Mohawk Girls review: What’s that you say? An Apology?

The season premiere of Mohawk Girls, created and directed by Tracey Deer and written by Cynthia Knight, picks up one week after last season’s finale. As the title “Apologies Week” suggests, this week is all about making amends for the multiple transgressions committed by our favourite four Mohawk ladies.

Right away we learn that yes indeed Caitlin went through with her planned abortion. That question now out of the way, the rest of the episode can focus on all of the apologies. The town apologizes to Caitlin, Anna apologizes to Thunder, Bailey apologizes to Thunder, Zoe apologizes to Caitlin, Zoe apologizes to Lollipop, Butterhead apologizes to Caitlin— sort of. It seems everyone is apologizing to or for someone or something. However, the unspoken apology is left to Caitlin, but I will get to that later.

This week Zoe (Brittany LeBorgne) finally begins to atone for her meltdown that occurred in last season’s episode entitled Bridesmaidzilla. Lollipop (Devery Jacobs) has decided that the all too perfect Zoe must submit to her every desire, which includes such demeaning acts as bathroom scrubbing and an emergency pedicure. Zoe attends to this new master whilst “aching to serve” her new Dom played by Kyle Switzer. Speaking of her new Dom, we catch another glimpse of Zoe’s new game playing playmate as Zoe takes one more step into her world of kink.

Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick), clearly tired being the good girl who follows the rules, has yet another confrontation with her father Sose (Glen Gould) and Auntie Velma (Ashley Michaels) regarding her rebellious behaviour. As a result, Bailey again looks for love in the wrong places and settles—this time with newlywed Trumpet (played by Kevin Loring)—as she reminisces about her one night stand, with  the aid of Trumpet’s sexting. We see Bailey attempting to do the right thing by avoiding a  married man, but by the episode’s close it seems clear that resistance, at least for now, is futile.

Fish-out-of-water Anna (Maika Harper) spends this episode picking up the pieces of her shocking Blood Quantum reveal. The entire town now knows she is not the critical 50% Mohawk blood that guarantees your position at Kahnawa:ke, and Anna starts this season right back where she was in the series premiere last season. However, instead of the hopeful and lively Anna we are so accustomed to seeing embark on  new adventures at Kahnawa:ke, we see a woman grieving the loss of her newly won acceptance, not to mention her fear of losing Thunder.

Anna seeks out advice from her surrogate father figure Sose who supplies our lesson on Mohawk culture. We are told by Sose that “Blood Quantum was a white system imposed on our people. It is not our way”. He suggests to Anna that “there are other ways to connect with our culture and feel you belong here” and that she should not give up so easily. Anna apologizes to “Be Still my Beating Heart Thunder” (Kyle Nobess) and he reassures that it is difficult to stay angry with her. It seems Team Thana might live to see another day.

And finally we come to Caitlin (Heather White). Now that we know she deliberately ended her pregnancy, we are left to live through her consequences. Caitlin is in a world of hurt; filled with guilt and shame. Zoe apologizes to her for not being present for the procedure as she had promised and for telling the other girls of Caitlin’s secret. Caitlin continues to battle guilt and fear, using that guilt to justify settling for a man like Butterhead in order to quell her long held fears of being alone.

Caitlin however, is not impressed with Butterhead’s boyfriend behaviours. In a last ditch attempt to turn Blockheaded Butterhead into her Warrior, Caitlin agrees to school him in the art of being a good boyfriend. Alas, the blockhead fails and after a heart to heart with Butterhead’s baby mama Mean Girl Vickie (Rachelle White Wind), Caitlin gains the strength to forgive herself and finds the courage to leave Butterhead.

Hat Tip to Tracey Deer and Cynthia Knight for tackling such a contentious and often times polarizing decision with such grace, and also to Heather White for once again playing Caitlin with so much honesty.

So what is next for our ladies now that the apologies have been made and everyone seems to be back in each others good graces? How long can Bailey enjoy an affair with a married man? Will Caitlin continue on her journey to healing? Now that Anna is forgiven by Thunder, can Tulip forgive her too? Let me know in the comments below.