Dark Winds Season 1 Review

4 star thrilling intrigue on the reservation.

Dark Winds is a 2023 crime drama series created by Graham Roland (Mile 22, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), based on the novel Listening Woman, from the Leaphorn and Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman. It is executive produced by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Oscar® winning actor Robert Redford. This season consists of six episodes.

It is available to own on Blu-ray and DVD from 27th November 2023 courtesy of Acorn Media International.

“Well, you picked a helluva morning to show up, I’m sorry, what is your name again? Chee. Well, you caught me in the middle of something. Sargeant Manuelita is my number two, she’ll show you the ropes, you and I can talk later.

It’s 1971 and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon – Doctor Sleep, Strike One) is a veteran officer in the Tribal Police of the remote Navajo reservation near Monument Valley. It’s his job to patrol the 27,000 miles of desert as well as try and maintain the peace and keep relations between his people and the locals as cordial as possible.

He’s joined by slick newcomer Deputy Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon – Blood Quantum, Through Black Space), who moved away to the big city before coming back to his roots (but may not be as he appears to be) and Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten – The Empty Man), proudly born and raised on the reservation.

Together they must solve a double homicide, an old man, Hosteen Tso (Harrison Lowe – Buffalo Soldiers) and a young woman named Anna Atcitty (Shawnee Pourier – Stranger Things). Three weeks previously, Tso had witnessed a getaway helicopter from an armoured truck robbery in the nearby town of Gallup, New Mexico flying overhead, bringing F.B.I. attention to the reservation.

Leaphorn has plenty to contend with, as his wife Emma (Deanna Allison – Edge of America) wants to help out local pregnant girl Sally Growing Thunder (Elva Guerra – Reservation Dogs), however Bernadette has her concerns, believing her mother to be a witch. With his investigations digging up unpleasant memories from his own past, can he solve these crimes?

“Real is in the eye of the beholder. The mind is a powerful thing.”

Dark Winds is an excellent series, beautifully written and quite unique in it’s approach. It’s an interesting look into a culture we don’t often see represented and with the dialogue part Navajo and part English, it gives it a very different feel from your average crime drama.

The members of the team have a constant balancing act between their professional duties and their spiritual beliefs. It also takes a look at the relationships between the F.B.I. and local law enforcement.

The acting is superb and showcases indigenous talent and traditions in a way that is almost never seen. The backdrops are also stunning and the whole package allows you to thoroughly immerse yourself in this great and surprising story,

Very good and well worth adding to your collection. Roll on Series 2.

“So, a family of four just up and disappears, you got any explanation for that?…Well, no bodies mean it’s yours. If anything changes, it’s still yours. My crime sheet is full.”

Dark Winds Season One is available on DVD and Blu-ray from 27th November 2023.