The season three finale of AMC’s Dark Winds finds our Navajo tribal officers pursuing the criminals. Leaphorn and Chee arrive at the train station to thwart Dr. Reynolds’ plan to silence George. Meanwhile, Bernadette struggles to take down Budge.

The episode opens in a messy bathroom with Dr. Reynolds hurriedly tending to his wounds; tight camera shots of his bloodied hands and gauze level up the anxiety. We quickly switch to Teddy Nichols, his assistant, in her hotel room. She’s packing to leave when Reyonlds appears at her door. He asks her to join him for a new dig, but she can see through his desperate lies. She threatens to call the police as they struggle over the telephone. Reynolds gets the upperhand, pushing Teddy, who dies after hitting her head against the desk.

Meanwhile, Lt. Leaphorn, Deputy Chee, and Sheriff Sena arrive at the train station. They hope to intercept Reynolds from finding George. The two are spotted but suddenly disappear. With no other choice, Joe and Jim board the train as it prepares to depart for Reno.

Miles away in the desolate desert, Budge has Bernadette handcuffed to the wheel of her patrol truck. As he’s done before, he pushes the car over a cliff. As it sits stationary, he uses the backhoe to bury Bernadette alive. Suddenly, Bernadette’s hands find a tire iron underneath her seat. She breaks the cuffs and escapes the car undetected. She’s able to sneak behind Budge, and after a short skirmish, stabs him in the neck with her arrowhead car ornament. He is astonished at his sudden defeat. Right after, Ivan arrives, promising he is on Bernadette’s side.

We have an old-fashioned train chase in New Mexico, as Joe and Jim race through train cars hoping to stop Reynolds. The tall man finds George hiding in a crew room. He drags him screaming through the car, with Joe on their tail. The three end up on the caboose trailer. Joe begs Reynolds to let George go, as he is just a child. Reynolds relents, but soon turns the gun on himself. After tense minutes, Reynolds lifts the gun toward Joe. Just then, Jim fires twice, finishing the doctor off.

Back at the border, Tom Spenser duels off with his co-conspirator, Border Patrol Chief Ed Hardy. Tom tells him his sick wife, Charlotte, Ed’s sister, helped build this empire. Tom continues to protect it to fund medical care for his ailing wife. He instructs Ed that he cannot be linked to any of this if it comes to light. He orders him to “get it cleaned up,” reminding him that he pays Ed for protection, not advice.

Soon, we see Ed reunite with Officer Garza as they work to gather up all the evidence and caravan away. Luckily, Ivan and Bernadette stop the escape attempt. Bernadette leaves this job and Ivan behind.

The episode closes with Joe and his father. Joe is finally building Emma’s fence when Agent Sylvia Washington arrives. She informs him she’s returning to D.C. While Agent Washington knows what, how, and why he killed BJ Vines, she cannot prove it in a court of law. Instead, she leaves Joe with something she hopes helps him find his way back.

Joe opens the package from Agent Washtington and finds a copy of Emma’s interview. Her words resound in the empty home as other families reunite: Tom Spenser and his wife; George reunited with his father and brother; the immigrant family back home; Bernadette visiting Jim Chee. Joe, alone, rewinds the portion of Emma stating that she hopes she can forgive him someday.

The season three finale was a fitting finish. Knowing the series is returning for a fourth season, we can see seeds of narratives that may carry over. Hopefully, we continue with Tom Spenser, who is revealed to be a man whose motives are good. And Joe’s reconciliation with himself will take center stage as he journeys without Emma.

Rating: 9/10