Diksha Sundriyal
The third season of AMC’s ‘Dark Winds’ begins with the murder of Ernesto Cata and the disappearance of George Bowlegs. At the same time, Bernadette Manuelito gets involved in an investigation that pits her against some very powerful people. In its penultimate episode, some important answers are revealed, setting the stage for conflict that is to define the events of the finale. It not only gives us a clear answer of who the murderer is, but ends on a cliffhanger that poses even more questions about the fates of the characters. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Truth Behind Ernesto Cata’s Death
In the previous episode, Joe Leaphorn chased after what he thought was a monster. In this episode, significant evidence reveals itself to unravel the murder mystery. The inspection of the site where George spent the previous night reveals a white substance used to mold stuff. Joe discovers that the mold in that substance is the same as the arrowhead found in Ernesto’s mouth. When he and Chee go to the dig site to talk with the archaeologists, they discover that the site has been closed because their funding has stopped. Moreover, the professor has already left. Joe shows the arrowhead and the mold to Teddi, and in turn, she gives them the broken piece of the arrowhead.
She reveals that the piece is what she found at the site, which prompted her to dig for more. She also confirms that the arrowhead from Ernesto’s body is real. This puts a lot of things in Joe’s perspective, especially considering the fact that the professor told him that the arrowhead is fake. It turns out the professor was the one who buried the piece that Teddi found. His plan was to bury the rest of the arrowhead, too, through which he planned to keep the funding alive. However, on the night he tried to bury the arrowhead, Ernesto and George saw him. Fearing that they might out him, he chased after them and killed Ernesto, while George fled. Because George is the only one who can prove his crimes, he wants to kill the boy, too.
When asked where the professor is, Teddi reveals that he has already checked out of the motel they were staying in. It would be impossible to determine where he is, but because it is known that George is trying to go to Reno to see his mother, the cops know that that’s where the professor will go. The previous night, Joe had managed to shoot the man, which means that he is wounded. Moreover, he still wants to kill George, and because he, too, found out about George’s plans for Reno, it is clear that he will try to intercept the boy there and kill him. At the station, Joe and the rest of the cops come up with a plan to find and arrest the murderer, which is also when Emma walks in for her interview with Agent Washington.
Emma and Joe Leaphorn’s Marriage Hits a Major Bump
Through the many ups and downs in his life, the one thing Joe always had as a constant was Emma. She would stand by his side no matter what, but that’s because she thought he could never cross the moral line that defined both of them. When she discovers that he is responsible for the death of BJ Vines, she starts to resent him so much that she cannot even talk to him or stand to look at him. She blames him for bringing Vines’ ghost into their house and ruining their son’s memory. Still, when Joe uses her as his alibi for the night of Vines’ murder, she stands by him. Agent Washington knows that Joe is lying about it, so she tries to get Emma to tell her the truth. She calls out to the woman’s moral character and asks her to come clean. And for a moment, it seems that Emma is considering it. The chasm between her and Joe is so much that even when he almost dies in the desert chasing after a murderer, she does not come to see him at the hospital.
The next day, as Joe and his team plan to catch the archaeologist, Emma walks in and asks Agent Washington to talk in private with her. She talks about the differences that have developed between her and Joe because he is unable to let go of the thoughts of revenge, and is so consumed by it that he has stopped thinking about her and their life together. As she laments her husband’s state, she also testifies that he was with her the entire time on the night Vines was murdered. With this, Emma confirms her loyalty to her husband, because while he may have done wrong, it was because the system didn’t give him the justice he needed. Agent Washington is now working for the same system, and Emma does not owe her loyalty to them. Still, it doesn’t mean that things are good between her and Joe now. In fact, it is worse. Because she had to lie to him and go against her ideals, she decided to take a break. She has packed up her stuff and is going to live at her sister’s for god knows how long.
Bernadette Pays the Price of Trusting the Wrong Person
In the previous episodes, Bernadette discovers that Ivan is one of the corrupt cops on Spenser’s payroll. So, she turns towards Eleanda for help. Through the photos from her recon mission in Mexico, she figures out that the drugs are being moved using oil pipelines, which is what the little girl meant when she said Pig. Bernadette wants to raid Spenser’s compound, but she doesn’t want to tip off anyone. So, she tells Eleanda everything, and the latter reveals that she can get a warrant without sending off alarm bells to Spenser. Meanwhile, Ivan tries to talk to Bernadette about what she plans to do with the evidence, but because she can’t trust him, she tells him she is dropping the matter. Despite this, Ivan knows she is lying because she is not the kind of person who can let this stuff go.
Later, when Eleanda manages to get the warrant, she and Bernadette raid the property, but no one is there. While Eleanda takes it as a good sign, Bernadette is suspicious, which leads her to inspect a different part of the place while her colleague calls for backup. Inside the barn, she finds the woman and her daughter, who she was told were deported to Mexico. However, before she can do anything about it, she finds Eleanda pointing a gun at her. Before she can fully process the betrayal of the person she thought was her friend, she is attacked by Budge, which does not bode well for her.
