A few surprises may be in store for fans of the critically acclaimed 1970s-set noir drama Dark Winds, starting with some clear scenery changes in season 4 episodes. Viewers will soon see the crimefighting veteran tribal police lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), deputy Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and tribal police sergeant Bernadette “Bernie” Manuelito (Jessica Matten) step away from Navajo territory.
Season 3 left many wondering if the marriage between Joe Leaphorn and his estranged wife Emma (Deanna Allison) will have a future? As for the upcoming new season, below is a little teaser of what to expect when it comes to the officers’ newest case, along with a premiere date.
Dark Winds ventures into the dark and seedy world of a sociopath
In Dark Winds season 4, the trio will travel to Los Angeles in search of missing Navajo teen, Billie Tsosie (Isabel DeRoy-Olson). A montage of shots in the trailer includes the gas-masked-clad sociopathic and survivalist Irene Vaggan (Franka Potente). While in the city, the team also encounters underworld recruiter Sonny (Chaske Spencer), FBI Agent Toby Shaw (Luke Barnett) and crime boss Dominic McNair (Titus Welliver).
Dark Winds is loosely based on the Tony Hillerman crime novels with the fourth season being based on his 1984’s The Ghostway. In the book, a gunfight at a laundromat in Shiprock, New Mexico brings Los Angeles problems to the Navajo reservation and explores Chee’s search for a murder suspect across landscapes including Los Angeles.
Dark Winds season 4 will premiere on Feb. 15, 2026.
Taking a look back at Dark Winds season 3
In Dark Winds season 3, Leaphorn and Chee sprinted into action, investigating the disappearance of two boys, which appeared to have been the work of the Ye’iitsoh, a legendary monster in Navajo Folklore. However, the real culprit responsible was an archeologist named Dr. Reynolds. In the meantime, Bernie had left the force to work for the U.S. Border Patrol, uncovering a criminal conspiracy that almost cost her life. Leaphorn’s wife, Emma, left him after learning he had left the man responsible for their son’s death in the desert to die.
Perhaps the most unforgettable moment occurred during the premiere of last season’s series. Executive producers George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones author) and Hollywood legend Robert Redford made a cameo appearance. It would be Redford’s first and last on-screen appearance in six years.
In the episode, the men play two inmates who are engaged in a game of chess. Even though she wasn’t scheduled to work that day, Jessica Matten came on set that day to witness the iconic moment.
Dark Winds returns February 15, 2026, on AMC and streams the following day on AMC+.
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