You know that feeling when you start a show and within five minutes you realize the actors actually get the dirt under their fingernails? That's the vibe here. Most crime dramas feel like they’re shot in a sterile studio in Burbank, but the cast of Dark Winds makes the 1970s Navajo Nation feel lived-in, sweaty, and deeply complicated. It’s not just a police procedural. It’s a mood.
If you haven't seen it on AMC or AMC+, you're missing out on a masterclass in understated acting. The show is based on the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman, and honestly, fans were nervous about how these characters would translate to the screen. Hillerman’s work is legendary in the Southwest. If the casting flopped, the whole show would have felt like a cheap imitation of a beloved world. Luckily, they nailed it.
Zahn McClarnon is the heartbeat of the Navajo Tribal Police
Let’s talk about Zahn McClarnon. Seriously. The man has a face that tells a thousand stories without him saying a single word. He plays Joe Leaphorn, a veteran lieutenant who’s seen too much and carries the weight of his community on his shoulders. McClarnon has been around for years—you probably remember him as the terrifying Hanzee Dent in Fargo or Akecheta in Westworld—but this is the role he was born to play.
He doesn’t do "Hollywood cop." There are no grand speeches. Instead, you get these tiny, subtle shifts in his expression when he’s looking at a crime scene or dealing with his wife, Emma. It’s a performance rooted in silence. In the first season, when he's investigating a double murder that seems to tie back to a helicopter heist, you see the gears turning. He's cynical but not broken. That's a hard line to walk.
What's really cool is that McClarnon also serves as an executive producer. This matters. It means the person leading the cast of Dark Winds has a direct say in how the culture and the characters are portrayed. It’s authentic because the people at the top care about it being authentic. No shortcuts.
Kiowa Gordon and the evolution of Jim Chee
Then you have Kiowa Gordon. He plays Jim Chee, the younger, slightly more "city-fied" deputy who joins Leaphorn. At first, Chee is a bit of an enigma. He’s got one foot in the Navajo world and one foot in the FBI’s world, and he’s not entirely sure where he fits. Gordon plays that awkwardness perfectly. He isn't just a sidekick; he's a foil.
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If Leaphorn is the old-school intuition, Chee is the modern (for 1971) technique. Their chemistry is basically the engine of the show. It’s prickly. They don't always like each other. But they respect the work. Gordon, who some might remember from the Twilight films, has matured into a really heavy-hitting actor here. He brings a certain vulnerability to Chee that makes you root for him even when he's making questionable choices.
The supporting players who fill out the Rez
You can't talk about this show without mentioning Jessica Matten. She plays Bernadette Manuelito, and honestly, she’s often the toughest person in the room. Matten brings this fierce, no-nonsense energy to the role. She’s a sergeant who knows the land better than anyone, and her dynamic with both Leaphorn and Chee adds a necessary layer of grit. She isn't there for a romance subplot; she's there because she's good at her job.
- Deanna Allison plays Emma Leaphorn, Joe’s wife. She provides the emotional grounding for the series. Her scenes often deal with the generational trauma and the specific health crises facing the Navajo community at the time, like the forced sterilization issues that were tragically real.
- Elva Guerra as Sally Growing Thunder is another standout. Her character is tragic and quiet, yet she represents the future that Leaphorn is trying so hard to protect.
- A. Martinez joined the fray later on as Sheriff Gordo Sena, bringing some veteran gravitas to the political tensions between local and tribal law enforcement.
Why the casting feels so different from other Westerns
For decades, Westerns treated Indigenous characters like props. They were either the "noble savage" or the "villain." Dark Winds flips the script entirely. The cast of Dark Winds is almost entirely Indigenous, and the show focuses on their internal lives, their humor, and their specific struggles.
The show was filmed on the Navajo Nation and at Camel Rock Studios in New Mexico. When you see the actors interacting with the landscape, it feels real because it is real. There's a scene in season two where Leaphorn is tracking someone through the rocks, and the way McClarnon moves—it’s not a stuntman's grace, it’s a man who knows the terrain.
