Critic’s Rating: 4.15 / 5.0
4.15
Zahn McClarnon’s tour de force performance continues on Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 2 as nefarious forces, real or imagined, lurk just beyond Joe Leaphorn’s reach.
“Náá’tosh” (Big Eyes) revealed two new guest stars known for their roles as less-than-trustworthy antagonists, as well as a grim-looking, potentially supernatural force that could be entangled in the latest mystery.
Let’s dig in.
There weren’t many people unconcerned with Bernadette’s departure at the end of Dark Winds Season 2.
First, she’s a good detective; the more, the merrier with how often crime sprouts up on the reservation. Second, her relationship with Jim Chee was just beginning to take flight, and even diehard mystery fans have to admit that it was a bright light in an often dim landscape.
Whether the Border Patrol is the right spot for her remains to be seen, but she’s no stranger to making sure her skills are put to good use.
On Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 1, she discovered a woman and a little girl she believed had been trafficked, lost her weapon, and caught the scent of a white van she can’t let go.
Now, she’s hellbent on getting to the root of the women’s plight, whether it puts her on a local hit list or not.
Seemingly without any permission, she began spying on property owned by a well-to-do and well-received local oilman named Tom Spencer, who shot a raging antelope (or something… I’m not a wildlife expert) just before it gored her.
That’s not the best way to meet a pillar of the community, but Spencer was pretty accommodating. He likely underestimated her capabilities. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who honestly believes a woman’s place is anywhere but the home.
The more she pushed, the less accommodating he became. You could feel him begin to bristle as she tried connecting his operation to the women. And she’s not even wrong. The white van was suspicious, and you’d be an idiot not to question the purpose of the little shack used as a vapor barrier.
But Bern should be wary of sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong without others knowing what she’s doing. It’s dangerous, especially since Spencer knew of her before they even met. Why would an oil man need to be made aware of a new border patrol agent?
If Tom Spencer is being nice to her, it’s likely because he needs her on his side. She’s not on his side and has already determined that whatever he’s running in those tankers isn’t always oil.
She’s in a precarious position as a new agent working alone, let alone going rogue before she gets her feet wet.
Part of Bern’s job is manning the weigh station, and it’s there that she gets her first look at Budge, a man tied not only to Tom Spencer but to the white van and the women.
He’s creepy as hell and has no qualms about taking a life. His buddy was recounting how panther-like he was when he crept up and took Bern’s gun right out of its holster, only to be smothered with a smiley-face bag before he was dumped over a hillside and covered in dirt.
That’s a scene we have to discuss.
When the truck was pushed into the ravine, it seemed like it was perpendicular to a ravine, but the ease with which the truck was buried proved what I thought I saw was an optical illusion. Yet the “panther” drove right up to its edge before stopping. What did you all make of that scene?
Anyway, carrying on.
Budge could be working on his own, but it seems unlikely. His ties to Spencer are too obvious to overlook. And I couldn’t help but notice Garza drinking out of a smiley-face coffee mug right around the same time she chastised Bern for her dealings with Spencer.
Dark Winds Season 2 started with Chee and Leaphorn investigating two disparate cases before they tied together, leading to BJ Vine’s fate. Are we looking at another crossover case between Bern and Joe with the white van, Spencer, Budge, and Ernesto and George?
Bernadette called Joe about the case, but he wasn’t available. Was she just going to ask for advice, or did she have something of value to add to the discussion we’re all having about the cases?
Joe’s absence did give Bern and Chee a moment to reconnect, but it was short-lived. Once she suggested that Chee was using his past with Shorty to cloud his judgment, the call ended.
Chee may have beef with Shorty, but nobody feels good about another man’s son being in trouble.
After Joe’s grisly discovery of Ernesto’s body, Joe’s in a dark place as memories of his son’s death and how he handled BJ Vine’s release threaten to derail his sanity.
Shorty was a logical place to start looking for George, but all it took was a few words and the look on Shorty’s face to know that he had nothing to do with Ernesto’s murder. He’s a father frightened for his son, and Joe understands that all too well.
But all other leads are quick to evaporate.
Leaphorn visited the dig site again, this time meeting Dr. Reynolds. Christopher Heyerdahl is one of the creepiest actors we’ve got, and he slays every role he plays.
The good Dr. may be laughing off the idea that the arrowhead came from his camp, but who plays him and how Teddi reacts to him say a lot more about his potential involvement.
I have a bone to pick with the arrowhead being factory made. Joe was certain of its importance because of its meaning, but if arrowheads mean so much, wouldn’t he be able to recognize a factory-produced “toy” versus an actual relic?
I’d be more inclined to believe that Reynolds had something to do with it because of how he reacted than I would by learning it was a “toy.”
Something about Reynolds doesn’t pass the smell test, but it’s hard to imagine how he would tie into Spencer, the white van, and the oil tankers, even if I currently believe they do tie together.
Making this whole scenario worse is the intrusion of FBI Agent Sylvia Washington, kicking up dust about BJ Vine’s disappearance.
Leaphorn is a good man, driven by extraordinary circumstances to do something that will haunt him for the rest of his life. White man’s justice prevailed, and Joe couldn’t let that be the end of it.
I wonder how Sylvia views the situation. She’s poking Leaphorn just enough to see if he offers anything, but not so much he’ll crack. Her being there is odd, and it’s made odder when Emma befriends her and asks her over for dinner.
Emma says she feels it’s the right thing to do to welcome Sylvia into their world, but I think she also knows that getting to know Sylvia a little better will do a lot to ease Joe’s mind.
She may be in the dark about much in Joe’s life, but when it comes to his heart, she knows him better than anyone.
How that dinner plays out will say a lot about Sylvia and what she plans to do if she discovers foul play in the BJ Vines situation. I hope we get to see it on Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 3.
It may be too late for Leaphorn anyway. His conscience is eating away at him. He will have to course-correct at some point, or he’ll lose his soul. He sees demons everywhere.
They come in flashes, but they’re tactile enough that Joe’s uncertain of what’s real, even if only for a moment.
But the ground had been laid when they were searching for George at Shorty’s cabin, and a real-life monster took both Joe and Shorty down. Cecil had already tied the monster to George and Ernesto, and when a masked figure emerged, Joe was frightened.
The spirituality that pervaded Dark Winds Season 1 disappeared during Season 2, but I think the monster this season will be less like Season 1 than we might wish.
It’s more likely to be a man using the Navajo’s sensibilities against them.
It doesn’t really matter, though, because the true battles on Dark Winds are those of the soul, and Joe Leaphorn is leading that charge.
What did you think of “Náá’tosh” (Big Eyes)? Share your comment down below.
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