AMC Networks has greenlit a fourth season of the popular crime drama Dark Winds, even before the third season premieres on March 9th on AMC and AMC+. The show, based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, has been a critical and commercial success.
Here’s the Lowdown: Dark Winds follows Navajo Tribal Police officers Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) as they solve crimes in the 1970s Southwest. Season 4, like Season 3, will have eight episodes and is scheduled to film in New Mexico in March, with a premiere date planned for 2026. Crucially, star Zahn McClarnon will also direct an episode.
What This Means Now: The early renewal demonstrates AMC’s strong confidence in the series. The show has performed well, achieving perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores for its first two seasons and becoming a top 10 show on Netflix when added to the platform last fall. Season 2 was a top 10 cable drama.
The Bigger Picture: The third season of Dark Winds which premieres March 9, and features eight episodes, sees Leaphorn and Chee investigate the vanishing of two boys, while Manuelito works with the Border Patrol and uncovers a significant smuggling operation. This success illustrates the continuing demand for stories. It also highlights a growing trend of making sure that the people who appear in the show also get a go behind the camera, with Zahn McClarnon making his directorial debut. Season three guest stars are to include Jenna Elfman, Bruce Greenwood and Raoul Max Trujillo.
