In the beginning of Episode 3 of Dark Winds Season 4, the assassin is getting closer to Billie and Albert. It’s clear that Albert is her target. He is already hurt and barely able to stand when he falls inside Billie’s uncle’s house, starting a chain of events that quickly gets out of hand. The killer shows up, sees Albert on the floor, checks the picture in his pocket, and then leaves, which means her job isn’t done yet.
Things get worse when the older person starts to panic. Ashley tries to run away, but the assassin shoots him without hesitation, showing how effective and ruthless he really is.
Joe Leaphorn, Bernadette Manuelito, and Jim Chee arrive at the scene by morning. Ashley has been moved to a cave nearby, where it is out of the sun. Joe looks closely at the evidence and sees two different patterns of gunfire: one from close range and one from far away. The switched shoes and the body facing west make it look like the killing was done in a way that is respectful of Navajo tradition, which suggests that it was planned.
Billie is heartbroken when she gets back to the station. Chee isn’t doing much better than her. Her grief is too much for her to handle. He starts to get nosebleeds because of the stomach wound he’s been hiding from everyone else.
Billie says she came back with Albert because he was looking for her cousin Leroy. Albert had a picture of Leroy, but now it’s gone. This means that the killer might be going after him next. Joe, Bern, and Chee use Billie’s map to figure out where Leroy might be and get ready to move quickly after this.
While looking at the map at the station, Bern and Chee have a moment that goes beyond work, ending with a kiss. Sadly, people see them, which makes their private relationship an awkward open secret.
Bern doesn’t say anything about her recent promotion while they’re driving because she doesn’t want to upset their already shaky relationship. The tension stays high until they reach the cottonwoods, where they find a caravan that is linked to Leroy. Instead of finding him, they run into Phillip Grayson, who says that the assassin has been in the area for at least a week. Someone saw her green truck before Albert brought Billie back, which means that Leroy has been her target all along.
In the meantime, Joe goes back over the assassin’s steps and finds a strategic spot she used. But things change when she calls him directly at home. Their talk shows that Leroy is really her main goal. Joe tries to get her to back down by promising to keep her safe on the reservation from whoever hired her. She says no and tells him to drop the case.
After the call, Joe talks to Bern and Chee again, and they start to think that Leroy might have run away to Los Angeles. Joe finds out that the killer has already been to his house. She left a scary sign of her presence by taking a picture of him and Emma.
In other places, Bern tries to help Billie by telling her to be patient as they work through the legal system and get in touch with federal officials in Los Angeles. After someone broke into his house, Joe tells Chee to keep an eye on Billie to keep her safe.
During this time, Bern tells Joe that he wants her to take over his job when he retires. Chee is shocked and hurt when she realizes she has been hiding this from him for a long time. The news causes a big split between them. Chee feels betrayed and pulls back emotionally, even though it’s Bern’s dream job.
Chee’s health gets worse when he is alone with his thoughts. He starts to bleed from his mouth and even loses a tooth, which shows that his injury is worse than he said it was.
Chee can’t sleep, so he talks to Joe about Bern’s promotion and asks him about Vines’ death. The argument gets heated, and Chee calls Joe a liar. Joe pushes back and says that Chee’s similarities to him are exactly why he shouldn’t be in charge.
In the meantime, Bern finds out that Billie has gone missing from protective custody. It’s clear that she’s taking charge and going to Los Angeles to find Leroy.
The episode ends with a tense meeting between Joe and the killer. She holds him at gunpoint and tells him to drop the case. Joe says no because he doesn’t want to give up his beliefs. She kisses him in a strange and scary way, saying they are alike, and then she slips away, leaving a mysterious promise that they will meet again.
Review of the Episode
As the season gets closer to the middle, the story starts to move toward Los Angeles, which means a change in mood and setting. Moving to a big city brings new problems, especially for Joe and Chee, who are much more at ease working on the reservation.
This episode brings each character closer to their breaking point. Joe has to face the fact that he’s up against someone who is unpredictable and dangerously crazy. Chee is still hiding how bad his health is getting while dealing with feelings of betrayal. On the other hand, Bern has to deal with the effects of her promotion and how it affects her relationship with Chee.
Billie is going to Los Angeles, and the assassin is getting closer. This sets the stage for a high-stakes fight. The stress is getting worse, and it’s clear that the fight isn’t over yet.