Scripted series · AMC
Dark Winds
Justice has no boundaries.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Zahn McClarnon
Lt. Joe Leaphorn
36 eps
Kiowa Gordon
Jim Chee
36 eps
Jessica Matten
Bernadette Manuelito
36 eps
Deanna Allison
Emma Leaphorn
36 eps
Elva Guerra
Sally Growing Thunder
12 eps
Nicholas Logan
Colton Wolf
6 eps
Jeremiah Bitsui
Benjamin Tso
6 eps
Eugene Brave Rock
Frank Nakai
6 eps
Noah Emmerich
Leland Whitover
6 eps
Isabel DeRoy-Olson
Billie Tsosie
8 eps
Franka Potente
Irene Vaggan
8 eps
Jenna Elfman
Special Agent Sylvia Washington
8 eps
Shawnee Pourier
Anna Atcitty
2 eps
Rob Tepper
Pete Samuels
4 eps
Quenton Yazzie
Raymond Begay
4 eps
Mosiah Silentwalker
Roderick
2 eps
Jonathan Adams
Lester McGinnis
5 eps
Stafford Douglas
Phil Springer
2 eps
Amelia Rico
Ada
5 eps
Betty Ann Tsosie
Margaret Cigaret
8 eps
Ryffin Phoenix
Wanda McGinnis
3 eps
John Diehl
B.J. Vines
6 eps
Ryan Begay
Guy Atcitty
8 eps
DezBaa'
Helen Atcitty
10 eps
Julian Bonfiglio
Wilson Smith
4 eps
Kate Bergeron
Karen Smith
4 eps
Julianne Frick
Lucy Smith
4 eps
Sophie Jane Frick
Carol Smith
4 eps
A Martinez
Sheriff Lawrence 'Gordo' Sena
12 eps
Jacqueline Byers
Mary Landon
6 eps
Jeri Ryan
Rosemary Vines
5 eps
Andersen Kee
Officer Harold Bigman
14 eps
Wade Adakai
Officer Gary Felix
14 eps
Ernest Tsosie III
Roger
7 eps
Gary Yazzie
Hastiin Biyaazhi
6 eps
Ramona DuBarry
Gabriela
4 eps
Zakota Shade
Dean Bitsuie
3 eps
Jet James Grant
Benny Charley
3 eps
Joseph Runningfox
Henry Leaphorn
5 eps
Sarah Luther
Joyce Leaphorn
4 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Dark Winds actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Dark Winds reads strongest on Tension, Character Depth and Cliffhanger Intensity.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
This psychological thriller follows two Navajo police officers, Leaphorn and Chee, in the 1970s Southwest as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.
The run
Seasons
5 seasons · 36 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
20226 episodes
7.0IMDbLeaphorn and Chee, two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest, are forced to challenge their own spiritual beliefs when they search for clues in a double murder case.
Best episode · S01E04 Hooghandi
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
20236 episodes
7.3IMDbLt. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee find themselves in the high desert of Navajo Country chasing a killer who's turned his sights on them to protect a secret that rips open old wounds and challenges Leaphorn's moral and professional code. With the help of Sgt. Manuelito and Valencia County Sheriff Gordo Sena, Leaphorn and Chee must thwart their would-be assassin and restore balance not only to their own lives but to the reservation that depends on them.
Best episode · S02E01 Na'niłkaadii
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
20258 episodes
7.2IMDbSix months after the events of Season 2, Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee investigate the disappearance of two boys, with only an abandoned bicycle and blood-stained patch of ground left in their wake. Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito attempts to settle into her new life 500 miles from home with the Border Patrol, but stumbles across a conspiracy involving human and drug smuggling with far-reaching implications.
Best episode · S03E06 Ábidoo'niidę́ę́ (What We Had Been Told)
Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
20268 episodes
7.1IMDbThe fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.
Best episode · S04E08 Ni' Hodisxǫs (The Glittering World)
- Poster unavailableSeason 5
Season 5 · Unannounced
Season 5
8 episodes
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E04
Hooghandi
Leaphorn suspects all of the crimes on the reservation are related.There is a big break in the case. Leaphorn invites Chee over for dinner. Meanwhile, Manuelito makes a discovery of her own.
