Suchismita Ghosh
The filming of the third season of AMC’s psychological thriller series ‘Dark Winds’ is slated to begin in Santa Fe, New Mexico, next month. John Wirth remains the showrunner of the series, which is based on Tony Hillerman’s ‘Leaphorn & Chee’ book series. Wirth is joined by creator Graham Roland, who continues to serve as a writer.
In the second season, Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) gets reunited with his former deputy-turned-private detective Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) after two separate cases bring them together in search of the same suspect. The two find themselves in Navajo Country’s high deserts, running after a killer who has his sights on them in an attempt to protect a secret that will rip open old wounds and confront Leaphorn’s moral and professional code. With assistance from Sgt. Manuelito (Jessica Matten) and Valencia County Sheriff Gordo Sena (A Martinez), Chee and Leaphorn try to thwart their potential assassin and also restore balance in their lives and in the reservation that’s looking up to them.
The second installment finale depicts Tribal Police Sergeant Bernadette taking on the new job of a border patrol officer. The pregnant Sally Growing Thunder is taken in by the Leaphorn family. However, she decides to leave Joe and his wife Emma after the latter holds a traditional Laughter Ceremony for their son. Leaphorn indirectly kills Vines and the act brings him some much-needed catharsis concerning his son’s death. Leaving Sally and Bernadette at a crossroads, the sophomore season also looks into Chee’s potential return to the police force. Given their commitment to keeping Bernadette involved, the duo of Chee and Leaphorn may also be putting them on the path to the border.
The third installment is expected to feature Zahn McClarnon as Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee. The returnees may include Deanna Allison as Emma Leaphorn and Elva Guerra as Sally Growing Thunder. The second season also featured Jeri Ryan (‘Star Trek: Picard‘ and ‘MacGyver’), Nicholas Logan (‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ and ‘Every Man for Himself’), and Joseph Runningfox (‘The Politician’ and ‘Valley of the Gods’) in guest capacities.
‘Dark Winds’ is executive produced by Roland and Wirth, along with Zahn McClarnon, Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin, Anne Hillerman, Chris Eyre, Vince Gerardis, and Tina Elmo. Santa Fe, the primary filming location of the series, has previously served as the backdrop for Netflix’s ‘Daybreak,’ Disney+’s ‘National Treasure: Edge of History,’ and the Oscar-winning ‘No Country for Old Men.’
