Chester "Cheese" Williams is one of the Rez Dogs, the youngest of the group.
History[]
Stealing the Chip Truck and Memorial for Daniel[]
Cheese, along with Elora, Bear, and Willie Jack, watched as a truck driver left his truck to make a delivery. While he was inside, the four of them stole the truck and drove away in it. While Elora drove and Bear rode in the wrong, Willie Jack and Cheese rode in the back, where they failed to pull in the ramp before Elora took off. They drove the truck to the salvage yard, where they sold it to Kenny Boy, who sold them all the chips inside for a dollar.
They sold the chips in Bear's front yard. While they were selling the chips, they noticed three teens watching them from across the street. While they were collecting the money they'd made, Big drove up and asked if they knew anything about a chip truck that was stolen in town. They all pretended they didn't know anything about it. He told them about a recent increase in crime and listed several things they'd done. He also tried to scare them by mentioning that the Deer Lady had been spotted in the area recently.
Once they finished selling their chips, they decided to grab a bite to eat at Rob-n-Cleo's. On the way, Elora said she believed they'd be able to relocate to California in two months, which surprised them. While they were walking, a car drove up beside them, carrying the same teens who had been watching them. Those teens pulled out their guns and began shooting paintballs at the four of them, then said that street was their territory. Once of their paintballs knocked Bear unconscious.
When Bear woke up, Mose and Mekko rode up and told them the new teens were calling themselves the NDN Mafia, consisting of Jackie, her cousins Bone Thug Dog and Weeze, and their friend White Steve. Mose and Mekko had told the NDN Mafia that the four of them were the Reservation Bandits, the toughest in town. They warned the four of them to be careful.
At Rob-n-Cleo's, they ordered catfish. After their food was delivered, they overheard Miles, a truck driver, talking to Rob about how his truck had been stolen. As a result, he'd been fired and his wife left him.
On their way back to the hideout, Bear said he felt bad for what they did to the driver and wanted to get the truck back to give it back to him. Willie Jack and Elora didn't feel bad and got mad that Bear did. Elora stormed off after saying they didn't owe anyone in that town anything.
The next day, Elora gave Bear her share of the money to buy the truck back from Kenny Boy. Unfortunately, they learned that Kenny Boy had already stripped it.
The four of them held a memorial for Daniel to mark one year since his death. As they left the memorial, the NDN Mafia drove buy, showing that they'd stolen copper that the four of them were planning to steal. They walked home and Mose and Mekko warned them that the NDN Mafia was after rhyme and they'd given the four of them a new name: The Reservation Dogs. Elora wanted to gather the money they had saved and leave right away, but Bear said he didn't want to let Jackie and her crew chase them out of town. He wanted them to become vigilantes.[1]
Going to the Clinic[]
Cheese went with the rest of the Rez Dogs to the clinic so Willie Jack could sell her meat pies. Cheese went inside the clinic to get some candy. Natalie told him the candy was free, but only for patients. She had him try to read the eye chart and when he struggled to read even the top line, she worked him into the day's schedule. Cheese fought Dr. Kang's attempts to put eye drops in his eyes, but ultimately ended up getting an exam. As he walked around the clinic, Cheese was drawn in by Grandma Irene, who believed he was her grandson. He tried to correct her, but then decided to play along. He sat in her room with her and talked, then took her outside in a wheelchair and sat with her.[2]
Wellness Fair[]
Bear learned that his father was coming back to Oklahoma for the anti-diabetes Wellness Fair, so he recruited the other Rez Dogs to help him get things ready to see his dad again. At the grocery store, he sent each of them to get a different thing.
Bear wanted to get his father a gift, so they went next to Auntie B, who does beadwork. She offered him a steep discount because he was Willie Jack's friend. None of the pieces were what he was looking for, so he asked if she could make him a new one. She agreed, but charged an extra $50 for the rush job, which irritated Elora. Bear promised he'd make the money back.
