Dark Winds

Dark Winds is an American psychological thriller television series created by Graham Roland. Based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman, it stars Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon as the aforementioned two characters, leading a mostly Native American cast. Executive producers include Roland, McClarnon, George R. R. Martin and Robert Redford.^[1]

Dark Winds
Genre	Psychological thriller Western noir thriller Crime drama
Created by	Graham Roland
Based on	Leaphorn & Chee series by Tony Hillerman
Showrunners	Vince Calandra (season 1) John Wirth
Starring	Zahn McClarnon Kiowa Gordon Jessica Matten Deanna Allison Rainn Wilson Elva Guerra Jeremiah Bitsui Eugene Brave Rock Noah Emmerich Nicholas Logan
Country of origin	United States
Original languages	English Navajo
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	20
Production
Executive producers	Graham Roland Zahn McClarnon George R. R. Martin Robert Redford Anne Hillerman Tina Elmo Vince Gerardis Vince Calandra Chris Eyre John Wirth Jim Chory
Production location	New Mexico
Running time	39–53 minutes
Production companies	Rolling Cactus Inc. Eleventh Northwest Startling Television Tina Elmo Productions Fevre River Packet Co. Wildwood Enterprises AMC Studios
Original release
Network	AMC
Release	June 12, 2022 (2022-06-12) – present

It premiered on AMC and AMC+ on June 12, 2022, with the first season consisting of six episodes.^[2] After its premiere, the series was renewed for a six-episode second season, which premiered on July 30, 2023.^[3] In September 2023, the series was renewed for a third season that premiered on March 9, 2025.^[4][5] In February 2025, ahead of the third season premiere, the series was renewed for a fourth season.^[6] The series received very positive reviews, with particular praise for McClarnon's performance.

Premise

The series follows three Navajo Tribal Police officers, Joe Leaphorn, Bernadette Manuelito, and Jim Chee, in the 1970s Four Corners area of the American Southwest.^[7][8]

Cast and characters

Main

• Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn, a veteran tribal police lieutenant based in Kayenta, a town in Navajo County^[1][7][9]
• Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee, an undercover FBI agent who becomes Leaphorn's newest deputy^[7][9]
• Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito, a Navajo tribal police sergeant who works closely with Leaphorn^[10]
• Deanna Allison^[a] as Emma Leaphorn, Leaphorn's wife and a nurse^[12]
• Rainn Wilson as Dan "Devoted Dan" DeMarco (season 1), a degenerate missionary and used-car dealer who relies on his faith to recruit followers^[13]
• Elva Guerra^[b] as Sally Growing Thunder (seasons 1–2), a pregnant teenager who is taken in by the Leaphorns
• Jeremiah Bitsui as James Tso / Hoski (season 1), member of the Buffalo Society, an extremist group, masquerading as a priest
• Eugene Brave Rock as Frank Nakai (season 1), a Vietnam War veteran and member of the Buffalo Society, an extremist group
• Noah Emmerich as Leland Whitover (season 1), a burned-out FBI agent whose career is dying and who is Chee's handler^[8]
• Nicholas Logan as Colton Wolf (season 2), a twisted assassin with a secret that puts him on a collision course with Leaphorn
• Isabel DeRoy-Olson as Billie Tsosie (season 4)

Recurring

• Jonathan Adams as Lester (season 1)
• Ryan Begay as Guy Atcitty (season 1; guest seasons 2–3)
• DezBaa' as Helen Atcitty (seasons 1–2; guest season 3)
• Amelia Rico as Ada Growing Thunder (season 1)
• Rob Tepper as Pete Samuels (season 1)
• Betty Ann Tsosie as Margaret Cigaret (season 1; guest seasons 2–3)
• Quenton Yazzie as Raymond Begay (season 1)
• Ryffin Phoenix as Wanda McGinnis (season 1)
• Natalie Benally as Officer Natalie Bluehouse
• John Diehl as B.J. Vines (season 2; guest season 1)
• A Martinez as Sheriff Lawrence "Gordo" Sena (season 2–present)
• Jacqueline Byers as Mary Landon (season 2)
• Jeri Ryan as Rosemary Vines (season 2; guest season 3)
• Andersen Kee as Officer Harold Bigman (season 2–present)
• Wade Adakai as Officer Gary Felix (season 2–present)
• Tonantzin Carmelo as Border Patrol Agent Eleanda Garza (season 3)
• Alex Meraz as Border Patrol Agent Ivan Muños (season 3)
• Terry Serpico as Border Patrol Senior Chief Ed Henry (season 3)
• Jenna Elfman as FBI Special Agent Sylvia Washington (season 3)
• Derek Hinkey as Shorty Bowlegs (season 3)
• Bodhi Okuma Linton as George Bowlegs (season 3)
• Bruce Greenwood as Tom Spenser (season 3)
• Raoul Max Trujillo as Budge Baca (season 3)
• Christopher Heyerdahl as Dr. Reynolds (season 3)
• Carly Roland as Teddi Isaacs (season 3)
• Chaske Spencer as Sonny (season 4)
• Luke Barnett as FBI Special Agent Toby Shaw (season 4)

