Written by John Edward Betancourt Zahn McClarnon and John Henry Diehl as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and BJ Vines in Episode 206 of ‘Dark Winds’ – ‘Hózhó náhásdlii (Beauty Is Restored)’. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Moriatis/AMC.)
Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Finale of ‘Dark Winds’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. 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.
For the most part, crime shows that are set in the past, rarely reflect the problems and concerns of our modern world. Mainly because… they point out that much has changed between say, the 1970s and 2020s. For we live in a technological paradise and the world is more connected than ever, and of course… we’re facing new challenges regarding healing since we’re coming out of a pandemic instead of dealing with the ravages of the Vietnam War. So instead, shows in that vein, just reflect the times, and educate us and leave us wondering how we would handle the strangeness of the past. But what’s fascinating about this decision from a storytelling standpoint, is that it is incorrect in nature. For while some things have indeed changed since the 1970s… there is plenty that has not, and we can learn far more from a story that points that out than one that just offers up a slice of the zeitgeist of the past. Which is why the season two finale of Dark Winds on AMC is of note. Simply because ‘Hózhó náhásdlii (Beauty Is Restored)’ took the time to point out… what hasn’t changed since Joe Leaphorn’s time on this Earth, and it accomplished this particular goal through one powerful reveal early on in this story. For this tale picked up the morning after the Blond Man escaped and he found himself once again huffing across the desert before arriving at the Vines estate. Wherein BJ cared for the young man. Primarily because BJ needed the Blond Man to get the hell out of town in a smooth manner without raising suspicion. For they were indeed working together, and they were responsible for the deaths at the mine, and this would keep BJ’s cover intact and let him live his lavish life. But that kindness was nothing more than an opportunity to bring down the guard of a trained killer. So, BJ could end his life instead and truly keep his little secret, buried. But of course, that did not stop Joe and his father from returning to the scene of the crime. Wherein they explored the blast site and came to uncover that the Blond Man was indeed the demolitionist on that fateful day. Because that was step one in tying Vines to the crime, and well… while it wasn’t enough to immediately issue an arrest warrant, Jim Chee brought Leaphorn, everything he needed to put the pieces together. One that exposed a rich man using murder to just get richer and well… that pushed Joe to do the unthinkable in this town and bring BJ Vines to justice. A move that Joe’s father thought, would be nothing more than a waste of time, and he was right. Because Vines made bail in no time, and was likely going to beat the charges, and if by chance he was held accountable, it would be nothing more than slap on the wrist penalties because… that’s how rich men do in America, in any time period.  Zahn McClarnon and Deanna Allison as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Emma Leaphorn in Episode 206 of ‘Dark Winds’ – ‘Hózhó náhásdlii (Beauty Is Restored)’. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Moriatis/AMC.)
Which prompted Joe, to get as his father put it, ‘Indian Justice.’ Which sounded dark and ominous and seemed to be for a time. Since Joe made himself comfortable in BJ’s house in the middle of the night and put him in handcuffs again when the moment was right, before leading him out to where Joe’s ancestors took The Long Walk, to seemingly… put a bullet in BJ’s head and bring about brutal justice. But that of course… would have made Joe no better than Vines, and he would carry that stain on his soul until the day he died. So, he instead… offered BJ a fighting chance. All he had to do, was walk home, in tough conditions as the Navajo did, and if he had the same will to endure and to live… he would be just fine and learn some hard lessons. But of course, this was a guy whose first arrest took place in the midst of a full body massage, so he wasn’t exactly a model of strength and determination and well… he perished out there in the elements.
A move that brought peace to the reservation and peace to Joe and his family as well. For the past was finally resolved, and justice was indeed served. And that closed chapter led to new ones for all. Since Emma embraced her story and let it be told, and Bernadette took on that new job and left the reservation to enjoy new horizons, and Jim Chee of course… put on the uniform once more to help Joe out and answer his own calling. Giving rise to a comfortable ending, one that wrapped up a story mired in modern commentary. For to reiterate a core point about the story, through the words of Henry Leaphorn, ‘times have changed, but things haven’t.’ For the rich still hurt others to get richer, and they believe they are above the law and can buy their way out of any problem and there are plenty of folks right now… that want nothing more than to see the rich deal with reality the way that Vines did here. All of which pointed out… that the parallels from the 1970s to now, are flawless in nature. Especially when it comes to the rich folks of America, and it is important to point that out. Because that helps us to realize that we haven’t impacted real change, and that perhaps the time has come to do so. So, guys like Vines, don’t get to impart pain anymore in the name of the almighty dollar, and so good men like Joe Leaphorn… don’t suffer because of their machinations. Which made this finale poignant and powerful, especially when one considers that how Indigenous Americans are treated in this day and age… also reflects how things were in the 1970s… and well, in the end, all this amazing and complete finale does is leave us hopeful for more of this series. For the world needs this show, and what it has to say and what it showcases, and all we can do now is wait for a season three announcement, and hopefully we get that. So, we can return to Joe’s world and enjoy more powerful stories about people that deserve their day in the sun. Until next time. Watch ‘Dark Winds’
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