack are grieving greatly over the loss of Daniel, who died by suicide, and his death has caused a rift in Willie Jack’s group of friends. She visits Hokti for advice, and although Hokti initially does not want to see her because Willie Jack reminds her too much of Daniel, she agrees to pray to her ancestors with her niece.

What follows is an incredibly powerful scene about grief and moving forward as we honor the past and those we have lost. Using vending machine food as a metaphor, Gladstone delivers an inspiring monologue in which Hokti explains to Willie Jack that every person Daniel has touched carries with them a piece of him and how that means he can never leave forever.especially when the community, like the one Willie Jack and the other Rez Dogs have, is strong.

“Oferendas” has been hailed as one of the Reserve dogs‘best episodes, and Gladstone returned as Hokti in the Reserve dogs series finale, “Dig”. In the episode, Willie Jack visits Hokti again, this time with the news of Old Fixico’s passing. Hokti tells Willie Jack that it is up to her to care for her community in times of mourning, leading to Willie Jack’s beautiful sunrise speech of tribute. Despite his incarceration, Hokti’s wisdom and guidance have a positive ripple effect on his community, and the power of his words is amplified by Gladstone’s tour de force performance.

How Gladstone’s Backup Dogs Performance Compares to Killers Of The Flower Moon

Gladstone also responded to his Reservation Dogs co-star’s criticism of Killers Of The Flower Moon

Although its performance in Reserve dogs is not as famous as his Oscar nomination in Flower Moon AssassinsBoth of Gladstone’s roles bear similarities. Not only are Hokti and Mollie entrenched in grief – Hokti for her son and Mollie for the spate of murders in their community, including immediate family – but they are both trapped.

Hokti is literally in a prison, while Mollie is trapped in a marriage, being literally poisoned by her husband. However, despite being “weakened,” Gladstone’s two characters are the smartest people in the room. They see it all and are pillars of their community – and they both deserved much more screen time.

Reserve dogsElora actress Devery Jacobs is among the many people who have praised Gladstone’s work Flower Moon Assassins performance. However, Jacobs banged Flower Moon Assassins as a whole, saying he didn’t believe the film’s indigenous characters were shown with “honor or dignity“ (through Variety) and that the “Horrible portrayal of their deaths“was inhumane. Gladstone had a thoughtful response to her Reserve dogs co-star’s criticism, saying:

[Jacobs’] The backlash is a response to a lot of the trauma that Native women especially feel when seeing these things for the first time,” Gladstone continued. “I had a lot of time to get used to the script. The Osage people have had their lives to understand this story. The process of making this film gave a lot of people a chance to speak out. Ultimately, Osage’s reaction is what matters most to me.

Jacobs’ comments are another illustration of how far Hollywood has to go in representing indigenous culture and everyday life. We hope that more projects like Reserve dogswith indigenous peoples in front of and behind the cameras, they continue to receive the green light.