DARK WINDS SEASON 4: A SHOCK THAT SHATTERS THE NAVAJO LEGACY

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 4, episode 8.The finale of Dark Winds season 4 ended with the shocking death of a beloved character, and it set up a very personal mystery for Joe Leaphorn, Bernadette Manuelito, and Jim Chee to solve next season. The finale of Dark Winds season 4 was a whirlwind. Leaphorn escaped from Irene Vaggan alive and with Billie Tsosie, Chee had his ghost sickness cured and made up with Bernadette, and a major character in Dark Winds met an untimely end.

Dark Winds season 5 was renewed even before season 4 premiered, so some of the unanswered question from this season’s finale will be resolved next year. That being said, the finale of season 4 also set up plenty of new stories, character development, and mysteries for the coming season. The biggest of those is, of course, the death of A Martinez’s Gordo Sena, which came as a huge surprise at the end of Dark Winds season 4.

By far the biggest shock of Dark Winds season 4’s finale was the news that Gordo Sena, former sheriff of Scarborough County and longtime friend of Joe Leaphorn, was murdered. As the episode came to its final moments, instead of revealing whether Leaphorn had decided to retire or continue working as a lieutenant, Joe told Bernadette that Gordo had been murdered.

Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about Gordo’s murder yet, and we won’t know until Dark Winds season 5 begins. We do, however, know some of the context surrounding his death. Gordo was supposed to go fishing with Joe the day after he was murdered, but Joe took a rain check. Leaphorn also mentioned that Gordo was killed at night, meaning he was likely in his home at the time. Given his career in law enforcement, there are also plenty of possible suspects.

There’s also another piece of information that should give Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito a challenge in solving Gordo’s murder next season: his wife. Gordo’s wife, Barbara (Linda Hamilton), has some form of dementia. She couldn’t recognize Joe at the beginning of Dark Winds season 4, and she also forgot her own son. That means that even if Barbara witnessed Gordo’s murder, her fading memory will make it hard to get any information out of her.

Gordo’s death is groundbreaking for Dark Winds for a number of reasons. This is the first time the show has ended on a true cliffhanger. Past seasons have had their loose ends, but they solved all the most pressing mysteries. This time, however, fans of the show will have to wait another season to find out who killed Gordo. This is also the first time Dark Winds has killed off such a major character. Gordo’s death changes the game for Dark Winds season 5.

Jim Chee’s struggle with ghost sickness also came to an end in the finale of Dark Winds season 4. In Dark Winds season 4, episode 7, Chee finally agreed to attend a ceremony to heal his ghost sickness and address the trauma of his mother’s death. Chee was initially worried that no one from the Navajo community would come to attend the ceremony with him, but he was quickly proven wrong.

Almost every major and side character in Dark Winds came to attend Chee’s ceremony. The other deputies at the NTP, Gordo Sena, Roger the cashier at the trading post, Joe Leaphorn’s parents, Billie Tsosie and her mother, Shorty Bowlegs and his sons, Chee’s old teacher, and even FBI agent Shaw all came to support him. That huge turnout helped prove to Chee that he’s a valuable part of the Navajo community, and it should help him start healing from his trauma.

Emma Leaphorn also attended Chee’s ceremony, which gave her a chance to speak to Joe. Emma decided to return to Los Angeles, but she also shared a kiss with Joe, and she told him that he would always be her family and agreed that the reservation would always be her home. Emma also encouraged Joe to consider whether he was retiring from the NTP for her or for himself.

Leaphorn & Billie Escaped By Blowing Irene Vaggan Up

The finale also provided a resolution to Irene Vaggan and Dominic McNair’s story. Earlier on in the episode, Joe Leaphorn and Billie Tsosie were being held captive by Irene Vaggan. Irene explained that she was keeping Billie both as leverage over Joe and as a twisted version of a daughter for their “family.” McNair wanted Joe and Billie killed, but Irene’s obsession with Joe caused her to try to force him to love her.

Luckily, Joe and Billie were able to escape. During a ritual at dawn, Joe told Billie to run away while speaking Navajo and used burning sage to ignite the gasoline Irene was using to knock them out. That explosion burned half of Irene’s face off, but it didn’t kill her. Joe also had a chance to strangle Irene to death, but he instead arrested her for murder. Irene, delusional to the end, was convinced that Joe couldn’t live without her.

After Joe arrested Irene, he visited Dominic McNair in prison again. Joe explained that he was responsible for adding murder charges to McNair’s court case. He also explained that McNair would likely walk away a free man after appealing his initial trial, and he taunted McNair to try and kill him once he was free. While Joe certainly struck a blow, there’s a chance he hasn’t seen the last of Dominic McNair yet.

How The Ending Of Dark Winds Season 4 Sets Up Season 5

As previously mentioned, Dark Winds season 5 has already been confirmed, and the finale of season 4 left plenty of room for the show to continue. The biggest way the ending of Dark Winds season 4 set up season 5 is by leaving questions unanswered. Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito were all at their own personal crossroads that didn’t get resolved, and the murder of Gordo Sena obviously complicates things.

Dark Winds season 4 didn’t reveal if Leaphorn was actually planning on retiring or not, and we still don’t know if there’s a chance for him to reconcile with Emma. Chee was also considering taking Agent Shaw’s offer and rejoining the FBI, but we didn’t see his decision. Bernadette, meanwhile, doesn’t know if she’ll be a lieutenant or continue being a sergeant until Joe makes up his mind. Dark Winds season 5 can easily take all these personal dilemmas and run with them for eight more episodes.

Gordo Sena’s murder is the biggest way Dark Winds season 4 paved the way for the future. Based on all the variables involved, like Barbara’s unreliable memory and the litany of enemies Gordo made while working as sheriff, solving his murder is going to be quite the undertaking. His death alone could form the basis of Dark Winds season 5’s main mystery, and Dominic McNair’s potential revenge against Leaphorn could fill out the secondary plot nicely.

The Real Meaning Of Dark Winds Season 4’s Ending Explained

Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Though the finale didn’t wrap up all the questions introduced in Dark Winds season 4, this season did deliver a very coherent central theme and message. Dark Winds season 4 is all about the concept of home. The season’s central mystery concerned Billie running away from the reservation and her home. Chee’s emotional character arc, as well, centered around his regrets about not bringing his mother home and his journey to reconnect with his home.

Home is everywhere in Dark Winds season 4. This season marked Bernadette’s return to the reservation after leaving in season 3. One of the last things Joe told Emma was also that the reservation would always be her home even while she’s living in Los Angeles, and this season was the first time we saw the main trio leave the reservation for an extended period of time. Dark Winds season 4 is a story about learning to appreciate your home and, more specifically, learning to embrace where you come from.

That’s why Chee’s story this season ended with him finally embracing his Navajo heritage and spirituality. Leaphorn, as well, finally started engaging in the sweats and ceremonies Emma had been trying to get him to perform for years. It’s also why Billie reunites with her birth mother, and the pair decide to return to the reservation. To Dark Winds, home isn’t just a place, it’s all the people, customs, and culture that form the person you are, and it deserves respect.