Guest

• Stafford Douglas as Phil Springer (season 1)
• Shawnee Pourier as Anna Atcitty (season 1)
• Makena Ann Hullinger as Nanobah (season 1)
• Geraldine Keams as Grandma Alice (season 1)
• Robert I. Mesa as Tomas Charley (season 2)
• Joseph Runningfox as Henry Leaphorn (seasons 2–3)
• Sarah Luther as Joyce Leaphorn (seasons 2–3)
• Tank Jones as Deloyd Webster (season 2)
• Phil Burke as Michael Halsey (season 3)
• Casimere Jollette as Suzanne Thompson (season 3)
• Melissa Chambers as Gladine (season 3)
• Robert Knepper as the Priest (season 3)
• Franka Potente (season 4)

Executive producers George R. R. Martin and Robert Redford make uncredited cameo appearances as a pair of detainees playing chess in the third season premiere.^[15]

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	6		June 12, 2022 (2022-06-12)	July 17, 2022 (2022-07-17)
2	6		July 30, 2023 (2023-07-30)	September 3, 2023 (2023-09-03)
3	8		March 9, 2025 (2025-03-09)	April 27, 2025 (2025-04-27)

Season 1 (2022)

The first season is primarily based on Listening Woman (1978), with elements from People of Darkness (1980).^[16]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Teleplay by	Original release date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Monster Slayer"	Chris Eyre	Graham Roland	June 12, 2022 (2022-06-12)	1.38[17]
In Gallup, New Mexico, robbers in a helicopter rob an armored truck, killing two guards. The helicopter flies over the nearby Navajo reservation, where it is seen by an older man named Hosteen Tso. Three weeks later, Tso is found dead in a motel room along with Anna Atcitty, the granddaughter of a Medicine Woman he was visiting due to ailments. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police investigates the murders; Tso's body is mutilated, while Anna's body is unmarked. Leaphorn has a personal history with Anna's family, which he does not disclose to his colleagues. The medicine woman is blind, and in a catatonic state since witnessing the murders. Leaphorn's wife, Emma, a nurse, convinces him to investigate the living conditions of a pregnant girl named Sally Growing Thunder, who visited her clinic. Leaphorn's deputy Bernadette Manuelito visits Sally's home but is intimidated by her mother, a witch, and convinced the woman cursed her. Leaphorn is joined by Deputy Jim Chee, who is an undercover agent for the FBI. Agent Whitover, who was responsible for planting Chee, believes the armored truck robbery was committed by a Navajo radical group called the Buffalo Society and wants Chee to use the motel killings as a cover to investigate. Leaphorn visits Tso's property, where he finds that his water supply has been contaminated – the helicopter is at the bottom of his reservoir with a dead body inside.
2	2	"The Male Rain Approaches"	Chris Eyre	Anthony Florez	June 19, 2022 (2022-06-19)	0.984[18]
Flashbacks reveal that Anna Atcitty was dating Leaphorn's son Joe Jr., who worked at an oil drilling site with her father, Guy. At a Peyote ritual, a friend who had a premonitory vision warned Guy not to go to work that day. Guy warned several others, but not Joe Jr., who was killed in an explosion at the drilling site. Lester, the trading post owner, overheard the warning and told Leaphorn about it. Leaphorn confronted Guy and the two fought. Leaphorn shot Guy in the leg as he approached with an axe. In the present, Leaphorn identifies Jim Chee as an undercover FBI agent and convinces him to work as a double agent using the FBI's resources to assist in the double homicide case. Chee has water from Tso's property tested and confirms Leaphorn's suspicion that hydraulic fluid is in the water. An autopsy report reveals that Anna was apparently "scared to death". Emma convinces Sally Growing Thunder to stay at the Leaphorns' home, believing Sally is unsafe on her family's property. The armored truck robbers are revealed to include a man posing as Tso's Catholic priest grandson. A scarred man living on the Growing Thunder property chases down and abducts a Mormon tourist family who unknowingly purchased a painting at a local gift shop where some of the money from the heist was stashed.
3	3	"K'e"	Sanford Bookstaver	Maya Rose Dittloff & Razelle Benally	June 26, 2022 (2022-06-26)	1.02[19]
