The AMC+ invasion of Netflix has begun, and to no one’s surprise, these series are now holding four out of the 10 slots on the list of the most popular shows on Netflix. But you might be shocked to hear that Dark Winds has risen to the No. 3 slot above all of the other AMC shows, including Fear the Walking Dead.
Dark Winds may not get the big ratings like AMC’s endless Walking Dead spinoffs, but it’s a fantastic show and fans are already starting to flock to it now that it has a much wider reach than AMC+ could have ever given it. However, if you need to be convinced to check out this buzzy series, then here are four reasons to watch Dark Winds on Netflix.
The show gives Zahn McClarnon the spotlight he deserves
Westworld fans can attest that Zahn McClarnon is a gifted performer who can be mesmerizing without uttering a single word of English. He did just that in a standout episode of Westworld season 2, as his character, Akecheta, unravels his personal narrative in the Lakota language. McClarnon has had plenty of supporting turns prior to and after Westworld, but Dark Winds was his first real chance to step up and headline a drama series.
In this show, McClarnon gets to use all of the tools in his acting arsenal as Joe Leaphorn, a lieutenant for the tribal police of Navajo County during the 1970s. He is undeniably the star of the series, and McClarnon does a magnificent job of making his character seem like a real person. Even McClarnon’s tiniest gestures, facial expressions, and movements convey Leaphorn’s thoughts and emotions. He gets to be the complicated hero that Dark Winds needs, and he’s a fantastic leading man in the series.
Dark Winds utilizes Native American writers and actors
Tony Hillerman, the author of the Leaphorn & Chee novels that the show is based on, was not a Native American. Hillerman told excellent stories with indigenous characters, but Dark Winds showrunner Graham Roland went several steps further by recruiting a team of exclusively Native American screenwriters to script the show. The writers and producers have also demonstrated a commitment to portraying Navajo culture as accurately as possible.
That commitment extends in front of the camera as well, as Kiowa Gordon and Jessica Matten co-star in the series as Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito, respectively. Their relationships with McClarnon’s Leaphorn are the backbone of the series, and they’re far from the only Native American actors on the show. Dark Winds is one of the few TV series to ever offer these kinds of opportunities to native performers, and it stands out because of that.
The mysteries keep us guessing
Dark Winds wouldn’t be as interesting as it is if Leaphorn and Chee didn’t have to solve some mysteries along the way. The show is set in the 1970s, so modern forensic science hasn’t quite arrived yet and the pair have to do some old-fashioned legwork to investigate the dueling cases of the first season. Leaphorn is more concerned about getting to the bottom of a double homicide in his territory, while Chee is looking for some armored truck robbers who are hiding out in Navajo County.
It’s not a big spoiler to say that the two cases are intimately connected. But since the vast majority of viewers aren’t likely to have read the novels that inspired the show, the twists are more than enough to keep audiences on their toes.
Dark Winds’ 12 episodes are easy to binge
As a personal preference, I like shows that have lots of episodes to watch. However, the short six-episode seasons for Dark Winds works in the series’ favor because it’s like a great book you can’t put down. With only 12 episodes across the two seasons to date, most veteran binge-watchers can blow through the entire run in less than a week. Or even a day, if you’re a hardcore binge-watcher.
Almost all of the answers you want from the show are waiting for you, so you never have to be in suspense for too long. That’s one of the benefits of the streaming era. And if Dark Winds turns out to be one of your new favorites, then we’ve got good news for you. A third season is on the way, but you’ll probably have to watch that on AMC. Like the other recent arrivals from AMC+, Dark Winds won’t be a permanent fixture on Netflix. So enjoy it while you can.
Watch Dark Winds on Netflix.