The next morning, they picked up the medallion and were surprised to see how phallic it looked, a trend among her work. Bear took it anyway and continued to prepare for his father's visit. When Punkin didn't show up and lied about why, Bear and Rita ended up back at their home, watching Godzilla with the other Rez Dogs.[3]
Ride Along[]
Cheese wanted to become a detective, so he started by doing a ride along with the tribal police. When the lighthorseman who was supposed to take him got sick, Big stepped in to show Cheese the ropes. Their first stop was the Orpheum, where Bucky was sleeping on a bench. Big asked if he was lived on the streets, but he said he wasn't and lived nearby. He was just reading a book on string theory and fell asleep. When Cheese asked where his book was, he said someone must have stolen it. Big and Cheese went to leave, but Joe Bob and Marion, Okern cops, pulled up and taunted Big about driving an old car and not being a real cop. Big told Cheese that those were the kind of people who became detectives, so Cheese should become a lighthorseman instead.
Big then took Cheese to the field where he'd found the catfish heads. They'd been disappearing and reappearing, which Big though was because of Bigfoot. Cheese asked why Big became a lighthorseman and Big said that was personal and he'd never told anyone.
Dispatch sent them to Village 2, where Ray Ray had called in about something. They went to Ray Ray's, where he showed them a copper figurine that had just shown up at his place. His neighbors had the same thing happen. Big questioned all the neighbors and gathered the figurines.
While examining the figurines in the car, Dispatch told them to be on the lookout for a baby blue pickup that had been stolen. They pulled over the NDN Mafia, who had a broken taillight and Cheese tried to get Big to let him spray them with mace, but Big refused.
Big and Cheese went to the scrapyard to question Kenny Boy about the copper. Kenny Boy denied knowing anything about it, but Ansel revealed that some copper had been stolen from them.
Big and Cheese were eating when the baby blue pickup sped through an intersection in front of them. They followed it as the driver followed all traffic laws, but didn't pull over. Cheese finally used the radio to tell Bucky, who was driving, to pull over or be shot. Bucky pulled over, then moved over and pretended to be the passenger. Big knew he'd been driving and asked him about stealing the truck. Bucky claimed it wasn't stolen because the owners weren't using it. He also admitted to placing the figurines around town, saying they were for protection. They fought diseases like cholera. Cheese looked that up and found it was true. Bucky had stolen the copper from some meth heads, whom he said were destroying the town with their drugs. Big told Bucky to take the truck back and stop putting the figurines around town. When Cheese asked Big why he didn't arrest Bucky, Big said Bucky was one of the good guys and Big was after bad guys. Cheese decided that maybe being a lighthorseman could be pretty cool, prompting Big to tell him why he'd become one, a story of meeting Deer Lady as a child and her telling him that he was safe from her as long as he was a good man.[4]
Tornado[]
When the day came for the Rez Dogs to leave for California, Cheese went to visit Grandma Irene. They played chess and he told her he wasn't really her grandson. She said he was even if he wasn't. Then he told her he was moving to California with his friends.
Later, Cheese was walking with the other Rez Dogs when Brownie approached them on a riding lawn mower. He told them a tornado was coming and said he could stop it if he had an ax. They didn't believe him, so he left, saying they were wasting his time. The Rez Dogs continued on to the hideout, where they counted the money one last time. Willie Jack then announced she wasn't going to California with them, but she gave them her cut of the money to help them. Elora was angry and asked Cheese if he was bailing, too, but he said no. Bear said Spirit had visited him and said he had unfinished business, which he took to mean they needed to fight the NDN Mafia. They went to do this and the two groups taunted each other until Cheese spotted a tornado in the distance. They paused briefly and then went back to the taunting until hail started to fall, forcing them to seek shelter. When Willie Jack called everyone's attention and told them it was her parents' anniversary and she couldn't imagine leaving because she had so much left to learn from them, Cheese also announced he wasn't going to California. Once the storm had passed, they all went outside to find the tornado had missed their town completely. Elora stomped off in anger, leaving Bear, Willie Jack, and Cheese to say goodbye.[5]
Curse Reversal[]
After Elora left, Willie Jack began to think that the curse she'd had put on Jackie had gone back on her. This was further supported when she, Cheese, and Bear went to their hideout to find that someone had bought it and it was being torn down to make way for a megachurch. They went to see Brownie to get his help reversing the curse, but he refused, saying they caught him in the middle of trying to be a better man. Cheese noticed that Brownie's movies weren't in order and stayed behind to fix that for him in exchange for some Sonic.
