When Dark Winds first landed, it quietly positioned itself as something rare. A crime thriller steeped in tension and cultural depth that earned 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for its debut season.
Proving itself to be more than just a buzzy thriller, the slow-burn series is now quietly blowing up on Netflix UK. While the show’s second and third seasons are currently stream on NOW, it’s season one that has critics labelling it as one of TV’s most underrated gems.
The show delivers a thoughtful take on justice, identity and belief, against the rugged backdrop of the 1970s Navajo Nation as tribal police investigate a brutal double murder that slowly unravels a much deeper conspiracy.
In the lead up to the release of its second season last year, The Guardian called it an ‘unsung gem’, and that it ‘begs to be binged‘, so much so that it was awarded a four-out-five star rating. Thanks to a stellar performance from the series’ lead Zahn McClarnon, the first season was hailed as ‘a knotty, atmospheric mystery that still feels fleet enough to be tackled in one or two binges.’
On social media, one fan took to X to express that they hoped that Netflix would upload the second season: ‘Loved this series can Netflix please get the other series!’ While another lauded the crime thriller as a masterpiece: ‘It’s… stunning scenery, brilliant cinematography, riveting storylines, gorgeous cast, fascinating cultural insight… I’m halfway done with the first season and already I don’t want it to end.’
Below, we detail all there is to know about the series.
What is the plot of Dark Winds?
Set in 1971 on a remote outpost in the Navajo Nation, Dark Winds follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and his new deputy Jim CHee (Kiowa Gordon) as they investigate a seies of brutal crimes that may or may not be connected, including a mysterious double murder and an armed robbery that hints at deeper conspiracies.
What begins as a straightforward case quickly descends into a clash between traditional Navajo beliefs and modern policing. While personal trauma bubbles just beneath the surface, as the high desert in which they operate in proves to be disorienting, and quietly dangerous.
Who is in the cast of Dark Winds?
Leading the cast is Zahn McClarnon (Westworld, Fargo), whose performance as Leaphorn has been widely praised for its depth and control. McClarnon, who is of Lakota descent, brings subtle dominance to the series as he portrays the role of a man stuck between duty and grief.
Kiowa Gordon (The Red Road, Twilight saga) plays Jim Chee, Leaphorn’s young, city-slicker deputy with secrets of his own.
The supporting cast is just as stellar with performances from Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito, a young officer whose strength upholds much of the show’s more emotionally complex moments. Speaking to AMC, Matten reflected on her performance in season one and shared her desire to represent Indigenous women as ‘powerful, intelligent, and fierce’. She noted that Bernadette’s journey shows you can handle anything even when the odds are stacked against you.
Other cast members include Rainn Wilson, Elva Guerra, Jeremiah Bitsui, Eugene Brave Rock and Noah Emmerich.
