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July 29 - August 4, 2023 3 coverstory BY DANA SIMPSON 'Winds' of change: New season of 'Dark Winds' blows onto AMC Kiowa Gordon in "Dark Winds" When AMC aired "Dark Winds'" Season 1 finale mid-July last year, the show proved, if noth- ing else, that all it takes is six great episodes to create a strong and supportive fan base. Now, a little more than one year after said finale, New Mexico cops Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon, "Reservation Dogs") and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon, "The Red Road") are back for Round 2, calling all fans back to their TV sets and computer screens once again. Season 2 of "Dark Winds" premieres Sunday, July 30, on AMC and the AMC+ streaming service. Set in the American Southwest during the 1970s, the spiritually infused crime thriller follows two Navajo officers of the law, Leaphorn and Chee, as they take on a smattering of cases in their desert community. Constantly plagued by an open double murder in the first season, the officers take on several other, smaller cases while chipping away at the big unsolved crime, all while grap- pling with their own personal and cultural demons. The series opened to positive reviews when it premiered in June 2022 and continued to pick up acclaim over its six weeks on air. Among the most notable accolades, "Dark Winds" was nom- inated for the Best Action/Thriller Television Series Saturn Award, and leading man Gordon was nominated for a Gotham Award for his performance as undercover FBI agent Chee. Addition- ally, the Graham Roland ("Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan") -created series earned a Western Heritage Award for the pilot, titled "Monster." The AMC production has also been lauded for its richness of Indigenous culture, well-round- ed character development and overall beautiful storytelling — the latter of which comes as no surprise to those familiar with the other works of executive producers George R.R. Martin ("Game of Thrones") and Robert Redford ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969). Backed up by a massive team of talented writers, producers, directors and more, Martin and Redford have a major part in bringing the Navajo Mysteries novels of Tony Hillerman to life. Much of the magic, however, falls in the hands of the series' cast. Returning for Season 2 alongside Gordon and McClarnon are Jessica Matten ("Frontier") as gifted tribal police Sgt. Ber- nadette Manuelito; Deanna Allison ("Accused") as Leaphorn's wife, Emma; and Rainn Wilson ("The Office") in his unusually sinister role as twisted missionary and used car salesman "Devot- ed Dan" DeMarco. There has also been word that Sally Growing Thunder (Elva Guerra, "Reser- vation Dogs"), Frank Nakai (Eugene Brave Rock, "That Dirty Black Bag") and Hoski (Jeremiah Bitsui, "Better Call Saul") are likely to return this season. As for the remainder of the second-season plot, the "Dark Winds" trailer features a very hu- man threat in the form of a "blond man" walking onto the reservation and committing a string of murders. Though with many of Season 1's questions still lingering without concrete answers, it's worth noting that many of this season's horrors link back to the freshman season in one way or another. Leaphorn, still dealing with a personal loss from last season, has a lot to face before he can move forward with his grief. Now more determined than ever that he can't face his demons alone, Leaphorn once again teams up with Chee and Manuelito to bring peace to their Nation — hopefully once and for all. But it certainly won't be easy. Hopes have been (and continue to be) high for "Dark Winds" — and not just from a Holly- wood success standpoint. In an interview ahead of the series premiere, McClarnon acknowledged his own hopes for the series. "What I hope to see from 'Dark Winds' is just more doors opening, not only for Indigenous talent in front of the camera but also behind the camera," McClarnon said. "I think we're kind of in a unique time right now with Native representation in media [a]nd I'm glad to be a part of it." "Dark Winds" Season 2 premieres Sunday, July 28, on AMC and AMC+.

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