In the third episode of Dark Winds, “Chi’iidii,” Lt. Joe Leaphorn’s grave decision haunts him, welcoming unsettled spirits from the other side. Meanwhile, the investigation into Bowlegged George’s disappearance unveils a larger conspiracy.
The episode opens with two young girls playing near a ravine. With a bike and wooden plank in hand, they’re about to re-enact an Evil Kanevil-level stunt across the rocky canyon when one girl notices something buried beneath the burnt dirt — a corpse.
DNA results identify the body as BJ Vines, the wealthy rancher who disappeared six months prior without a trace. Joe panics that his secret will soon be out, with FBI agent Sylvia Washington carefully piecing the clues together. His wife, Emma, learns of the body’s discovery on the news and fears the worst. When confronted, Joe confesses to Emma that he was defending his family and getting “Indian justice” for what Vines did to their son. Outraged, Emma scolds Joe for desecrating their son’s spirit and inviting Vines’ ghost into their home.
Elsewhere, Bernadette seeks to mend bridges with Tom Spenser after delaying one of his shipments. But her kindness routine is a charade to question him about his security detail, Budge. Later, expecting Ivan for a non-date date, Bernadette answers her door to discover Budge uninvited. He drives her across the border for dinner, where he promises he is no danger to her, yet.
Joe and Jim break a lead in their case after discovering the mysterious red truck that witnesses saw the night of Ernesto’s murder. It sits a few miles from Shorty’s cabin on a chili farm operated by a small commune. When questioned, they’re told the truck belongs to a woman named Suzanne, and she and her boyfriend, Michael, insist it was in the garage that night. They also swear they’ve never seen any Navajo boys in the area.
That evening, Joe secretly meets Suzanne who tells him the truth: the boys frequented their farm during the summer until they had a conflict with Michael. She also ruins Michael’s alibi, saying he drove the truck the morning the boys disappeared. With this information, Joe, Jim, and law enforcement return to the farm to arrest Michael. Unfortunately, he escapes as Joe tends to Suzanne who has suffered a drug overdose.
This episode advances the plot as the protagonists’ cases merge to reveal a larger undertaking. The tension is palpable throughout as our characters realize there’s more to this case than meets the eye. Joe’s moral dilemmas manifesting as hallucinations are done to great effect. And Raoul Max Trujillo steals the show as the nefarious Budge.
Rating: 8.5/10
