Dark Winds

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. == Cast and characters ==

Main • Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn, a veteran tribal police lieutenant based in Kayenta, a town in Navajo County • Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee, an undercover FBI agent who becomes Leaphorn's newest deputy • Deanna Allison as Emma Leaphorn, Leaphorn's wife and a nurse • Elva Guerra 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 • 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), a runaway teenager seeking to reunite with her estranged family • Franka Potente as Irene Vaggan (season 4), a German contract killer hired to hunt down Billie • Paola Núñez as Luisa Alvarado (season 5) • Martin Sensmeier as Terry Bai (season 5) Recurring • Jonathan Adams as Lester (season 1) • Ryan Begay as Guy Atcitty (season 1; guest seasons 2–4) • DezBaa' as Helen Atcitty (seasons 1–2; guest seasons 3–4) • 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 2–4) • 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 (seasons 2–3; guest season 4) • 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) • Ernest David Tsosie as Roger (season 2; guest seasons 3–4) • 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; guest season 4) • Bodhi Okuma Linton as George Bowlegs (season 3; guest season 4) • 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) • Titus Welliver as Dominic McNair (season 4) • Chaske Spencer as Sonny Bear Heart (season 4) • Angelina LookingGlass as Val (season 4) • Udo Kier as Gunthar Vaggan (season 4) • Luke Barnett as FBI Special Agent Toby Shaw (season 4) • Noel Fisher as Michael Jorie (season 5) • Devin Sampson-Craig as Daniel Ironwater, Jr. (season 5) 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 2–4) • Sarah Luther as Joyce Leaphorn (seasons 2–4) • 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 (seasons 3–4) • Robert Knepper as the Priest (season 3) • Avery Hale as Albert Gorman (season 4) • Linda Hamilton as Barbara Sena (season 4) • Forrest Goodluck as Phillip Grayson (season 4) • Jillian Dion as Carol Begay (season 4) Executive producers George RR Martin and Robert Redford make uncredited cameo appearances as a pair of detainees playing chess in the third-season premiere. It was Redford's final role before his death in September 2025. == Episodes ==

Season 1 (2022) The first season is primarily based on Listening Woman (1978), with elements from People of Darkness (1980). Season 3 (2025) The third season is based on Dance Hall of the Dead (1973) and The Sinister Pig (2003). == Production ==

Development In July 2021, it was announced that AMC had greenlighted Dark Winds for a six-episode order. Calandra served as showrunner, and Eyre directed the pilot. The series is produced by AMC Networks and Dark Winds Productions. In May 2022, Sanford Bookstaver was announced as an additional director. The television adaptation of Dark Winds draws directly from Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, with each season built around a specific book or combination of books. Season 1 is based on Listening Woman, while season 2 adapts People of Darkness. Season 3 blends storylines from both Dance Hall of the Dead and The Sinister Pig, with showrunner John Wirth noting that the writers created a "mash-up" to merge the two narratives into a cohesive season arc. Season 4 adapts The Ghostway and explores themes tied to the Navajo concept of ghost sickness. In June 2022, AMC renewed the series for a six-episode second season with John Wirth replacing Calandra as showrunner. In September 2023, the series was renewed for an eight-episode third season. In February 2025, ahead of the third-season premiere, the series was renewed for an eight-episode fourth season. In February 2026, ahead of the fourth-season premiere, the series was renewed for an eight-episode fifth season. Writing The writers' room is all Native American. 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. Casting Alongside the series announcement, Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon were cast as Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. 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. 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. In March 2025, Franka Potente and Chaske Spencer were announced to have joined the cast in supporting roles. In June, Titus Welliver joined the cast in a recurring role. In March 2026, Paola Núñez and Martin Sensmeier were announced to have joined the cast as series regulars for the fifth season. Later that month, Noel Fisher and Devin Sampson-Craig were announced to have joined the cast in recurring roles. Filming Filming took place in numerous locations in the Navajo Nation (), Location shooting in New Mexico occurred in Española, Tesuque Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo and Abiquiú. In mid-October, the series filmed in Mexican Hat, Utah, and Arizona's Monument Valley and Kayenta. Filming was expected to wrap on November 11, 2021. Billy Luther, who wrote an episode of the first season, directed an episode of the second season. The fourth season began filming in March 2025, with Zahn McClarnon making his directing debut. The fifth season began filming in March 2026. == Release ==

The series premiered on AMC and AMC+ on June 12, 2022. The second season premiered on July 30, 2023. The third season premiered on March 9, 2025. The fourth season premiered on February 15, 2026. The fifth season is set to premiere in 2027. == Reception ==

Critical response For the first season of Dark Winds, review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating based on 38 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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating based on 19 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." Metacritic assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating based on 15 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." Metacritic assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". For the fourth season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating based on 12 reviews. Metacritic assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The Navajo Times criticized the series for its stereotypical presentations of Navajo people and incomprehensible delivery of the language by non-native speakers of Diné bizaad. 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." For the second season, the series hired Navajo cultural advisor George R. Joe to help create more accurate portrayals of the Navajo culture. 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. 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. == Notes ==