Spoilers for Dark Winds season 2 finale ahead.In the wake of the Dark Winds season 2 finale, viewers are wondering what the future holds for AMC’s psychological neo-noir Western and whether there will be a season 3. While a third season of Dark Winds hasn’t been officially greenlit by the network, the series’ potential renewal seems promising based on critical reception to its sophomore outing as well as the show’s impressive viewership numbers. Moreover, the cast and crew behind Dark Winds is hopeful that they’ll be back for season 3 of the thriller, which adapts Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels.
At the end of Dark Winds season 2, the series’ protagonist, Navajo County tribal police vet Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), exacts justice on B.J. Vines (John Diehl), the man who was responsible for his son’s death years prior. The melancholy finale illustrates several characters’ longing for things that can never come to pass, cementing the series as a rare character-driven procedural. In light of a promising Dark Winds season 3 update, there are at least some details known about the futures of Leaphorn, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten).
Dark Winds Season 3 Updates & Latest News
While the Dark Winds season 2 finale offered up some emotional closure and set up several main characters’ career moves, it doesn’t feel like the end of the fan-favorite series. Executive producer Chris Eyre, who also directed the season 2 finale, believes there are plenty of stories left to tell. “I don’t feel like we’ve hit our stride with this series,” Eyre told TVLine. He went on to note that Hillerman’s source material is composed of a staggering 18 volumes, meaning there’s plenty to draw from where Leaphorn and Chee are concerned.
Has Dark Winds Been Renewed For Season 3?
Although Dark Winds was renewed for a sophomore outing just a few weeks into its first season, AMC has been tight-lipped about its future. “It feels like we’ve gotten the show on its feet,” Erye noted. “And now that it’s on its feet I want to know what happens to the characters, too.” A few days ahead of its September 10 premiere, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon spinoff was renewed by AMC, which means that despite the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes, the network is still looking to fill its release slate.
Dark Winds Season 3 Release Date Prediction
Based on the show’s previous installments, it seems likely that a third season — if greenlit — would premiere in summer 2024. Dark Winds season 1 debuted on June 12, 2022, while season 2 hit AMC and AMC+ on July 30, 2023. That said, even if the series were renewed today, it would take longer to make than in previous years given the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. If Dark Winds season 3 is a go, viewers can likely expect another six-episode order, as Dark Winds season 2’s episode count echoed the first outing.
Who Will Be In Dark Winds Season 3’s Cast
At the end of Dark Winds season 2, tribal police sergeant Bernadette takes a new job as a border patrol officer. “I guess we’re going to have to go to the border now because we’re not going to let Bernadette go,” Eyre told TVInsider. “She’s great and beloved, and she’s at a crossroads, too.” With this in mind, viewers can expect Jessica Matten to return alongside Kiowa Gordon’s Chee, who ends season 2 by rejoining the force, and Zahn McClarnon’s Leaphorn.
Meanwhile, Sally Growing Thunder (Elva Guerra), a pregnant teenager who was taken in by the Leaphorns, left Joe and his wife, Emma (Deanna Allison), after they held a traditional Laughter Ceremony for her young son. Still, it’s possible she’ll also return to Dark Winds season 3 with Eyre noting, “You just hope that she makes it, and I’d like to see what happens to her because I think she will make it.“
What The Dark Winds Season 3 Story Could Be About
Although the Dark Winds season 2 finale, “Hózhó náhásdlįį,” sees Leaphorn confronting a crucial moral dilemma head-on, this doesn’t tie up all the series’ loose threads. Dark Winds season 2’s ending sees Leaphorn killing Vines — albeit indirectly — which will likely complicate his character going forward. Even if the act brought Leaphorn much-needed catharsis concerning his son’s death, it’s clear that the past is never really laid to rest in this psychological thriller.
In addition to leaving Sally and Bernadette at their own personal crossroads, the sophomore season sets Chee’s return to the police force in motion. If Dark Winds is renewed for season 3, that likely means audiences will see Leaphorn and Chee team up again, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid kind of buddies fighting crime,” as Eyre put it. Given Dark Winds‘ commitment to keeping Bernadette involved, a new case might even put the duo on a path to the border.
Sources: TVLine, TVInsider