- Directed by Sanford Bookstaver
S03E04
Chahałheeł (Darkness Falls)
Chee pays Manuelito a visit after discovering a link between their cases. Leaphorn pursues a fugitive suspect. Special Agent Washington interviews an eyewitness to the crime she's investigating.
- Directed by Chris Eyre
- Written by Erica Tremblay, Thomas Brady
S03E06
Ábidoo'niidę́ę́ (What We Had Been Told)
Leaphorn is forced to confront his worst fears and darkest memories when he puts his life on the line to prevent another murder.
- Directed by Erica Tremblay
- Written by Billy Luther, Max Hurwitz
S02E01
Na'niłkaadii
Navajo Tribal Policeman Joe Leaphorn investigates the death of a man involved in a mysterious cult. While Jim Chee, moonlighting as a PI, works a case of his own. When their investigations collide Leaphorn and Chee find themselves in grave danger.
- Directed by Chris Eyre
- Written by Rhiana Yazzie, John Wirth
S03E05
Tsékǫ̨' Hasą́ní (Coal Mine Canyon)
Following a grisly murder, Leaphorn and Chee strike out on their own when the FBI take over their case. Special Agent Washington pays the Leaphorns an unexpected visit. Manuelito searches for evidence south of the border.
- Directed by Billy Luther
- Written by John Wirth, Steven Judd
S03E07
T'áá Áłts'íísígo (Just a Small Piece)
Leaphorn and Chee retrace their steps after uncovering a vital clue; Special Agent Washington presses for more information; Manuelito moves quickly to execute a search warrant.
- Directed by Steven Judd
- Written by Erica Tremblay, Thomas Brady
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S04E08
Ni' Hodisxǫs (The Glittering World)
- Directed by Erica Tremblay
- Written by Thomas Brady, Max Hurwitz
S04E07
Nániikai (We Came Back)
- Directed by Chris Eyre
- Written by Shaandiin Tome, Shandton Williams II
S04E06
Shíká Nidanitáhą́ą́ (Those Who Were Searching for Me)
- Directed by Steven Judd
- Written by Erica Tremblay, Thomas Brady
S04E05
Atída'ahiilyaágíí (Those Who Harmed One Another)
S04E04
Ni' Ániidí (The New World)
- Directed by Jim Chory
- Written by John Wirth, Steven Judd
S04E03
Ahááldláádígíí (That Which Has Been Torn Apart)
- Directed by Chris Eyre
- Written by Erica Tremblay, Thomas Brady
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Graham Roland
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Tina Elmo
Executive producer
George R.R. Martin
Executive producer
Vince Gerardis
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Vince Calandra
Executive producer
Chris Eyre
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
John Wirth
Executive producer
Zahn McClarnon
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Anne Hillerman
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jim Chory
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Thomas Brady
Executive producer
Max Hurwitz
Executive producer
Robert Redford
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Rhiana Yazzie
Writer
Erica Tremblay
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Shaandiin Tome
Writer
Billy Luther
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Wenonah Wilms
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jason Gavin
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Shandton Williams II
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Steven Judd
Writer
DezBaa'
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Tina ElmoExecutive Producer
- Wayne MorrisProducer
- George R.R. MartinExecutive Producer
- Vince GerardisExecutive Producer
- Vince CalandraExecutive Producer
- Chris EyreExecutive Producer
Writing
- Rhiana YazzieWriter
- Erica TremblayWriter
- Shaandiin TomeWriter
- John WirthWriter
- Billy LutherWriter
- Wenonah WilmsWriter
Direction
- Erica TremblayDirector
- Chris EyreDirector
- Zahn McClarnonDirector
- Billy LutherDirector
- Michael NankinDirector
- Jim ChoryDirector
Cinematography
- Paul ElliottDirector of Photography
Music
- Deana KinerOriginal Music Composer
- Sean KinerOriginal Music Composer
- Kevin KinerOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- PhiloStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- AMC Plus Apple TV Channel Streaming
- AMC+ Amazon ChannelStreaming
- AMC+ Roku Premium ChannelStreaming
- AMC+Streaming
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- Spectrum On DemandStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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Where to go from here
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Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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Never stop watching
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