Irene Vaggan (Franka Potente) walks into a diner fully armed on 'Dark Winds' Season 4Image via AMC
By
Keeley Brooks
Published Mar 1, 2026, 6:39 PM EST
Keeley Brooks is a Television Features author at Collider. A lover of film and television since 19-none-of-your-business, she's a voracious consumer who spends the majority of her time watching, exploring, and dissecting content to bring a uniquely voiced, in-depth perspective to her work.
In her 10+ years' experience as an entertainment journalist and film and television critic, she has penned thousands of articles in an eclectic mix of alt-weeklies, local, regional, and national entertainment publications, and on multiple digital platforms. Additionally, she is an award-winning creative non-fiction author.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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With its Season 4 debut, AMC’s Dark Winds has done the unthinkable and extended one of television’s rarest streaks. Since its premiere in 2022, each season has consistently earned—and maintained—a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Though not all critic reviews are in yet, it stands to reason that as the show’s new season continues to unfold, its 100% scoring streak will remain firmly in place. As one of the best psychologically thrilling mysteries on television today, the quiet crime masterpiece is created by Graham Roland, executive produced by George R.R. Martin and the late, iconic Robert Redford, and is based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman.
The show's seasonal mysteries wrapped in clever stories with emotionally complex characters full of multi-layered depth aren’t the only things capturing viewer attention and earning praise. The cast's powerhouse performances—most notably that of Reservation Dogs’ Zahn McClarnon—are one of Dark Winds' greatest strengths, and they make it impossible to pass on watching. Also, the fact that four seasons have aired in a little under four years is quite astounding.
If You Aren’t Watching ‘Dark Winds,’ Here’s Why This Rare Streak Matters
Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) on horseback on 'Dark Winds' Season 4Image via AMC
Over the years, sure, there have been plenty of shows that have achieved a perfect critics' score. The difference between those and Dark Winds is that most other shows to achieve a 100% RT rating did so across just one or two seasons, often not consecutive, and certainly not across the series' entire run. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag is an exception, having maintained a rare perfect streak across its two-season run. Dark Winds has done it for four consecutive seasons and will likely continue to do so right up to its conclusion. In the television world, to achieve such an accolade is extremely rare, and this is why the success of Dark Winds matters.
The fact that every single season of the hit gritty crime masterpiece has maintained critical perfection isn’t just impressive, it’s downright significant. It’s a huge testament to the show’s consistent exceptional writing and production quality in what has become an overcrowded TV landscape. It also speaks to the stellar cast performances, the show’s authentic, respectful portrayal of Navajo culture, and its status as a must-see hidden gem among standard procedural dramas. Furthermore, its extension of TV’s rarest streaks cements its reputation as a top-tier neo-Western crime drama, indicating a dominating viewership (that you’re not part of if you’re not watching!), which is an extremely difficult achievement. That alone makes it a big deal.
Set in 1971, Dark Winds follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon) of the Tribal Police of the Navajo Nation and his deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), as they work to solve a series of unrelated, increasingly violent crimes while not only battling the forces of evil, but also each other and their own personal demons. The human transformation in the face of chaos is remarkable.
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Posts By Jasneet SinghWhat’s Ahead for ‘Dark Winds’ Season 4
In Season 4, Dark Winds is entering its darkest era yet, with Leaphorn, Chee, and Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) investigating the disappearance of a Navajo teen named Billie Tsosie (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Their efforts take them across New Mexico state lines, deep into 1970s Los Angeles, where they face an obsessive killer and the sprawling underworld of gritty organized crime… but that’s not all.
We’ll also experience the personal strife of the lead characters slowly chipping away at their bond. Leaphorn is at an impasse, still trying to figure out how to bring himself into balance while also working to confront who he is apart from his identity as a cop. As he considers retiring and making Bernadette his replacement, this will put a strain on her developing romantic relationship with Jim Chee. Speaking of Chee, Season 4 will also see him handling quite an overwhelming load: injury, stress, love, tragedy, and a reckoning with his Navajo heritage. Expect to experience the gamut of human emotion.
The show has always been rooted in grit and grace, but Season 4 will see all that intensify before turning extremely grim with the introduction of a relentless, unleashed assassin (Franka Potente) on a violent rampage. Beyond that, expect plenty of plot twists and turns and more of the dark supernatural elements and trademark focus on Navajo culture for which Dark Winds is famous. Withstanding the test of time, Season 4 will also continue its focus on memory and reconciliation in the face of buried pain and trauma.
While the first three seasons featured more slow-burn mysteries and character-driven development nestled within some pretty gnarly atmospheric tension, it was Season 3 that introduced the more horror-driven elements—creepy suspense, dark lighting, a haunting soundscape, more layers of generational trauma, and a dead body. In Season 4, we’ll see those elements deepen, expand, and intensify as our lead characters navigate their fish-out-of-water scenario in a fresh change of pace. Each will be pushed to their own personal edge, giving our actors the space to deliver what is being hailed as career-best work and Season 4’s greatest strength.
If you’re among those who’ve yet to indulge in the Dark Winds because you aren’t an AMC+ subscriber, don’t sweat it. Seasons 1, 2, and 3 are currently available on Netflix. Given how quickly the streaming giant picked up those seasons, it’s fair to expect to see Season 4 arrive on the platform sooner than you think. Can (and will) the quiet crime masterpiece continue to extend its rare streak into future seasons? Only time will tell, but that answer feels like a hard yes.
Dark Winds
Like Follow Followed TV-MA Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Release Date June 12, 2022 Network AMC Showrunner John Wirth, Vince Calandra Directors Michael Nankin Writers John Wirth, Steven Judd, Max Hurwitz, Rhiana Yazzie, Thomas Brady, DezBaa'
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Zahn McClarnon
Lt. Joe Leaphorn
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Kiowa Gordon
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