‘Dark Winds’ Recap: ‘Black Hole Sun’

8/28/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Zahn McClarnon and Nicholas Logan as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and the Blond Man in Episode 205 of ‘Dark Winds’ – ‘Black Hole Sun’. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Moriatis/AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘Dark Winds’. To revisit the previous episode, clickhere. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Often times in crime dramas, the moment the intrepid investigator and a supremely bad dude square off in the interrogation room… we are treated to some type of epic reveal. One that may in fact, reveal the motivations of the heinous crime in question since this scene serves as the perfect opportunity for the criminal to toot their own horn and relish in the chaos they caused. Or it could be the perfect time for us to learn… they’re nothing more than a cog in a wheel of chaos and suffering, wherein a bigger plot or bigger fish is presented to the hero and the audience, prompting a mad dash from the investigator in question to bring the case to a close and really serve justice. And well... this moment is something that sticks around often in this genre of storytelling, because it really is the perfect place to learn about the monster and/or up the ante for the story.

But now and again, you run into a crime drama that is eager to shake that up and offer something different for the audience, to add a little mystery to the monster or to up the stakes in a different manner and that is why this week’s episode of Dark Winds is of note. Because ‘Black Hole Sun’ opted to provide us with that different type of tale, even though initially, it seemed as though Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn was going to partake in that formula to a tee. After all, the Blond Man was in custody and they needed to talk, in the interrogation room no less… but that’s really as far as the story went regarding this tradition. Because the Blond Man, had no desire to talk to Joe about anything really. In fact, he continued to lie about his identity and continued to be aloof and cold about everything that happened. Which gave Joe, nothing to work with… and that was unfortunate because he was under extreme duress here.

In part, because he was still physically healing from, he and the Blond Man’s time in the snowy desert, but more so because… the Feds wanted the Blond Man. Because he was now facing federal charges for Murder One, and that meant that he was likely going to fry in an electric chair, and the Feds were ready to take him into custody. Which meant Joe had to quickly figure out how to get him to talk, to tie him to something greater and more powerful and well… he struggled there for certain. Because not even the private detective the Blond Man hired to find his mother was able to get him to talk. Which left Joe with little hope and little answers, and little closure. Something he was genuinely hoping to find, so he could start grieving properly for his son… and this silence left Joe in a holding pattern, the kind that allowed for the story to explore other plot threads.

John Henry Diehl as BJ Vines in Episode 205 of ‘Dark Winds’ – ‘Black Hole Sun’. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Moriatis/AMC.)

Such the internal struggle that Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito was going through, because of the bittersweet news she received about her Border Patrol application. Because she made it into the service, and needed to figure out how to tell Joe, and that was difficult to ponder upon. Plus, we also saw Emma begin to warm up to the reporter from the Los Angeles Times, mainly because the women around her… wanted her to at least hear their stories, and Emma acquiesced to that. Plus, we saw Jim Chee come to learn that BJ Vines and the People of Darkness were not only appropriating Navajo Culture in a weird manner, but that they were in possession of something quite strange. Something that won’t be revealed to us until next week’s season two finale. Which is fine, because that allowed for the story to bring us to the shocking ‘conclusion’ of the whole mess with the Blond Man.

But not before… we came to learn what forged this monster. Which as it turned out, related to the fact that he experienced severe trauma as a child, as a direct result of coming home to discover his family was brutally murdered by his mother. Which in turn prompted him to seemingly exact revenge and well… clearly the darkness of that day gave birth to a man that harbored no value for life, and he could potentially be looking for a mother that doesn’t exist… to find a tether to a world that he wants to be part of but cannot, because of his anger and shattered psyche, and that matters. Simply because it informed the audience of the danger this man represents, and that was hammered home… by his escape. Because he figured out how to get loose while being transported and hurt Gordo in the process, and that sets the stage for one epic season two finale.

One where secrets will be revealed, where Joe and the Blond Man will likely face off once again. But that aside, we absolutely need to celebrate one refreshing tale. One that genuinely offered up an important lesson regarding grief. In that, sometimes we don’t get the exact closure we want, or the signal we need to begin to grieve, and we need to handle it accordingly, as Emma pointed out here. And of course, this episode deserves a round of applause for offering up a different path to setting up the finale. Since there were no formulas to be found here… just good old-fashioned hints and surprises. The kind that will indeed make the wait for next week’s season two finale quite excruciating. Since we are beyond ready for answers, resolution… and justice. Until next time.

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