Turn on almost any TV channel or streamer and there’s an inundation of shows about cops and killers, from basic franchises like FBI and NCIS to endless true-crime dramas and murder mysteries. Entertaining and intriguing as some of them might be, chances are they start to look and feel the same after a bit. Enter AMC’s Dark Winds. The neo-Western thriller is pointedly set in the ’70s but also feels contemporary in its tackling of themes like bigotry, classism, and violence against Indigenous people. The show distinguishes itself with a propulsive suspense, grounded protagonists, immersive cinematography, and, crucially, a rare spotlight on Native American voices both on- and off-screen. Tese pieces co*e together beautifully in the season-three premiere.
But first, here’s a quick refresh of where Dark Winds left off in its season-two finale back in 2023: Navajo Nation lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon in a career-best role) took justice into his own hands instead of trusting the system he works for, leaving his son’s murderer to rot in the snowy desert. Meanwhile, his mentee Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) left town for a new job at the Border Patrol, but not before sharing a sentimental goodbye kiss with Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), who rejoined the tribal police force after moonlighting as a private investigator.
Bernadette not being a part of this central trio now is disappointing because Matten and McClarnon shared crackling energy in season two. It’ll be sorely missed till they reunite. But it paves the way for more Leaphorn and Chee adventures à la season one, fitting considering Graham Roland’s series is adapted from Tony Hillerman’s novels titled after the two men. Season three takes inspiration from two books, Dance Hall Of The Dead and The Silent Pig. Per showrunner John Wirth’s preview with The A.V. Club, the two storylines will collide as the cases Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernadette are working on beco*e more and more intertwined.
Dark Winds leisurely sets the stage for this in “Yé’iitsoh (Big Monster).” The writing and pace trot along without a huge sense of urgency. Yet it’s nail-biting. Picking up six months after the finale, Bernadette—who thankfully remains front and center—struggles to find her footing at Border Patrol. Her skills as an intelligent, intuitive officer go wasted on a se*ist male boss who tells her to stay in her lane once she captures a woman and her child crossing the border. She’s convinced the two are potential se* trafficking victims who were trying to escape, but no one listens to her theory. Bernadette secretly interviews them the night before their deportation, putting any language barriers aside because she doesn’t speak Mixtec. If nothing, it proves that Bernadette is empathetic and determined. I can’t wait for her to unravel whatever this depressing mystery is and how it ties into the shitstorm that Leaphorn and Chee are dealing with.
Back in the town of Kayenta, they’re trying to find a missing 14 year old named Ernesto Cata (Alonso Rappa). This case feels heavy because the co*munity has to contend with another round of violence. It also feels personal to both Leaphorn and Chee. Let’s not forget that Leaphorn thinks from the heart. It’s a blessing and a curse because with another young boy vanished, he’s forced to reckon with memories of his son and of what he did to BJ Vines (John Diehl). And it’s less of a reckoning and more of a haunting for now. He literally cannot sleep because visions of a monster, La Llarona, and, well, a Yé’iitsoh keep popping up in his nightmares.
This is the same monster whose mythology has been passed down for ages, a witch who takes away those who co*mit misdeeds on the land. Could she be responsible for what happened to Ernesto? Is Dark Winds directly veering into the supernatural genre after alluding to some mystical aspects in previous seasons? These are the questions season three will hopefully answer, but I love that our gateway into it is via Leaphorn’s mental anguish. (In a particularly creepy scene, he hallucinates a Yé’iitsoh right in his backyard.)
As for Chee, this case brings back awful memories for him, too. The only witness and primary suspect in Ernesto’s vanishing is a teen named George Bowlegs. Chee reveals to Leaphorn that Bowlegs’ dad, Shorty (Derek Hinkey), was his bully in school. The two almost became step-brothers, too, when Chee’s mom and Shorty’s dad started hooking up. But Chee had to step up and save her from his physical abuse. Being haunted by the past is clearly the theme here. Dark Winds’ writers put them through the wringer, and it’s only been one installment.
That’s not even the end of it. Leaphorn and Sheriff Gordo (A Martinez) learn the whereabouts of a red pickup truck spotted at the crime scene. It’s a sandy, vast land with a drain pipe running below it. When they venture inside to investigate, Ernesto’s body drops down, with rigor mortis having set in. Worse, they find a piece of arrowhead lodged inside his mouth. The look of shock on Leaphorn’s face when he sees what it is portends doom. A quick internet search reveals that in Native culture, arrowheads are similar to an evil eye, protecting a person from negativity. At times, it’s also seen as a way to get messages from the spiritual world. So that supernatural switch-up might be more real than anticipated.
Dark Winds’ season premiere perfectly lays the groundwork for the remaining seven outings and features great performances from McClarnon, Gordon, Matten, and Deanna Allison. As Leaphorn’s wife Emma, Allison doesn’t get as much screen time, but if previous seasons are any indication, her character should get a poignant storyline this time around.