Dark Winds Season-Finale Recap: The One That Got Away

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As the third season finale of Dark Winds approaches, several unresolved mysteries remain: Who is responsible for Halsey’s death, and what motivated them to act? What will become of Bern now that he’s in the hands of the ruthless Budge? Will Agent Washington uncover anything significant in his investigation? Can George make it through this ordeal? Will Chee and Bern rekindle their brief romance? Is there any link between Spenser’s illicit drug trade and Reynolds’ fraudulent scientific research?

Stepping away from the ambiguous conclusions of the past two seasons, “Béésh Lii” meticulously wraps up many of the lingering plot threads. I, as a movie enthusiast, find myself reflecting on this journey. The story picks up with Reynolds tending to his wounds from the desert showdown with Joe, an encounter that feels like it occurred eons ago. In her hotel room, I encounter a distraught Teddi who can’t hide her knowledge of Reynolds’ actions, especially given her deep involvement in his project. When she threatens to call the authorities, Reynolds tries to dissuade her. In the ensuing struggle, he inadvertently pushes her towards a sharp table edge, causing her to hit her head and pass away instantly. Initially, Reynolds appears distraught and remorseful, but his resolve quickly hardens. One George Bowlegs remains elusive.

At the train station, both NTP members and a portion of the Scarborough PD are standing by, keeping watch for either George or Reynolds’ arrival. My hope for a buddy-cop conversation between Joe and Gordo partially materializes: they discuss their marriages instead. Joe shares with Gordo how he met Emma in college, at a club she established for Native American students. “The war had left the Navajo spirit nearly depleted within me,” Joe admits, and spending time with Emma helped him rediscover connections. This conversation hints at a realization Joe will have later in the episode: he comes to understand that his marriage isn’t solely about him and Emma but also about embracing relationships with others. Emma appears to have been the first to encourage such vulnerability in him.

Before their discussion could delve further, however, Joe notices Reynolds driving a car. He and Gordo trail him, but upon reaching his Plymouth, Reynolds has vanished, leaving Teddi’s body in the trunk as his only trace. Simultaneously, events unfold: Natalie catches sight of George, who is being chased by Chee, with Joe, Gordo, and themselves spotting Reynolds again at this very moment.

A high-speed chase on a train unfolds, reminiscent of the movie ‘Skyfall’, except this time we’re aboard the speeding vehicle and the action isn’t quite as over-the-top. Reynolds manages to reach George before Joe does, but eventually, Joe catches up. On the train’s exterior platform, a standoff ensues between Reynolds and Joe, with guns aimed at each other. Reynolds uses George as a shield, accusing him of ruining everything he’s worked for. When Joe points out that George is just a child, a momentary understanding washes over Reynolds. He releases George. For a moment, I thought Reynolds was going to shoot himself, but instead, he aims at Joe. Chee fires twice at Reynolds before he can pull the trigger, hitting him in the chest.

This story has reached its conclusion, ensuring that Reynolds won’t return to terrorize the reservation. However, it felt unsatisfying. The interaction between Joe and Reynolds lacked the emotional depth and build-up compared to the climactic showdown between Joe and Vines. The brief instances where we witness Reynolds regaining consciousness — following his accidental killing of Teddi and when he chooses to let go of George — were fleeting and didn’t linger long enough. By the end of the season, we don’t have a deep understanding of this villain like we did with others in the past. The most comprehensive analysis of Reynolds’s actions was provided by Joe’s voice-over last week, when he connected the dots, leaving little room for further exploration in the finale.

In a poignant turn of events, it’s heartening to witness Joe sharing a fatherly moment with George, who is deeply affected by the ordeal. George carries a heavy burden of guilt for Ernesto’s death, as he was the one who advocated for their visit to the dig site that tragic night and suggested stealing the arrowhead. However, Joe gently clarifies that Ernesto didn’t die due to George’s choices; rather, it was the actions of a malicious individual that took his life.

Similarly, Chee’s compassionate exchanges with George during their journey back to the reservation touched me deeply. Upon George’s return, even Shorty, who isn’t particularly skilled at expressing emotion, displays a heartwarming effort. Though he struggles to verbalize his gratitude, Shorty manages to convey it through his sincere gaze. Chee acknowledges and appreciates whatever affection he can receive in return.

Moving on from Reynolds’ tale, let’s delve into Bern’s ordeal at the Spenser Ranch. Having been betrayed by Eleanda and captured by Budge, Bern regains consciousness in her own vehicle, with a sack over her head, her wrists bound to the steering wheel, and Budge seated beside her. As he moves to nudge the car off a cliff and into a pit, he accuses Bern of meddling where she shouldn’t have. Initially, I was alarmed by his intentions to push her off a precipice, but this scene serves as a grim reminder of Budge’s modus operandi: much like he did with one of his associates at the start of the season, he intends to bury Bern in the desert.

In a tight spot, Bern was contemplating the future of the show without her when she discovered a wrench hidden under her seat. Miraculously, she used it to break free from her handcuffs. As Budge approached her car, a brief struggle ensued before Bern, in an impressive move, stabbed him with a feather made by Joe. It’s quite cool! Muños arrived a bit too late, and initially, Bern was too skeptical to lower her guard. However, he assured her that his role only involved bribes, none of which had been spent. He managed to persuade her to return to the ranch to complete her mission and gather the evidence necessary to finally bring these criminals to justice.