Money from the robbery is funneled through Devoted Dan's car dealership. Wanda, the painter wife of gift shop owner Lester, is also part of the money laundering. Leaphorn and Chee ask Raymond Begay to dive the pond on Tso's property, looking for evidence of the helicopter. Emma invites her niece, Nanobah, to stay at the Leaphorns' home as she celebrates her Kinaaldá. Leaphorn retrieves Anna Atcitty's and Hosteen Tso's bodies when the coroner releases them. Manuelito and Chee investigate the whereabouts of the missing Mormon family. Chee shows Manuelito where he lived on the reservation before he and his mom left because of his mom's abusive boyfriend. Manuelito invites Chee to the celebration at the end of Nanobah's Kinaaldá. Sally gets scared when Father Benjamin Tso comes to thank Leaphorn for burying his grandfather and has to be taken to the hospital. While there, Sally tells Emma the scarred man, Frank Nakai, is the father of her child.
4	4	"Hooghandi"	Sanford Bookstaver	Billy Luther	July 3, 2022 (2022-07-03)	0.823[20]
Raymond finds a helmet, but is shot by Father Tso. He and Frank Nakai are revealed to be buying up land around the mine for the Buffalo Society. Leaphorn suspects all of the crimes on the reservation are related. He and Chee talk to Father Tso, who admits he has a brother who attended Catholic school. Leaphorn and Chee look through the school records and discover there are twin Tso brothers. They realize James has been impersonating Father Benjamin Tso. Leaphorn and Chee make a plan to arrest James, while James and Frank make plans to ambush them. Chee tells Agent Whitover about Frank and James, who the FBI knows as Hoski. Leaphorn invites Chee over for dinner. At dinner, Emma tells Leaphorn she wants Sally to stay with them when she gets out of the hospital. The next day, Manuelito goes to the pond looking for Raymond and hears the shoot-out between Leaphorn, Chee, James, and Frank. She helps to arrest Frank, but James escapes on Manuelito's horse. During the arrest, it is revealed that Frank and Chee had met before, which Leaphorn did not know, and Manuelito finds out Chee is an FBI agent. Chee tells Leaphorn the FBI will put in a request to have Frank transferred. Chee and Leaphorn fight.
5	5	"Ha'íínlni"	Chris Eyre	Erica Tremblay	July 10, 2022 (2022-07-10)	1.07[21]
Chee leaves the reservation, saying goodbye to Manuelito, but she remains angry with him. He tends to a stranded motorist, who clues Chee into the too-good-to-be-true deals at Devoted Dan's car lot. Chee interviews Dan, who explains he is being blackmailed to help the Buffalo Society launder money. Chee also learns Dan was previously interviewed by Whitover, but the FBI has nothing on file. Chee retrieves the file from another agent, whom Whitover had asked to destroy the file. The file reveals Whitover knew about Tso. Leaphorn interviews Frank, trying to discern Tso's location. Frank implies there is more to the accident that killed Joe Jr. than meets the eye. Leaphorn asks Guy Atcitty about the day of the accident, and learns that there may be uranium in the area. Leaphorn and Guy make amends as they each mourn their lost child. Manuelito, alone at the station, hallucinates, and awakens to find that Frank has escaped with the help of Sally's mother. She tells Leaphorn, who goes home and tells Emma to take Sally and go someplace safe because he believes Frank will come for Sally since she is carrying his child. Emma tells Leaphorn that Sally admitted that the real father of her child is Tso. Manuelito goes to Sally's home and fights with the witch. A fire starts, and Manuelito barely escapes, but the witch dies. After she dies, her curses start to lift and Wanda, who has been in a coma since a spider bit her, wakes up and starts talking about the heist. When Manuelito returns to the station, Whitover arrives, intending to take custody of Frank, and he and Manuelito set out to search for him. Leaphorn tracks Tso on foot, and arrives to see Frank tending to a fire.
6	6	"HózhóoNaasháa"	Chris Eyre	Maya Rose Dittloff	July 17, 2022 (2022-07-17)	1.26[22]
A flashback shows Whitover and Tso discussing the armored car heist, revealing Whitover was in on the robbery. Chee radios Manuelito to warn her about Whitover, speaking Diné so Whitover cannot understand. Tso and Frank make a plan to escape by using the Mormons as cover, however the father crashes while going to retrieve a van; he is spotted and rescued by Guy Atcitty. Chee confronts Whitover, who shoots and wounds Chee. Tso and Frank discover Leaphorn in their cave hideout and try to smoke him out, but Leaphorn is able to escape and disable their vehicle. Leaphorn captures the two Buffalo Society members, but is ambushed by Whitover who shoots Frank and leaves with half of the robbery money. As Whitover tries to talk his way past Chee, he is shot and killed by Guy. Leaphorn tracks Tso, but Tso commits suicide. Meanwhile, Manuelito and Chee rescue the Mormons and dynamite the cave, burying Frank's and Whitover's bodies. Three months later, the cave is excavated; Frank's body is missing, possibly still alive. Leaphorn offers Chee, who has left the FBI, a position and the two shake hands.

