The first episode of Dark Winds Season 4 starts with a lot of tension at a remote diner. A woman with a gun storms in and aims at a Navajo man named Albert. He is with his girlfriend, Billie, and it quickly becomes clear that they are on the run. A violent gunfight breaks out, and the two have to run away into the night. No matter what danger they’re running from, they soon run into people they know.
Later, Jim Chee tells the force about Billie’s disappearance, not knowing how bad this case will get. The episode then goes back 15 hours to show how everything got to this point.
Joe Leaphorn is now alone because Emma left him after last season’s fight with BJ Vines. He spends his days hunting, doing chores, and thinking about what will happen next. The loneliness is hard on him, and it’s clear that he’s having trouble figuring out what to do.
Meeting Gordo on the side of the road adds emotional depth. While Joe helps him change a tire, they talk about the hard things in life. Gordo says that his wife has dementia, which makes Joe think about what is really important and how little time he has left.
Bernadette Manuelito and Jim Chee are getting closer, but their personal and professional lives are starting to mix. When Joe comes to see Bern and tells her he plans to retire for good, she is shocked. Captain Largo already knows. Joe has filled out the paperwork and is getting ready to leave for Los Angeles to try to fix things with Emma. He also wants Bern to take over because he thinks the department needs new leadership.
This choice could cause problems between Bern and Jim. Bern is worried about the possibility of working on cases from different points of view because they are both still trying to figure out how to balance their jobs and their relationship. Jim, on the other hand, stays positive and tells her that they will work it out together.
When Joe’s mother hears about his plans, she gives him a more realistic view. She tells him to retire for himself, not for Emma, and reminds him that he should make his own decisions.
Joe and Jim go to St. Catherine’s, where Billie was last seen, and the investigation really starts. Sister Regina is worried and says that things might be worse than they seem. The girls at school don’t want to talk because they’re scared of getting in trouble, but Joe gives them his phone number in case they change their minds.
Roger, a shopkeeper in the area, gives a key lead by saying that Billie was seen in a car with California plates with Albert, which suggests a possible destination. Joe and Jim don’t know that the mysterious killer from the beginning is close by, watching and listening to everything they do.
They find Billie’s grandfather, Mr. Begay, who tells them that Albert has a criminal past. He doesn’t know where they are, but he knows that Billie’s connection to Albert means trouble.
When Bern gets back to the station, everyone is happy to see him. She goes back to St. Catherine’s because she wants to help, and she talks to a girl named Jane. Using her own past experiences, Bern gains Jane’s trust and finds out that Billie planned to stop at a diner if she ever ran away. Redhouse is the closest one.
Joe and Jim hurry there, but by the time they get there, it’s too late. The diner is empty and in ruins. Bullet holes, spent shells, and bodies behind the counter make it look bad. The killer and the couple who ran away are gone, leaving only the violence behind. The timeline catches up with the first scene, bringing everything back to where it started.
The Review of the Episode
This first episode takes its time setting up the story, choosing a slow-burn style that puts character development ahead of action right away. The pacing may seem deliberate, but it does a good job of reintroducing the characters and how their relationships are changing.
Joe’s choice to retire makes things more emotional and makes people wonder what will happen to him next, especially with Los Angeles and Emma in the background. Bern’s possible promotion adds a lot of tension to her relationship with Jim, which will be a major conflict throughout the season between duty and personal connection.
The main case is based on real events and is interesting. It moves away from the supernatural elements of Season 3 and toward a more traditional crime story. The assassin’s presence makes things feel very dangerous and mysterious, even though her reasons are still unclear.
This episode feels like a setup chapter overall—it’s quiet but purposeful. It sets the stage for a season that will be more intense and focused on characters.