Graham Roland, the show’s creator, and showrunner John Wirth made a conscious effort to ensure the writers' room and the cast reflected the stories they were telling. This isn't just about representation for the sake of a checklist. It’s about quality. When actors understand the cultural shorthand of the characters they're playing, the dialogue flows better. The jokes land differently. The silences mean more.
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Rainn Wilson and the "Outsider" Factor
It was a bit of a shock to see Rainn Wilson—yes, Dwight Schrute—show up in the first season as a shady, tan-suited missionary named Devoted Dan. It was a weird casting choice on paper, right? But it worked. He leaned into this greasy, opportunistic vibe that contrasted sharply with the stoic nature of the tribal police. It highlighted the exploitation that happened on the reservation by outsiders who thought they were "helping" or "saving" people.
The gritty reality of Season 2 and beyond
By the time the second season rolled around, the stakes got higher. The introduction of characters like the "blonde man" (played with terrifying stillness by Jeri Ryan’s husband, Christophe Doom) pushed the cast into darker territory. We saw Leaphorn dealing with the literal ghosts of his past—specifically the loss of his son.
This is where the acting really peaked. The grief isn't loud. It’s a heavy coat they all wear. Season 2 felt more like a noir thriller than a standard Western. The way the cast of Dark Winds handled the shift in tone was seamless. They didn't lose the heart of the show, but they definitely dialed up the tension.
Nuance in the details
Did you notice the way they handle the Navajo language? It isn't used as a gimmick. It’s used naturally. The actors had to work with language consultants to make sure the cadence was right. For many of the cast members, this was a way to reconnect with or honor their own heritages, even if they aren't Navajo themselves (many are from different nations, like McClarnon who is Hunkpapa Lakota).
This attention to detail is why the show has a 90%+ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics love it, but more importantly, the community it depicts generally feels respected. That’s a rare feat in prestige TV.
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What's next for the team?
With Season 3 on the horizon, the dynamics are going to shift again. We know the story will continue to pull from Hillerman’s massive library of books, but the TV version has started to carve its own path. The growth of Jim Chee from a green deputy to a private investigator (and whatever comes next) is one of the most interesting arcs on television right now.
And let's be real: Zahn McClarnon needs an Emmy. The fact that he hasn't been swept up in the major awards circuit for this specific role is kind of a crime in itself. He’s doing some of the best work of his career here.
How to dive deeper into the world of Dark Winds
If you're obsessed with the show and want to really appreciate the work the cast of Dark Winds is doing, here is what you should do next:
- Read "The Blessing Way": This is the first Hillerman book. Reading it helps you see where the show stayed loyal and where it decided to modernize the characters. It gives you a deeper appreciation for McClarnon’s interpretation of Leaphorn.
- Watch "Longmire": If you like Zahn McClarnon, he plays a very different (but equally cool) character named Mathias in this series. It’s a great companion piece.
- Follow the Production: Check out the behind-the-scenes features on the AMC+ app. They go into detail about the "Navajo Film Academy" and how the show helped train local Indigenous crew members.
- Explore the Filmography: Look into Jessica Matten’s work in Frontier or Kiowa Gordon’s role in The Red Road. Seeing their range makes their performances in Dark Winds even more impressive.
The show works because it doesn't try to be anything other than what it is: a tough, beautiful, and sometimes heartbreaking look at justice on the reservation. The actors don't just play these roles; they inhabit them. That’s the difference between a show you watch and a show you remember. Go back and re-watch the pilot. Pay attention to the way Leaphorn looks at the horizon. You'll see exactly what I mean.
The series succeeds by grounding its high-stakes mystery in the very real, very human performances of its leads. Whether they are navigating the complexities of tribal law or the painful remnants of personal tragedy, the performers bring a level of dignity and depth that is far too rare in the genre. As the production moves into its next phase, the foundation built by this ensemble remains its greatest strength. Take the time to look into the historical context of the 1970s American Indian Movement to see just how much subtext these actors are layering into their scenes. It changes the whole experience. Moving forward, expect even more complex moral dilemmas as the lines between law and justice continue to blur for Leaphorn and Chee.