Out In The Wilds Aly and Rachel

This is a CROSSOVER EPISODE! We were super delighted to be invited onto the Leftist Teen Drama podcast to talk about two shows we love so much! This episode is cross-posted on both of our streams. If you don't already listen to Leftist Teen Drama, we highly recommend!

Maria (from Leftist Teen Drama) and Aly and Rachel (from Out in The Wilds) come together for a wide-ranging discussion on Indigenous representation, ownership, and authenticity on both THE WILDS (2020-2022) and RESERVATION DOGS (2021-2023). At their core, both these shows are about solidarity and the power of community. We discuss everything from Indigenous ways of storytelling and authentic representations of rez life to the Landback movement and how land acknowledgments have been co-opted in many “progressive” settings. Placing these revolutionary shows within the largely non-Indigenous TV landscape, we analyze and celebrate all the spirit guides, subtle cultural references, and sassy quips about colonizers. More please.

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with THE WILDS Seasons 1-2, streaming on Prime Video, and RESERVATION DOGS Seasons 1-3, streaming on Hulu.

Connect with Leftist Teen Drama Podcast: | instagram, tumblr, tiktok: @leftistteendrama | twitter: @leftyteendrama | website: leftistteendrama.com

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:


The spelling of the fictional Native influencer on Reservation Dogs: MissM8tri@rch


Beautiful Tumblr parallel gifset of Mabel in ‘Reservation Dogs’ during golden hour by Fairweathermyth 


Popsugar, May 26, 2022 by Victoria Messina, Jenna Clause on Bringing Authentic Indigenous Representation to "The Wilds"


The Denizen, April 30, 2021, Meet actor Erana James, the Kiwi rising star making her mark on global screens


The Atlantic, August 1, 2022 by David Treuer, REZ LIFE 


Variety, August 9, 2023 by Michael Schneider, ‘Reservation Dogs’ Uses 1970s Horror Motifs to Tell the Cruel History of Native Boarding Schools


Screenrant, August 4, 2023 by Tiffany Beverley,


What Tribe Do Reservation Dogs’ Characters Belong To? Real Inspirations Explained.


Variety, October 11, 2021, by Crystal Echo Hawk, Indigenous Representation Is Still Scarce in Hollywood: ‘We Need More Native Stories’ (Guest Column)


W Magazine, July 31, 2023 by Maxine Wally, Paulina Alexis Isn’t Ready to Say Goodbye to Willie Jack 


Smoke Signals (film)


The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie


Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich 


Landback


Jacobin, February 10, 2022, REI Wants You to Know They Are Busting a Union on Indigenous Land, by Alex Press

The Quietly Radical New Amazon Show About Stranded Teens by Rebecca Long, Slate, May 16, 2022

This is the much delayed final episode for The Wilds, Season 2. We’re sorry this took so long! This episode is dedicated to all the folks who gently (but passionately) reached out asking if we were ever going to finish the season. This wouldn’t have happened without you folks, and we appreciate the heck out of you. Without further adieu…

Welcome back to Out In The Wilds! It’s time to cover Season 2 Episode 8 (aka EXODUS). 

We’ll talk about the concept of regaining faith, repairing relationships and what is really keeping the girls going. We’ll also dive into the ultimate showdown between Leah and Gretchen (so excited for this!), question if there really were daiquiris and cakes, and debate what the consequences of displaced rage are.

We’ll also try to fill in some of the experiment plot holes that the cancellation left us with (how did Gretchen find THREE islands so close together?) but also just celebrate Leah Rilke. This is your episode Leah, and no one can convince us otherwise.

We hope you all enjoy this one!

Welcome back to Out In The Wilds! It’s time to cover Season 2 Episode 7 (aka Day 50/Day 33 on the island). We know this one’s been a long time coming. Honestly we’ve just been a bit sad as we near the end of the season.

We’ll talk about mothers in various different forms, and Toni’s overwhelming feeling that she’s let Martha down. We’ll also dive into Leah’s spiral (and how continually no one sees it), Shelby’s deep insecurity and self-blame, and how challenging it is to deal with a mental health crisis as opposed to a physical health one. Honestly, pretty much everyone in this episode is dealing with a heavy personal struggle, and it breaks your heart a bit to see.

This episode features a careful delayering of Seth, and we will trouble through him as an unreliable narrator, as well as how Henry’s exists only ever in relation to Seth. We’ll also talk about consensus building and voting (what else is new) and all the ways the boys circumvent these concepts to get what they want. It’s all about power, as usual.

This episode is all about dividing and coming back together, and is a fairly character-driven episode (our favourite!). It's also a huge set up for the finale. So we’re excited to talk through it, as all the pieces get set into place!

If you haven't signed yet, here is a link to the Save The Wilds petition! Make sure that you verify your email after signing!

Want to connect more? Get in touch!

Instagram @outinthewildspodcast
Twitter @thewildspodcast
Tumblr @outinthewildspodcast
Email outinthewildspodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to Out In The Wilds! It’s time to cover Season 2 Episode 6 (aka Day 46/Day 26 on the island).

We’ll talk about Martha and her fear of causing harm, the Ben Folds arc and whether the Gretchen-Blanket saga was real or fake. We’ll also challenge the lens used for Ivan and Kirin’s altercation in the locker room, discuss the implications of trauma and also question the balance of humanity and morality. 

This episode also explores Toni’s struggle with self-worth, Henry’s struggle with Seth’s exile and a loooot of Titanic references. Also, FINISH HIM. Let's do this. 

Want to connect more? Get in touch!

Instagram @outinthewildspodcast
Twitter @thewildspodcast
Tumblr @outinthewildspodcast
Email outinthewildspodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to Out In The Wilds! It’s time to cover Season 2 Episode 5 (aka Day 45/Day 16 on the island). 

This is a huge set-up episode with quite a bit of heft to it... and we are excited to break it down. We'll discuss why Kirin is the worst person to have a hangover with (but the right person for Josh to talk to), the beginnings of Gretchen's "breakdown" and the concept of going home/never going home. 

We'll also get in our feels about Nora's funeral (and her reappearance), wonder how long the Dean-Leah alliance has been building, question the amount of power that Gretchen gives to her confederates and cheer the return of sassy Thom ("world-altering studies don't just fund themselves, Susan"). 

This is also the episode where the seeds of Detective!Fatin, Ben Folds and Martha's Rabbits get planted. Which WOW, big things are coming. There's lots to cover, to love and to challenge in this episode (we're looking at you, Gretchen), and it was such a pleasure to do it. 

Want to connect more? Get in touch! 

Instagram @outinthewildspodcast
Twitter @thewildspodcast
Tumblr @outinthewildspodcast
Email outinthewildspodcast@gmail.com

Welcome back to Out In The Wilds! It’s time to cover Season 2 Episode 4 (aka Day 42/Day 15 on the island).

We’ll talk about the ways that Nora is simultaneously remembered and forgotten, Rachel’s struggle to move from surviving to thriving and concepts of power. We’ll also explore the tension between who needs care versus who gets care, puzzle Leah’s super-spy acting skills and question if any of the girls has ever felt safe. Rachel is going to try to start a #justicefordot movement based on this episode (but we're also just happy to celebrate her birthday-- we think you are the best Dot!). Plus, let's hunt a jag. 

For those looking to skip what happens to Josh, it’s the period between 1:20-1:28 (sorry it’s long, we have some big feelings about trauma being used as a cliffhanger).

Want to connect more? Get in touch!

Instagram @outinthewildspodcast
Twitter @thewildspodcast
Tumblr @outinthewildspodcast
Email outinthewildspodcast@gmail.com