While he was watching Brownie's copy of Big Trouble in Little China, Cheese mentioned that Willie Jack and Bear were with Bucky. Brownie told him to turn off the movie and he pulled Cheese in a wagon behind the lawn mower as they went to find the others.[6]
Brownie and Cheese joined Willie Jack and Bucky as they were getting some of Jackie's things from her friends and Brownie and Bucky first faced off over some old beef between the two of them, then agreed they'd meet at the river the next morning.
The next morning, Brownie and Bucky led Willie Jack and Cheese through the process of reversing the curse. Then they threw her things in the river and sang Free Fallin'. After the song was over, Brownie told them the curse was lifted, but they needed to stop being shitasses.[7]
Mabel's Death[]
Cheese came to Mabel's house when he learned Mabel was dying. When a meal was ready for everyone to share, Elora asked Cheese to pray before they ate. He asked Creator to bless the food and the people who made it.
Jackie, who had also come to Mabel's, asked Cheese if he didn't like her. He said he wasn't supposed to, but admitted she might not be as bad as they thought.[8]
Bear's Party[]
When Rita went out of town to attend the IHS conference, Bear threw a party, which Cheese attended.[9]
NARDS Youth Summit[]
Cheese came to the NARDS Youth Summit when he heard they were giving out Sonic gift cards. As they got started, Cheese was paired with Elora to do a potato dance together while they held a potato between their foreheads. They danced for a while, but then dropped their potato.
Later, Cheese was paired with Willie Jack complete a maze while Cheese was blindfolded and Willie Jack was guiding him through. Instead, she guided him to a vending machine to buy a drink and bring it to her.
At the end of the day, MissM8tri@rch told the teens she was proud of them and that them attending was an act of decolonization. Cheese asked her how, but she was unable to explain.[10]
Arrest[]
Cheese was hanging out in the driveway with Charley when cops came up and arrested both of them. Cheese was taken to a group home run by Gene, who explained the rules and expectations and told him he would be on bathroom duty as the new guy. Cheese asked if he could make a phone call, but was told 5-6 was phone time and he could make a phone call only if he could get the phone away from James.
Cheese went upstairs, put his things away and then went into the bathroom, which was very dirty. He was cleaning when Tino came in and started peeing all over the toilet area, messing the area Cheese had just cleaned.
That night, Cheese looked through his sketch book, which had notes from his friends. He hugged it to his chest and closed his eyes. He woke up to the sounds of someone being beaten. Tino poked his head up to Cheese's bed and offered him a go at it. When Cheese refused, Tino warned him not to snitch or he'd get beaten, too. Cheese said he wouldn't and covered his ears.
The next morning at breakfast, Cheese saw Julio leave and Tino explained that you could get a pass to leave if you had a job, but you couldn't leave to look for one. Cheese started doodling in his book. Tino saw this and asked Cheese to draw his son's name because he wanted it tattooed on him. He said he thought his son was four, but he didn't get to see him often because of being locked up. Cheese was surprised to hear him say he had more than one child. That's why he was trying to get a job before he aged out of the group home. He asked Cheese why he was in there and Cheese said he didn't know. He was arrested and the police brought him there. He asked if he could stay with his grandma, but they said he had to stay there until they figured out stuff with his legal guardians.
Cheese was upstairs when Willie Jack, Bear, and Jackie threw things at the window to get his attention. When they told him they were there to break him out, he told them to find another way to get him out.
All the residents had to attend a group meeting. Gene started by saying they were ready to get into step five. He told them about his own process to getting sober and then asked them to share. They all decided to pass, but Gene wouldn't let Cheese pass as the new person. Cheese said he was arrested for no reason and sent to a poorly-funded group home, which he hated. Gene ended up saying Cheese was the only one to engage with the step.
During phone time, Cheese tried to asked Cheese for a turn with the phone, but James first ignored him and then threatened to beat him up if he didn't leave James alone. He retreated to the couch, where he told Tino he was trying to call his grandma and tell her he was okay. Julio pulled a phone out of his pocket and gave it to Cheese, warning him to use it only after Gene had gone to bed.
That night, Cheese hid in the bathroom and called Grandma Irene. She said she'd missed him and asked him to come by. He told her he'd been helping Charley with some things, but hoped he could come over soon. She told him not to get too busy for the people who cared about him and two call if he needed anything.
