AMC's 'Dark Winds' Season 4 Premiere: Episode 1 Breakdown & Episode 2 Preview
A haunting premiere that raises the stakes as Dark Winds returns darker than ever
Season 4 of Dark Winds slithers in, leaving a slick feeling inside of you that never subsides, settling uncomfortably inside your chest. If you think this is a feeling you can shake, think again.
Episode 401, “Baptism by Fire,” comes in blazing, reminding us exactly why Dark Winds remains a top drama on AMC Networks. And with its visual framing and signature composition, Season 4 immediately feels ominous, signaling a more sinister path for Leaphorn and the residents on the reservation.
We open with Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) attempting to live in his “new normal,” emotionally isolated and vulnerable in a way that is monumentally heartbreaking.
The investigation into his involvement in BJ Vines’ death has concluded, yet the weight of Emma’s (Deanna Taushi Allison) absence anchors his spirit in quiet reflection and looming depression. Alone and pensive, Joe decides retirement is the solution to getting Emma back, and he propositions Bernadette (Jessica Matten) to take his place in the department.
However, retirement is just a bandaid that fails to cover the septic wound that infects Joe’s broken heart. His road to forgiveness and redemption marks one of the emotional undercurrents of the season as well as a major plot device for Joe.
Meanwhile, Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Bernie are no longer circling one another. We find them attempting to build something steady after the trauma in Arizona that drove Bernie back to the reservation, surrounded by friends who love her and would protect her with their lives. As she processes her feelings, she’s now confronted with the weight of taking Joe’s place. And while her break from the force brought her genuine peace, a shootout makes her return anything but.
Let’s recap Episode 401:
An unknown woman enters the diner looking for Albert
A shootout erupts, claiming multiple lives
A wounded Albert escapes along with a young Navajo teenager named Billie
The musical shift from the opening to 15 hours earlier is disarming. The Kiners’ composition takes us on a musical journey from frantic to hopeful yet slightly melancholic. This musical choice temporarily brightens the mood, bringing mundanity and regularity back on the screen as we catch up with Joe, Chee, and Bernadette. Then Billie’s missing-person case lands on Chee’s desk and ignites the season’s central investigation, driving us back into mania.
Franka Potente as Irene Vaggan is the antagonist we see at the start of the season—elusive, controlled, and terrifyingly focused. She doesn’t rely on theatrics, nor is she one for long-winded conversations. She is the new storm that looms over the reservation, wreaking havoc in her wake.
The episode ends with a distorted vinyl hum over the blood-soaked aftermath, making Joe’s final words to Bernie, “welcome home,” hit like a blast to the chest.
Cast & Production
Dark Winds stars series regulars Zahn McClarnon (Lt. Joe Leaphorn), Kiowa Gordon (Jim Chee), Jessica Matten (Bernadette Manuelito), and Deanna Taushi Allison (Emma Leaphorn). Season 4 adds new and returning guest stars Franka Potente (Irene Vaggan), Isabel DeRoy-Olson (Billie Tsosie), Chaske Spencer (Sonny), Luke Barnett (FBI Special Agent Toby Shaw), Titus Welliver (Dominic McNair), A. Martinez (Gordo Sena), and Linda Hamilton (Barbara Sena).
Dark Winds is created by Graham Roland, executive produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, and John Wirth serves as the showrunner.
Episode 401 “Baptism by Fire”
Director: Craig Zisk
Writers: John Wirth, Steven Paul Judd
Episode 402 “Toward Their Unknown Paths”
Director: Zahn McClarnon
Writers: Max Hurwitz, Wenonah Wilms
Read here for what’s to come in Season 4 of Dark Winds.
Preview Episode 402 “Toward Their Unknown Paths”
If Episode 401 is about inevitability, then Episode 402 is about immersion.
“Toward Their Unknown Paths,” directed by Zahn McClarnon in his television directorial debut, doesn’t just move us forward in the investigation—it pulls us backward, pulling the curtain back on the destruction. This approach makes the episode more intimate and more horrifying than anyone could imagine.
The cinematography shift from Episode 401 to 402 immerses the audience in the episode, evoking a sense of suffocating danger and placing us squarely in the path of danger.
This shift is what makes Zahn’s direction so provoking. He leverages his intimate knowledge and understanding of each character to his advantage. Through the use of first-person point-of-view, as well as strategically placed one-shots, “Toward Their Unknown Paths” boldly makes a bid for best direction…and we’re only two episodes in.
Season 4 makes it crystal clear that viewers will not have room to breathe, nor will they be comforted by dull moments. If the first two episodes are any indication, the only thing Dark Winds promises is more ruin.
Dark Winds airs every Sunday at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and is available to stream on AMC+ every Sunday at 3am ET/PT for subscribers. Check out the sneak peek for Episode 402 below.