The third season of Dark Winds solidifies why the series has become one of AMC’s top-notch shows of the last few years. Zahn McClarnon reaffirms his success as a leading man. When Joe Leaphorn feels pain, the audience feels pain right along with him, which is a testament to McClarnon’s stellar acting and phenomenal writing. The casting and the Diné cultural storytelling this season have been a treat and leave us with much more knowledge of the Navajo Nation.
Dark Winds was adapted to television from the Tony Hillerman novels of Leaphorn and Chee. The desirable aesthetic of the Navajo Nation in the background leaves you feeling like you are there in a spirit or wish to be.
If you want to watch a show that truly gives justice to Native Americans and watch a journey about the trials they still go through to this day, it’s a show for you. The performances, the writing, and the directing continue to make AMC’s Dark Winds one of the most compelling dramas on television today. Much more than your run-of-the-mill cop show. It’s about family and friendships. The love of the Diné people, perseverance, life decisions, and sorrow. And more importantly overcoming fears, and guilt, and growing as people and as a community. Every season, these characters go through tribulations that make them better and wiser human beings than they were before. The emotions conveyed by everyone is what makes the series so superior.
Zahn McClarnon is an immeasurable actor. Jessica Matten and Kiowa Gordon have gotten better and better every season, but Zahn McClarnon shows you why this is his masterpiece. The extended eight-episode season takes you on a quest of brutal heartbreak, and decisions that have left Joe Leaphorn in wistful limbo. Tormented by his past and losses, sometimes it feels like the only thing he has to hold onto is his job. And even that could slip away if truths were to be told.
This season has an even stronger influence on the Navajo culture. It’s an intriguingly fascinating thing to watch, especially for those of you who aren’t familiar with indigenous culture. There is a key story that is told throughout the season that connects to the realistic story being told.
The visionary aspect of the show is enough to tune into Dark Winds alone. The backdrop of New Mexico is something to revel in. The series was filmed in Santa Fe and Tesuque Pueblo. The canyons and desert are even beautiful in the darkness of the night. Wind, water, and fire are all elements you’ll see. Dark Winds has everything you could want for a dark crime thriller: action, heartbreak, bonds between friends, enemies at odds, and a will to fight and survive until the next battle begins. There’s also a spiritualness to the show that’s both calming and intellectually captivating.
What sets the show apart this year is something we’ve heard before in the show’s three-year history: monsters. Every season there is some kind of monster to be defeated. This time around, it’s Leaphorn, who has to figure out the origin of the monster, and what it wants. Things are not always as they appear to be.
Season 3 picks up six months after the events of season 2 when Leaphorn left BJ Vines to die in the freezing desert. We watch in a flash forward as Joe lays motionless on the ground in the still of the night, his neck pierced by a laced arrow. What got Joe in this position? All answers are revealed throughout the first six episodes of the season. The season follows Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee as they investigate the murder of two missing young boys. The only evidence is an abandoned bicycle a blood-stained patch left on the ground. During this investigation, Gordo Sena (A. Martinez) makes his return, which is always a fun time mixed with seriousness and comedic relief. He attempts to bring wisdom and peace of mind to Leaphorn throughout his tenure in season 3.
There are so many strong components that make up the success of the show. Dark Winds hits the mark in every area, and sometimes you will be amazed at what you’re watching on-screen. The cinematography rivals no other in television today, and the score is out of this world. Season 3 should be racking up nominations during award season, and if Zahn McClarnon doesn’t win, there is no hope for any award show any longer.
Newcomer Jenna Elfman is no stranger to shining on AMC, and her portrayal of Sylvia Washington, a special FBI agent, rings no different. Washington is a highly intuitive character who is tasked with wrapping up a few cases. Mainly, the investigation into the disappearance of BJ Vines. From day one, she is very suspicious, but for a good reason. Elfman’s character is vivaciously meticulous in the way she goes about her work. In the end, she shows her grit and intelligence as an FBI agent.
Another newcomer for the season is Tom Spenser (Bruce Greenwood). Greenwood portrays an oil baron of the roughest nature. The moment you meet this character you can sense some possible shady acquisitions are being made. Too many strange coincidences happen on or around his ranch. Greenwood’s performance on Dark Winds is both sly and cunning, carrying a charm about him that you can’t tell is sincere.
Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) sets out on her new life as a rookie border patrol agent 500 miles away from the reservation. Bernie is the poster child for being too smart for your good. She wastes no time coming up with her conspiracy on human and drug trafficking within the area. Unfortunately for her, those wits get her into trouble with men more powerful than she ever could have imagined. Matten is always a joy to watch on screen and has quickly become a fan-favorite.
Emma Leaphorn (Deanna Allison) is still very much the breathtaking gorgeous wife of the lieutenant. Allison carries such dazzling emotion across the screen, and her smile is enough to brighten the dark side of the mountain. They ended season 2 in such a peaceful place, but Emma begins to feel smaller and smaller the more Joe keeps secrets suppressed. It may be to protect her, but that partnership she used to feel is fading fast. Rough times are coming for the Leaphorns, and there’s a heartbreaking discovery that unfolds when the truth about BJ Vines emerges.
Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) is adjusting to his life as a tribal cop, and attempting to adapt to the loss of Bernie. Though at times he may act like he has one foot out the door, he has a much bigger heart for the Navajo people than he’d like to let you believe. Working side by side with Joe Leaphorn does have its advantages. Joe has a habit of making everyone around him better. It’s how Bernadette achieved such killer intellectual instincts as a cop, and you will see it rubbing off on Chee as well. During the investigation into the boys he crosses path with an old foe, which brings back a lot of bad memories for Chee. Fans will get a deeper dive into his past, and the real reason he left the reservation.
Dark Winds sheds the biggest light on Indian justice and white justice. There is a fine line between reaching justice and an overcompensation of power. It’s something Henry and Joe have battled throughout their career. Murder is murder, even if it’s done for the right reason. Though I don’t think Leaphorn would have done anything differently the second time around, the justice of BJ Vines has taken a toll on him, his career, and his marriage. Joe Leaphorn lives by such a strict moral code, it’s heart-rendering to watch him go through such anguish for one right decision. Time will tell if his Native American justice risked him the ultimate cost.
The season 3 premiere of Dark Winds airs March 9 at 9 p.m. EST on AMC and AMC+.