This post contains spoilers from Dark Winds season 3 episode 8, “Béésh Lii” (Iron Horse).
The season finale of Dark Winds wastes no time catching up with the fraud Dr. Reynolds (John Diehl). Teddi Issacs (Carly Roland) was on the cusp of gathering her belongings and getting away, but Reynolds appeared in the nick of time with a proposal from a friend to bankroll another dig site for them. By this time, of course, Teddi no longer trusts him. Not only is he a crooked researcher, he’s a self-made murderer. Try as she might to render herself free from the man, he overpowers her even with his aged strength. In a flash Teddi’s head is brutally bashed against the hotel room table, instantly killing her.
Gordo (A. Martinez) and Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) find the blood-riddled vehicle of Dr. Reynolds. And much to their surprise, they find Teddi Issacs dead in the trunk. Meanwhile, George (Bohdi Okuma Linton) tries to sneak onto the train for his final vanishing act. Chee’s (Kiowa Gordon) investigative methods are not quite on par with Leaphorn’s. That’s evident to spot when George wisps right past him. Luckily eagle-eye Natalie (Natalie Benally) spots him just as Leaphorn is tracking Reynolds step for step.
What becomes of Berndatte’s fight at the border?
Things come to a head at the border for Bernadette(Jessica Matten). She has had one whirlwind of a journey after leaving the reservation for brighter pastures. Unfortunately, darkness is all she’s found and she nearly made that a permanent feat. After being pulled away from the Spenser (Bruce Greenwood) ranch she finds herself handcuffed to her car. Budge(Raoul Max Trujillo) has no choice but to bury the mess that Manuelito made and attempts to bury her alive. It is his go-to move to anyone who burdens him, but this time things don’t quite end the way Budge had envisioned. In true poetic form, Bernie breaks herself free with a tire iron and poetically stabs the heinous villain with the feather of Joe Jr’s melted belt buckle that Joe gifted her. Even with Leaphorn so far away he’s still helping her in unimaginable ways.
Seemingly Ivan(Alex Meraz) is not nearly as bad as Garza and Ed Henry. Bernadette’s former lover admitted he’s not with them and that he did accept money but hasn’t spent a dime of it. It’s too little too late for Bernie. At last, he does do right by her in the end and vows to help her. But they can’t spend any more time bickering about their bad decisions. They have to get back to the ranch before Budge’s gang of felons destroys the evidence she needs.
Does Dr. Reynolds get to George?
The rogue researcher does get to George and holds him at gunpoint. There’s no chance of him getting away without jumping off the train. Joe presses Reynolds to let him go and just as he starts to release his aim on Leaphorn, Chee is finally at the right spot at the right time and takes Reynolds down. The ordeal that George went through is vividly realized when he hugs Joe like there is no tomorrow because there almost wasn’t.
After the traumatic turn of events, George is still beside himself. He blames himself for the death of his best friend. Confiding in Joe that he made Ernesto(Alonso Rappa) go up there with him. Joe clarifies that yes, he made a mistake in doing that, but that’s not the reason he died. A bad man took his life and he couldn’t stop it. Nobody would expect him to. George isn’t ready to let go of the blame yet, and Joe is one person who can understand that after not being able to protect Will from the priest.
3 happy endings and one new beginning
Ed Henry (Terry Serpico) and Gaza (Tonantzin Carmelo) were mere minutes from fleeing with the drug-filled tankers. Ivan was a man of his word and put a stop to Henry’s progress while Bernadette dismantled Garza’s. They were remarkably crafty at hiding the drugs but to no avail. Bernie confirms all her suspicions when she climbs up the tanker and shifts a plate of oil to the side revealing what she had been searching for all along.
Ivan may have been in love with our favorite sergeant but it’s time for her to come home. There wouldn’t be much of a life for her at the border patrol, and let’s not forget all the post-trauma that would go along with that. Trust is a high commodity these days and she goes back to the one of the few men she can, Jim Chee. Tom Spenser has his day in the sun when when he takes his wife to greener pastures succeeding the aftermath of the downfall.
Now that things have calmed down for Joe he finally gets around to building that fence Emma wanted, even if she’s not there to see it. Sylvia Washington couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to her favorite person. Sarcasm intended. She confesses to Joe she knows what he did, how he did it, and why he did it, but she won’t be the one turning him in. I think in her heart of hearts she knows Joe is a good man.
In closing, she leaves Joe with the tape recording of Emma(Deanna Allison) from her office and hopes it helps him find his way back. We also learn that Joe and Emma have been married for 24 years. They share a beautiful love story about meeting in college. Emma started a club for native students around the time that war pretty much beat the Navajo out of Joe. Emma helped him settle down and showed him how to reconnect to his Navajo roots. In addition to being the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
"I hope one day I can forgive him," is a line Joe keeps playing on a repeat. 7 words of hope. There is optimism for a potential reunion next season. Until next season. Season 4 of Dark Winds has already begun filming. Zahn McClarnon is also set to have his directorial debut in the series.
You can catch all three seasons in full on AMC Plus.