In my recent movie review, I delve into the gripping tale of “The Corruption Labyrinth,” where it becomes clear that our protagonist, Spenser, uncovers a web of deceit more intricate than initially perceived. It turns out that Ed Henry, Bern’s superior, is none other than Tom Spenser’s brother-in-law. His bedridden sister, Charlotte, resides in a care facility where Ed often visits to discuss the ‘Bern matter.’

Spenser, seething with anger, demands Ed to swiftly rectify the situation. While Ed has meticulously arranged a scheme to distance himself from any potential fallout, the exposure of his smuggling operation would tarnish his reputation as a man clueless about his own affairs, specifically his ranch operations.

In an attempt to counsel caution and patience, Ed suggests postponing the operation until the heat subsides. However, Spenser reminds him that he’s not in the business of receiving advice; rather, he pays for action, thus ordering Ed back to work with immediate effect.

From a cinephile’s perspective, it seems I should have foreseen this: It is when the drug-laden trucks depart from the ranch that Bern and Muños make their move. Muños restrains Ed at gunpoint as Bern intercepts the trucks. In the back of the white van following the oil truck, I find the same family I had stumbled upon confined in a shed – we never learn the details of how or why this family was taken, but it validates my initial hunch. With my weapon aimed at Eleanda, she immediately surrenders with her hands raised and an expression of remorse. However, Bern’s resolve doesn’t falter; she puts down her gun and delivers a hard blow to Eleanda’s face. With Ed and Eleanda in custody, Bern can now at last investigate the truck – though we’ve been aware of the Spenser operation for weeks, Bern hasn’t seen tangible evidence of the scheme yet. As expected, she discovers a substantial amount of drugs stashed beneath a false floor inside the truck.

Officers in uniform escort Eleanda and Ed Henry from the U.S. Border Patrol station, with handcuffs on. Munoz manages to escape unpunished. Despite his confession of love for her, Bern gives him a cold stare: she can’t forget the corruption she witnessed him tolerating. They go their separate ways now; Bern drives the family Spenser had kept, while Munoz heads off, likely in search of another job opportunity. To be fair, considering Bern’s departure, Munoz seems to have come out relatively well from this situation. To the DEA, if they are the ones arresting Eleanda and Henry, Munoz appears as one of the good guys and still retains his hidden cash.

At their home on the reservation, Joe and his father Henry collaborate on constructing a structure, although Henry questions who it’s intended to confine. “You don’t have to release her to let it free,” he suggests, alluding to Joe’s failed marriage with Emma. Joe defends that letting go of Emma is the cost he must bear for his decision – it’s the outcome he has desired, the penance he feels he needs. However, Henry, as always, challenges this perspective: he never had to relinquish his wife to deal with his own Indian Justice from the past. Just then, Agent Washington arrives. Her investigation hasn’t produced any evidence; she’s heading back to Washington unable to prove in a court that Joe was responsible for Vines’ death, though she knows as well as he does that he did. She hands him a brown envelope, hoping it will help him “find a way out.

The recording from Emma’s interview last week discusses the rift between her and Joe following J.J.’s demise, hinting at further estrangement after Joe pursued justice independently. As Joe listens, various characters are depicted in scenes of restored family ties: Spenser is now by the ocean with Charlotte; the group that was held at the ranch is back at their dinner table; Shorty plays basketball with his sons, and Bern, as anticipated, returns to her trailer where she finds Chee taking care of the horses. All around Joe are signs of familial bonds forged by love, yet they require constant nurturing to remain strong. The world’s challenges and injustices put them to the test; it’s a vital part of life to ensure they endure. Upon finishing the tape, Joe rewinds to Emma’s words: “I hope one day I can forgive him.” He repeatedly plays that phrase for solace, giving him the motivation to move forward.

Case Notes

In my opinion, the ending didn’t delve sufficiently into the exploration of Washington’s investigation into Vines’ disappearance. Given the length of time and the misleading clues, a resolution based on insufficient evidence feels somewhat too convenient. It seems that the writers prioritize portraying Joe’s emotional repercussions over potential legal consequences, which is more engaging, but the subplots involving Emily Quinn and Rosemary Vines lose impact with this conclusion.

The mystery persists: Who ended up taking Halsey’s life? Given what we’ve discovered about Reynolds and his preferred means of attack, I was somewhat anticipating some resolution on this matter in the finale. If Reynolds indeed killed Halsey, what could have driven him to do so? Was there any connection between Reynolds and Spenser that might explain this act? If Budge is the one who breached the security at Kayenta Station Police, how would he have managed it without Joe noticing him? Did Budge mimic Yé’iitsoh, as Reynolds did, to scare Joe?

The plotline that appears likely to continue into the fourth season of “Dark Winds” seems centered around Spenser, who has apparently escaped. As with previous seasons, the show leaves us pondering: after J.J.’s death in the first season and Vines’ fate in the second, we are now left questioning: will Spenser return from his location by the ocean to disrupt Bern’s life just as she and Chee seem to be finding harmony?

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2025-04-28 06:56