Season 2 (2023)

The second season is based on People of Darkness.^[23]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	U.S. viewers (millions)
7	1	"Na'niłkaadii (Sheep Dog)"	Chris Eyre	John Wirth & Rhiana Yazzie	July 30, 2023 (2023-07-30)	N/A
8	2	"Wonders of the Unknown"	Chris Eyre	Max Hurwitz & DezBaa'	August 6, 2023 (2023-08-06)	0.788[24]
9	3	"Antigonish"	Michael Nankin	Steven Paul Judd	August 13, 2023 (2023-08-13)	0.975[25]
10	4	"The March"	Michael Nankin	Jason Gavin	August 20, 2023 (2023-08-20)	1.016[26]
11	5	"Black Hole Sun"	Billy Luther	Billy Luther & Max Hurwitz	August 27, 2023 (2023-08-27)	N/A
12	6	"Hózhó náhásdlįį (Beauty Is Restored)"	Chris Eyre	Graham Roland & John Wirth	September 3, 2023 (2023-09-03)	N/A

Season 3 (2025)

The third season is based on Dance Hall of the Dead (1973) and The Sinister Pig (2003).^[27]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	U.S. viewers (millions)
13	1	"Ye'iitsoh (Big Monster)"	Chris Eyre	John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd	March 9, 2025 (2025-03-09)	0.712[28]
14	2	"Náá'tsoh (Big Eyes)"	Michael Nankin	Rhiana Yazzie	March 16, 2025 (2025-03-16)	0.833[29]
15	3	"Ch'į́į́dii (Ghosts)"	Michael Nankin	Max Hurwitz & Billy Luther	March 23, 2025 (2025-03-23)	0.646[30]
16	4	"Chahałheeł (Darkness Falls)"	Chris Eyre	Thomas Brady & Erica Tremblay	March 30, 2025 (2025-03-30)	0.617[31]
17	5	"Tsékǫ̨' Hasą́ní (Coal Mine Canyon)"	Billy Luther	John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd	April 6, 2025 (2025-04-06)	0.812[32]
18	6	"Ábidoo'niidę́ę́ (What We Had Been Told)"	Erica Tremblay	Max Hurwitz & Billy Luther	April 13, 2025 (2025-04-13)	0.691[33]
19	7	"T'áá Áłts'íísígo (Just a Small Piece)"	Steven Paul Judd	Thomas Brady & Erica Tremblay	April 20, 2025 (2025-04-20)	0.732[34]
20	8	"Béésh Łį́į́ (Iron Horse)"	Chris Eyre	John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd	April 27, 2025 (2025-04-27)	0.736[35]

Production

Development

In July 2021, it was announced that AMC had greenlighted Dark Winds for a six-episode order.^[7] The series is created by Graham Roland, who executive produces with Zahn McClarnon, George R. R. Martin, Robert Redford, Tina Elmo, Vince Gerardis, Vince Calandra, and Chris Eyre.^[7][9] Redford previously produced four other adaptations of the Leaphorn & Chee series: The Dark Wind (1991), Skinwalkers (2002), Coyote Waits (2003), and A Thief of Time (2004). Calandra served as showrunner, and Eyre directed the pilot. The series is produced by AMC Networks and Dark Winds Productions.^[9][36] In May 2022, Sanford Bookstaver was announced as an additional director.^[37]