During a later conversation, Cheese told the other residents that he and his friends had stolen a chip truck and gone on a ride along with the cop investigating the theft. They were impressed by him. During this conversation, Julio learned that Tino had children which was why he was always asking Julio for help getting a job. Cheese said he hoped that someday, Julio could have healthy relationships without the fear of losing people. When asked, he explained that he talked that way because after Daniel died, he read about all the reasons why he might have taken his own life and always wanted to treat people well in the hopes they'd do the same for him.
The next morning, when Julio saw that Cheese was wearing a wrinkled shirt, he showed Cheese how to iron it.
Later that day, Gene told Cheese it was time for him to go. Big came and said he had to handcuff him. Cheese asked if he could talk shit while he did it and Big said that was fine, but stopped him when he called Big a child molester. Tino hugged Chesese and said to come visit him at Red Lobster once he'd gotten the job. Once they were at Big's car, Big took the cuffs off and Cheese got into the front seat. Big said he was taking him to his next placement. Big drove him to Grandma Irene's where she was waiting with his friends, all of them wearing "Free Cheese" shirts.[11]
Midstreamers[]
Willie Jack, Bear, Elora, and Cheese were eating catfish and watching TV when a news report came on about the Midstreamers, who fornicated with catfish. All four of them were put off their food.[12]
Daniel's Letter[]
Willie Jack invited her friends over and cooked for them. They sat in silence until Willie Jack told them she'd visited Hokti and she got her advice for how to fix them. Bear and Elora immediately claimed that everything was fine between them, but Cheese and Willie Jack knew that wasn't true. She told them about Daniel's letter and said she wanted to read it with them. They passed it around and read it to themselves. When they were finished, they decided to fulfill Daniel's dream together, because he couldn't.[13]
Trip to California[]
With the decision made, The Rez Dogs, with Jackie's help, went to steal Mabel's car back form the scrapyard. Kenny Boy interrupted them, but let them have the car anyway. They packed up the car and left for California. They were all excited to fulfill Daniel's dream for him. They thought about what they would do when they got to the ocean and Bear suggested putting Daniel's letter in, because it was like a piece of Daniel and he'd alway wanted to go to the ocean.
Over the next few days, they made their way across the country to California. With only a few miles left, they stopped at a taco place and got food. When they went to pay, Bear realized they left the money in the car. Willie Jack went to get it, but found the car missing. While they stood outside in the empty lot and discussed what to do, White Jesus found them and said he'd take them to the ocean. Instead, he led them to an encampment and promised to take him to the ocean in the morning. They decided to stay and sleep in shifts, which they did until the cops came and forced them to leave.
They decided to continue their walk on their own. They were delighted when they finally heard the sounds of the ocean in the distance, which encouraged them to walk the final stretch. Once on the beach, they looked out into the ocean for a moment and then walked toward the water. Elora held back, saying she didn't want to say goodbye to Daniel. Bear corrected that they were only saying goodbye to the pain. They all walked into the water together. Cheese said a prayer and they held each other, imagining Daniel standing with them. Then Cheese asked what they should do next. Elora said she wanted to find her car because she had to take it back to Kenny Boy's. Willie Jack said she had an uncle at a rez nearby who could probably help. Bear then said he wasn't going back to Oklahoma.[14]
Return to Okern[]
While they were in LA, Bear insisted on going to see Punkin to give him the beadwork even after Punkin didn't answer his phone call. He was surprised when a woman answered the door and said that Punkin had left to go on tour, leaving the woman alone with two kids, presumably Bear's half-siblings. After leaving Punkin's, they found White Jesus again and waited with him while Teenie traveled to Los Angeles to pick them up.
From there, they went to the bus station and boarded a bus to Amarillo. On the bus, Willie Jack saw Cheese drawing and asked him about it, as she didn't know he could draw. In turn, he asked her if she ever thought about Elora and Bear leaving, as he did. As the youngest, he thought about all of them leaving. She said that Bear and Elora would probably leave, but she wouldn't.
