Bernadette (Jessica Matten) and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) in Dark Winds season 4Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
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Sean Morrison
Published Mar 1, 2026, 10:05 PM EST
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Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 4, episode 3.Irene (Franka Potente) made a startling decision to kiss Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) at the end of this week's episode of Dark Winds, and it's a moment worth looking more closely at. As Dark Winds season 4 is progressing, it's becoming clear that Irene is the season's main villain. She's already killed both Albert Gorman and Ashie Begay, and her confrontation with Leaphorn this week was absolutely unhinged.
This week's episode of Dark Winds wasn't just important because of Irene's surprising decision to kiss Leaphorn, however. It also set the stage for the cast of Dark Winds to head to Los Angeles, continued investigating Chee's ghost sickness, and set up a new conflict between Chee and Leaphorn concerning the latter's retirement. A lot happened this week, and it's all worth taking a closer look at.
Why Irene Kissed Leaphorn At The End Of Dark Winds Season 4, Episode 3
Franka Potente's Irene standing among some trees and holding binoculars in Dark Winds season 4Michael Moriatis/AMC
At the end of Dark Winds season 4, episode 3, Irene confronted Joe after he finished his sweat. She had him captive, with a gun trained on him, and she started trying to get him to abandon the investigation into Albert Gorman's death and the search for Leroy Gorman. She also told Joe that she had a lot of respect for Navajo tradition and for Joe himself, and she ended the encounter by kissing him against his will.
Irene's kiss was unexpected to say the least. She was there to intimidate Joe into abandoning his case, but she ended up praising and kissing him. There was a reason for it, though: Irene is obsessed with the Navajo people and Joe specifically. She made multiple mentions to how much admiration she feels for Joe, like his ability to build with his hands, and she even raided his home while he was away.
Irene is also clearly mentally unhinged, which is making her infatuation with Joe even worse. That much was clear from her belief that she and Joe are "two opposing forces in a spiritual union." In Irene's mind, Joe is the perfect Navajo man, and he's basically the object of her obsession with Navajo customs. Plus, she's likely taking delight in the cat-and-mouse game of Joe hunting for her and her evading Joe.
Why Billie Is Going To Los Angeles & What Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito Will Do About It
Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) holding flashlights in Dark Winds season 4, episode 2Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
Another big twist from the end of this week's episode came when Billie Tsosie decided to go to Los Angeles on her own. Billie's reasoning was well explained in the episode. Both Albert Gorman and Ashie Begay have been killed, and Leroy Gorman is her only surviving family. She already told Bernadette that she doesn't want to go back to St. Catherine's, so she's heading to Los Angeles to find Leroy and live with him.
What was confusing about Billie's decision is how Leaphorn, Manuelito, and Chee will respond to it. Bernadette already explained that the NTP doesn't have authority in Los Angeles and doesn't have enough personnel to investigate even if they did. They can't just let Billie go, however, so it seems that the trio is going to have to act in a non-official capacity while searching for Leroy and Billie.
Chee Found Out About Joe Retiring & Confronted Him
Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) in Dark Winds season 2, episode 4Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
Joe's decision to hide his retirement from Chee also backfired in spectacular fashion this week. Bernadette finally told Chee that Joe is planning on retiring and that he asked her to take his place as lieutenant. Chee responded about as well as we expected, which was not well at all. Obviously, Chee was mad that Bernadette lied to him and kept Joe's secret, but there was more to his anger than just that.
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Posts By Abdullah Al-GhamdiWhen Chee confronted Joe at the sweat, he made two main points. Chee was angry that Joe didn't respect him enough to just tell him that he was retiring, and that Bernadette was getting promoted instead of him. As Chee noted, Joe was hiding behind protocol as an excuse to lie to Chee. Protocol has never been important to Joe before, and Chee has broken protocol to save Joe's life before, so Chee feels he's being hypocritical.
Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Dark Winds analysis
Unlock richer Dark Winds insight by subscribing to the newsletter: scene-by-scene analysis, character motive breakdowns, theory threads, and spoiler-friendly context that deepens your understanding of the show and beyond. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Chee was also mad that Joe picked Bernadette to replace him. Bernadette willingly left the NTP in Dark Winds season 3 to go to Border Patrol while Chee stayed. Chee has also demonstrated his ability to lead the rest of the police department and make tough decisions multiple times. He feels like he deserves the job more than Bernadette does, which only makes the fact that Joe kept him in the dark hurt even more.
What Is Happening To Chee & Is It Real?
Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee in Dark Winds season 3
Chee also had a few unsettling visions in Dark Winds season 4, episode 3 that are worth diving deeper into. We saw that Chee had a bloody nose at the office and even had one of his teeth fall out in his car later on. Both the nosebleed and the lost tooth are a result of Chee's ghost sickness, which he got by entering the death hogan at the end of Dark Winds season 4, episode 2.
Dark Winds Season 4 Release Schedule
Title
Release Date (Sundays @ 9 PM ET on AMC+)
Baptism by Fire
February 15
Toward Their Unknown Paths
February 22
That Which has been Torn Apart
March 1
The New World
March 8
Those Who Harmed One Another
March 15
Those Who Were Searching For Me
March 22
We Came Back
March 29
The Glittering World
April 5
What isn't as clear is whether these things are really happening to Chee, or if his mind is playing a trick on him. Dark Winds has had both real Navajo medicine and psychosomatic tricks in the past, most recently with the Ye'iitsoh in season 3. Chee has been hiding his problems fairly well, though, so it's not clear whether it's actually happening or not. For now, we'll just have to wait for Dark Winds to reveal whether Chee's ghost sickness is real or imagined.
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Dark Winds
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Release Date June 12, 2022 Network AMC Showrunner John Wirth, Vince Calandra Directors Michael Nankin Writers John Wirth, Steven Judd, Max Hurwitz, Rhiana Yazzie, Thomas Brady, DezBaa'
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Unlock richer Dark Winds insight by subscribing to the newsletter: scene-by-scene analysis, character motive breakdowns, theory threads, and spoiler-friendly context that deepens your understanding of the show and beyond. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Trending Now
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