# Dark Winds (2022)

> Two Navajo police officers in 1970s New Mexico chase a grisly double murder while confronting their spiritual beliefs and buried trauma.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/106726

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 36
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: crime, mystery, drama
- Created by: Graham Roland
- Network: AMC
- Cast: Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, Elva Guerra, Nicholas Logan, Jeremiah Bitsui, Eugene Brave Rock
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15017118/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: brooding, gritty, contemplative, atmospheric, tense

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the series positively for its atmospheric 1970s Navajo setting, its grounded police mystery, and its layered treatment of spiritual belief and trauma.

## Synopsis

Dark Winds (2022-present) is an AMC crime mystery drama created by Graham Roland, a psychological thriller built around two Navajo police officers. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) work the Navajo reservation in 1970s New Mexico, where a grisly double murder pulls them across tribal and outside jurisdictions. Their investigation keeps running into their own spiritual beliefs and the trauma of their pasts, so every clue carries personal weight. Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) and Leaphorn's family add emotional stakes beyond the case. Each season moves through a serialized mystery with recurring suspects, red herrings, and rising dread, unfolding in a dusty, wind-scoured landscape of mesas, trading posts, and small towns. The tone is brooding, gritty, and contemplative, with a slow-burn pace that favors atmosphere and character over quick reveals. Viewers who enjoyed Longmire, True Detective, or Mare of Easttown will find the same mix of rural crime, lawmen with private wounds, and a sense of place. The series is ongoing across four seasons so far.

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