In Amarillo, they got off and waited until it was time to board the bus to Okern. On that bus, Cheese talked to Olf about his drawings and his friends and family. Upon arriving in Okern, they were greeted by their families. Grandma Irene hugged Cheese to welcome him home.[15]
Punishment[]
The Rez Dogs were gathered at the IHS to be punished for taking off without telling anyone. Cheese and Willie Jack were assigned to scrub the graffiti penis outside the entrance, which upset Willie Jack as it was her work. They scrubbed for a while before Cheese declared them done. Willie Jack looked and said it was still there. Cheese admitted he couldn't see it very well and he was surprised to learn that he was supposed to come back to the IHS to pick up his glasses. He went inside to get them and when he came back out, the others teased him about them and then they left together to get Sonic.[16]
Camping Trip[]
Still worried that his friends were going to grow up and leave him behind, Cheese began to withdraw from them, spending time playing video games instead of going out. Irene became concerned and called Big, Bucky, and Brownie to take Cheese camping. They took him out to the woods and taught him to fish and to notice and enjoy the nature around him. After they ate, Cheese, bewildered by the elders' declaration that they would just sit around, started a feelings circle. He shared that he was generally happy and then passed the stick to Brownie and Bucky, who expressed similar feelings. Finally, Big said he'd lost two friends and put it all on himself. As a man, he was taught not to feel things and he regretted not doing more. He started crying and Bucky and Brownie soon followed, telling Cheese that Cheese reminded them of their friend, Maximus, whom they lost because they didn't believe him and allowed it to divide them. With all three men sobbing, Cheese declared the feelings circle a success and promised not to become like Maximus. He called his friends, who brought Sonic and joined them in the woods.[17]
Retrieving Maximus[]
When Fixico collapsed and had a heart attack at Elder Breakfast, Willie Jack went to the other teens and proposed they go get Fixico's estranged cousin out of the psychiatric hospital where he was staying. They got a bus from Kenny Boy and took off for Tulsa where they executed their plan to distract the staff and sneak him out. Cheese went with Elora and Jackie to cut the phone lines, using his knowledge of video games to cut the right lines. The plan worked and Willie Jack and Bear found Maximus. They got him back out to the bus and left. On the way home, the bus started smoking and Kenny Boy told everyone to get off. They did and just as they were off, the bus burst into flames. When they got home, Maximus and Fixico were reunited at Fixico's bedside. When Big found out what they'd done, he brought them all in for interrogations, though he didn't believe Willie Jack when she told him the truth. At the end of the day, Kenny Boy took full responsibility and claimed the kids weren't even there.[18]
Elora's College Application[]
Cheese and the other Rez Dogs went to University of Oklahoma to support Elora while she filled out paperwork and met with admissions to learn her options for going to school. When Debbie told Elora she needed her father's financial information to get financial aid, they all suggested she just go look for him. After thinking about it, Elora decided to do that.[19]
Fixico's Funeral[]
When Old Man Fixico died, Cheese was one of the many who came to mourn him. He helped dig the grave. While he was digging, he accidentally whacked Steve in the face with a shovel.[20]
Personality[]
He is the youngest of the group – like a little brother, they all look out for him. He's not the leader, but has learned how not to be a follower. He is learning from the others, but left alone he would be able to forge his own path. From methheads, fake grandmas to lighthorsemen, he has a way of seeing the good in people and in the world.
Relationships[]
Familial[]
He was being raised by his cousin uncle Charley Johnson until Charley was arrested. He spent some time in a group home before going to live with the woman he'd met at the IHS, Grandma Irene.[11]
Friendships[]
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Appearances[]
| Season 1 | |||||
| #01 | "F*ckin' Rez Dogs" | #04 | "What About Your Dad" | #07 | "California Dreamin'" |
| #02 | "NDN Clinic" | #05 | "Come and Get Your Love" | #08 | "Satvrday" |
| #03 | "Uncle Brownie" | #06 | "Hunting" | ||
| Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "The Curse" | #05 | "Wide Net" | #08 | "This is Where the Plot Thickens" |
| #02 | "Run" | #06 | "Decolonativization" | #09 | "Offerings" |
| #03 | "Roofing" | #07 | "Stay Gold Cheesy Boy" | #10 | "I Still Believe" |
| #04 | "Mabel" | ||||
| Season 3 | |||||
| #01 | "BUSSIN'" | #05 | "House Made of Bongs" | #08 | "Send It" |
| #02 | "Maximus" | #06 | "Frankfurter Sandwich" | #09 | "Elora's Dad" |
| #03 | "Deer Lady" | #07 | "Wahoo!" | #10 | "Dig" |
| #04 | "Friday" | ||||
References[]
|