In this day and age there are so many high-quality TV shows out there that it can be difficult to narrow down one to watch, especially considering the potential dozens of hours of commitment required to watch the longest running shows. One’s decision can be made even more difficult by the abundance of choice offered by streaming services, which is, at times, as much of a gift as it is a curse. Moreover, this can lead to the casual audience member more often than not dedicating their valuable time to the most popular and award-winning shows, such as The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and of course Severance, thus overlooking the more unsung gems that are as good as some of these shows, if not better. AMC’s Dark Winds is one such show.
Based on the Leaphorn & Chee series of books by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds centers on the books’ two titular heroes, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, played by Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon, respectively, while Leaphorn’s deputy and love interest of Chee, Bernadette Manuelito, also has a central role in the show, and is played by Alberta First Nations actress Jessica Matten. These characters work for the Navajo Tribal Police during the 1970s, with each season posing a central mystery that truly pushes each of them to their physical, mental, and emotional limits.
What might be surprising to many, though, is that Dark Winds is partly produced by none other than A Song of Ice of Fire writer George R. R. Martin, and the late, great Robert Redford. As it happens, Redford has been trying to adapt his ideal vision of Hillerman’s book series for quite some time. The first attempt was with 1991’s The Dark Wind which, very surprisingly, was directed by the widely celebrated documentarian Errol Morris, making this, as far I know, his only effort in fictional cinema. Unfortunately, Redford was reportedly unhappy with the yet unfinished film, ultimately shelving it. Redford would take another shot at his dream adaptation in 2002 with the PBS show Skinwalkers, which was written by Redford’s son James, and featured Wes Studi as Leaphorn and Canadian actor Adam Beach as Chee.
Exactly twenty years later, then comes Redford’s third and final attempt at his true vision for Hillerman’s books, backing Native American writer and producer Graham Roland as the series creator, and he is also joined by the likes of Martin and his lead actor Zahn McClarnon as executive producers. In fact, this was Redford’s final production, as well as his very last performance in front of the camera since both he and Martin had brief cameos in 2025 during the third season. If there’s one thing for certain, though, it’s that Redford can rest easy knowing that he has achieved his goal of crafting an utterly compelling detective mystery piece, whilst shining an important light on an all-too-often under/misrepresented community on screen.
First and foremost, undoubtedly the strongest single aspect of the entire show is the performance by McClarnon. I first encountered the actor in the second season of Fargo, where he played the murderous sociopath Hanzee Dent, a standout role that could be considered the actor’s breakout. In the years since, he has landed memorable roles in shows such as The Son, Westworld, MCU shows Hawkeye and Echo, as well as another acclaimed show focused on the Native American community, Reservation Dogs. However, it is Dark Winds that has truly allowed McClarnon to showcase the sheer depths of his talent and versatility as an actor, wherein he is given the opportunity to play what is likely the most introspective role of his career. In fact, he executes Joe Leaphorn with such rare precision that I would include him amongst the likes Nick Offerman in Parks and Recreation and Antony Starr in The Boys, in that they each deliver scene-stealing career-defining roles, yet never do they receive the awards recognition they deserved…at least not from the Emmys.
Nonetheless, a single stellar performance doesn’t necessarily make a great show, so it’s a good thing McClarnon is aided not just by the impressive performances of his primary co-stars Kiowa Gordon and Jessica Matten – as well as guest appearances from proven, seasoned actors such as Noah Emmerich, Jenna Elfman, and Raoul Trujillo – not to mention strong writing and direction throughout the series that effortlessly weaves character development with layered, nuanced storytelling and enticing mysteries. Roland and his writers are also admirably undaunted by tackling difficult and traumatic subject matter, such as the utterly shocking sterilization of Native American women without their knowledge or consent, and the seizure of sacred land and artifacts by those outside of the Navajo community, wrongs often perpetrated by white people at the time, of course, and even then the show admirably strives to not water down uncomfortable truths.
Also, if you are concerned about the overt commitment required by your average TV show, fear not, for Dark Winds is tightly paced with the first two seasons consisting of six episodes each, while the third and upcoming fourth season are eight episodes each, averaging around 50 minutes to an hour in length throughout. The first episode of the fourth season will not be released until February 15th, so there is still plenty of time to binge the other three seasons between now and then.
And if you are somehow still unconvinced by Dark Winds, just know that each of its first three seasons have yet to receive anything less than 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.