Zahn McClarnon, 59, Heads to L.A.: Everything to Know About ‘Dark Winds’ Season 4’s ‘Obsessive Killer’
Leaphorn and Chee are leaving the reservation for Los Angeles—here is what to expect on February 15
The crime dramas that fill the airwaves these days can be entertaining, with plots and writing that make them a gripping watch. However, not all crime dramas are created equal, as some simply pull you in in ways that can’t be explained. Dark Winds happens to be one of them, and its unique storytelling, one-of-a-kind setting and complex characters make it a series worth watching. With Season 4 hitting AMC and AMC+ on February 15, here’s a look back on the series so far—plus, everything we know about what’s to come.
What is ‘Dark Winds’ about?
The debut season of Dark Winds takes viewers to the Navajo Nation during the 1970s. Navajo Tribal Police Officer Joe Leaphorn is introduced as the main protagonist, and it isn’t long before he and Jim Chee, his new deputy, are swept into a harrowing investigation. One evening, an elderly man visits a medicine woman and her granddaughter at a local motel, only for him and the young girl to be brutally murdered. As Leaphorn, Chee and Navajo Police Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito dive deeper into the case, secrets are revealed, old ties come to light and unexpected connections are gradually uncovered. The show is based on the Leaphorn and Chee novels by Tony Hillerman and Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin actually serves as executive producer. Before his passing, Robert Redford also served as executive producer, and in 2025, he made his final television appearance in the show.
Meet the Cast: Zahn McClarnon and the 95% Indigenous production team
Leading Dark Winds as Joe Leaphorn is Zahn McClarnon, with Kiowa Gordon bringing to life Jim Chee, his right-hand man. Jessica Matten portrays Bernadette Manuelito, while Deanna Taushi Allison plays Joe’s wife Emma. As far as authenticity goes, George R. Joe, the show’s Navajo cultural advisor, revealed to The Los Angeles Times that “About 95% of the Dark Winds cast is Indigenous, as is the majority of the production team, including the writers, producers, props team, stunts team, wardrobe and more.” With that, the experiences and customs shared in the series are accurate and truly mean something to the actors and actresses bringing them to life.
“I grew up in a practicing Navajo home, so this has always been my identity,” Deanna Taushi Allison, who plays Emma, told Cowboys & Indians. “I’m so glad they wrote Emma as a traditional woman because we’ve been able to bring some of our practices to the show, like the laugh party and the coming-of-age ceremony. Emma is devoted to her heritage and her homestead, just as my grandmothers taught me how to value family from a matriarch’s perspective. She has this softness and this strength that remind me what it means to be an uplifting traditional Navajo woman.”
How to watch ‘Dark Winds’ Season 4 on AMC and AMC+
In the fourth season of Dark Winds, Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito bid farewell to the Navajo Nation and head to Los Angeles. According to the season’s official logline, the trio pursues a missing Navajo girl “to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.” To catch every heart-pounding moment of the premiere, you can watch Dark Winds Season 4 on the AMC channel or stream it via AMC+ starting February 15 at 9 p.m. ET. For cord-cutters, the service is also available through the AMC+ app or as an add-on channel via Prime Video and Apple TV+.
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