Diksha Sundriyal
The plot thickens in the third episode of AMC’s ‘Dark Winds’ Season 3. Old skeletons are dug up, which brings a host of trouble for Lt. Joe Leaphorn, who finds his psyche sinking deeper into the spiral of guilt. His hallucinations seem to be getting worse, and it seems that the law might catch up with him soon about his role in the death of BJ Vines. Meanwhile, his guilt is doing its job, and it’s not just his mind but also his marriage that is starting to get affected. At the same time, the investigation into the murder of Ernesto Cata and the disappearance of George Bowlegs takes a shocking turn. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee Find a New Lead in a Chilli Farm
At the end of the previous episode, Joe Leaphorn comes face to face with what he believes to be Yé’iitsoh. When Chee asks him about it, he is unable to confirm what it looked like or if it even was human. One thing that he does note is that whoever or whatever it was was careful enough not to leave their marks behind so they could not be tracked. It also convinces him that this thing believes George Bowlegs is still alive and is looking for him just as much as they are. Their search leads them a few miles from the cabin, where they come across a farm. What catches their eye is the red pickup truck that was reported to have been seen the night Ernesto Cata died. It is a chili farm run by a man named Halsey, and the truck belongs to Suzanne, his wife/partner. The farm has a bunch of other people, and it’s clear that they are not living in a healthy environment.
Moreover, none of them is ready to speak up, though Leaphorn notices some distress in Suzanne and believes that, given time, she will come around and tell them what they need to know. He turns out to be right when, the same night, she calls him and tells him to meet her at a place far away from the farm so that no one suspects her. Suzanne confirms that on the day of Ernesto’s murder, Halsey took the pickup truck and was unaccounted for the entire night. She also confirms that Ernesto and George used to come by the farm, and she was fond of them. She reveals that George had a crush on her and used to draw pictures of her. But then, one day, Halsey got mad at him, and George told her that he could not come around anymore. It seems that Halsey has a violent personality, and he is clearly capable of spilling blood.
Leaphorn asks her more questions, but she is too afraid to answer them, so she runs away. Still, she tells him enough so that he can come back the next day with his unit and raid the compound. It turns out that Halsey somehow found out that Suzanne had ratted on him. The entire compound is empty, but Leaphorn does find Suzanne, who is drugged to the point of death. Halsey is seen around, but he is quick enough to jump in the truck and leave before anyone can catch him. Interestingly, Chee finds a board with pictures of police officers on it, one of them being Bernadette. Additionally, it also comes to light the property is being leased by AGS Industries.
The Discovery of BJ Vines Intensifies Agent Washington’s Investigation
The episode begins with two boys stumbling upon a skeleton. Later, it is identified as the remains of BJ Vines. The discovery of his body encourages Sylvia Washington, as it is clearly a step closer to truth, but the circumstances surrounding his death raise more questions than answers. She has a gist of what might have happened that night. Vines are brought out into the desert that night and left by someone who most likely brought him there with the intention of killing him but then didn’t kill him. They left the cold and the desert to do their job, which she finds rather interesting. With Leaphorn being the senior officer at the station, she tells him to join her investigation. He tries to wriggle out of it, but Sylvia insists.
The duo makes their way to the place where the body was found, which brings out Leaphorn’s guilt tenfold. He hallucinates, coughing up an arrowhead with blood, but Sylvia remains blissfully unaware of his internal turmoil. Still, she seems to be on the right path of her investigation. When Leaphorn mentions that Vines had too many enemies, Sylvia says that she would start with the families who lost their loved ones in the explosion. She also knows that Leaphorn lost his son, but she immediately shrugs off the scenario of interviewing him and Emma because she believes that he is a man of the law and is not likely to commit the crime. Or at least, that’s what she tells him she believes.
Meanwhile, the news about the discovery of Vines’ body breaks, and Emma hears it on the radio. It doesn’t take her long to realize that her husband had something to do with it, and later that day, when she confronts him about it, he cannot lie to her. She lashes out at him for poisoning the memory of their son and bringing Vines’ spirit into their house by killing him. He tries to justify his actions, but Emma is not convinced. From the way he keeps hallucinating swarms of black ants, it seems that he himself might also not be convinced of his own justifications.
Bernadette Manuelito Has a Dangerous Encounter
Following the acquaintance with Spenser and his people, Bernadette Manuelito is convinced that something shady is going on with the place, and it has to do with the woman and her daughter from Episode 1. What rattles her is the sudden reappearance of her gun, which had vanished that day. Someone left it for her in her car, which is concerning on a number of levels. The fact that it happens after she stops Spenser’s oil tanker tells her that she needs to continue her investigation. However, she doesn’t let her chief know about it. Rather, she confesses that her checking the tanker may have caused friction with Spenser, and she offers to apologize to him and his men.
While her chief doesn’t suspect her intentions, Spenser has no qualms about what she is trying to achieve under the guise of an apology. He tries to have her dismissed, but because she asked around for the men, specifically the one riding shotgun, from that night, she eventually finds him. He comes to her house that night and takes her out to dinner. While he confesses that he returned her gun, he claims that he was not the one who stole it. He also gives her a veiled threat, saying that someday she will become a problem for her, but weirdly assures her that she is not so tonight. The entire conversation disturbs Bernadette but also strengthens her resolve, even though she knows that she is walking in the mouth of danger.
Read More: Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 2 Recap: Náá’tsoh (Big Eyes)