In June 2022, AMC renewed the series for a six-episode second season.^[16] John Wirth replaced Calandra as showrunner for the second season.^[38] Billy Luther, who wrote for season 1, directed an episode of season 2.^[39]

In September 2023, the series was renewed for a third season,^[4] which consists of eight episodes and premiered on March 9, 2025.^[5]

In February 2025, ahead of the third season premiere, the series was renewed for a fourth season which consists of eight episodes.^[6]

Writing

The writers' room is all Native American.^[40] In addition to Roland, writers on the series include Anthony Florez, Maya Rose Dittloff, Razelle Benally, Billy Luther, Erica Tremblay, John Wirth, Rhiana Yazzie, Max Hurwitz, DezBaa', Steven P. Judd, and Jason Gavin.^[41]

Casting

Alongside the series announcement, Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon were cast as Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.^[7][9] In August 2021, Noah Emmerich was cast as Whitover.^[8] Jessica Matten was cast as Bernadette Manuelito.^[10] Rainn Wilson was cast as Devoted Dan in early September.^[13] In February 2022, Deanna Allison was announced as co-starring in the series as Joe's wife Emma Leaphorn, in Allison's "first major television role".^[12]

In January 2023, Nicholas Logan and Jeri Ryan were announced to have joined the cast for the second season as Colton Wolf and Rosemary Vines, respectively.^[42]

In April 2024, Jenna Elfman, Bruce Greenwood, Raoul Max Trujillo, Tonantzin Carmelo, Alex Meraz, Terry Serpico, Derek Hinkey, Phil Burke, and Christopher Heyerdahl were announced to have joined the cast for the third season.^[43]

In March 2025, Franka Potente was announced to join the cast for the fourth season.^[44] Later that month, Chaske Spencer joined the cast in a recurring role.^[45] In May 2025, Isabel DeRoy-Olson was announced to have joined the cast as a series regular while Luke Barnett joined the cast in a recurring role.^[46]

Filming

Filming took place in numerous locations in the Navajo Nation (Navajo: Naabeehó Diné Biyaad),^[36] which occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. Filming for the first season took place in all three states, beginning on August 23, 2021, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.^[47][48] Location shooting in New Mexico occurred in Española, Tesuque Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo and Abiquiú.^[49][50] In mid-October, the series filmed in Mexican Hat, Utah, and Arizona's Monument Valley and Kayenta.^[51] Filming was expected to wrap on November 11, 2021.^[47][48]

The second season began filming in November 2022 in Santa Fe and Tesuque Pueblo and wrapped in March 2023.^[52][53]

The fourth season is slated to begin filming in March 2025, with Zahn McClarnon making his directing debut.^[6]

Reception

Critical response

For the first season of Dark Winds, review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.1/10, based on 36 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Zahn McClarnon is riveting as a coiled cop in Dark Winds, a solid procedural that derives much of its texture from an underrepresented cultural milieu."^[54] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[55]

For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2/10, based on 17 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "Dark Winds' sophomore season is just as captivating as its predecessor, with Zahn McClarnon reaffirming his indispensable gravitas as a leading man."^[56] Metacritic assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[57]

For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.5/10, based on 13 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "Dark Winds' third season tests Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn's resolve more than ever before, providing the outstanding Zahn McClarnon with some of his best material yet."^[58] Metacritic assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[59]

The Navajo Times criticized the series for lacking authenticity in its representation of Navajo people and language.^[60] Series director Chris Eyre responded to the criticism, and commented, "It's critically important to all of us that we represent the culture correctly. If there's course-correction to be made, we're happy to do that."^[61] For the second season, the series hired Navajo cultural advisor George R. Joe to help create more accurate portrayals of the Navajo culture.^[62]

Awards and nominations

In April 2023, the first episode of the first season, "Monster Slayer", was honored as an Outstanding Fictional Television Drama by the Western Heritage Awards of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.^[63][64]

In May 2023, Dark Winds received several Vision Awards from the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). It received the award for Best Drama, and for Best Performance in a Drama Series, awarded to Zahn McClarnon.^[65]

Notes

1. Allison is a Navajo member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes^[11][12]
2. Guerra is a member of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma^[14]