AMC's neo-Western series Dark Winds continues to captivate audiences as it launches its third season, delving deep once more where crime intertwines with supernatural elements. The recent episode, Náá'tsoh (Big Eyes), progresses multiple storylines, dangerous entanglements, and offers thrilling character developments and consequences.
The episode picks up with detectives Joe Leaphorn (played by Zahn McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) mid-investigation, searching for two young Navajo boys, Ernesto Cata and George Bowlegs. This investigative pursuit unravels the darker underbelly of human trafficking operations shadowing their reservation, implicatively tied to influential local figures.
A bombshell exploration from the previous episode introduces Ernesto's brutal murder. The haunted Leaphorn suggests the way his body was treated—an arrowhead placed conspicuously within his mouth—implies the act couldn't have been committed by someone from the Diné community, as Leaphorn insists it would be considered sacrilege. He expresses, “Putting an arrowhead in a dead person's mouth would have been tantamount to sacrilege for any Navajo person,” likening it to “a Catholic desecrator of the crucifix.”
Against this backdrop, Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten), who has recently taken on the role of Border Patrol agent, is embroiled in her own investigative peril as she races to expose potential human trafficking connections at local rancher Tom Spenser's (Bruce Greenwood) establishment. She effectively tracks clues back to him, deducing he’s not merely involved, but may be leading the operation.
Working within the deeply ingrained power structures, Spenser is portrayed as untouchable, manipulating both the local community and even the law enforcement operating within. Bernadette quickly gathers evidence as she challenges the might of Spenser’s empire, but facing resistance as she and her partner Eleanda Garza (a Tohono O'odham agent) realize Spenser controls much of the intelligence the Border Patrol relies on—making her job perilously difficult.
Simultaneously, the intense personal dramas evolve. Chee, caught between complicated emotions and past grudges, feels compelled to aid Shorty Bowlegs (Derek Hinkey), even as their history runs rife with animosity. This decision showcases Chee's integrity, effectively proving he’s more than just the sum of their shared unhealthy history.
Meanwhile, Leaphorn confronts more than just his adversaries; he is also plagued with haunting visions of the mythological Ye’iitsoh. This ghostlike figure, always lurking at the fringes of his psyche, solidifies its menacing presence when Leaphorn physically encounters the entity during his investigation. Not only is he confronted by the harsh reality of his crimes, but as the season progresses, the line between the supernatural and his own guilt becomes increasingly blurred, culminating dramatically when he states, “It’s real!” after sustaining a serious wound akin to those found on Ernesto’s body.
Minutely crafted, this episode delves deep, weaving the individual plots underneath the overarching themes of betrayal and sacrifice. Browbeaten by influential figures like Spenser and driven by unfathomable tasks like locating George, the stakes continue to escalate, threading through the realities of Navajo culture and its belief systems.
Critical acclaim surrounds the lessons woven through Nakai’s storytelling—the socio-political dynamics of the Navajo Nation facing external corruption and crime serve as poignant reminders of the many layers to be explored. With Bernadette’s suspicions confirmed through her pursuing de Baca (Raoul Max Trujillo), the episode offers insight not just to the procedural elements but to the emotional states of its characters, presenting viewers with tension, resilience, and revelations.
Episode two resonates with revelations as it sets the scene for what’s to come. The mounting complications of human trafficking intertwined with Navajo traditions propel this season to its darker, pulse-quickening climax. The compelling questions of morality, culture, and justice remain precariously balanced as AMC’s Dark Winds continues to reveal itself layer by thrilling layer.
Next week, viewers await the new episode scheduled for March 23, titled Ch'į́į́dii (Ghosts). Each subsequent episode is teetering on the edge of the unknown, keeping audiences engaged, speculating just how deep the mystery extends before the narratives of Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito collide.