Everybody loves a sleeper hit, a show that quietly builds an audience over time and proves the OGs right. And this series is one of those ones that mixes murder-mystery, Westerns, the supernatural and characters, which is a big part of the reason why it’s one of television’s most acclaimed dramas and why it’s climbing the streaming charts.
Dark Winds is soaring again on streaming ahead of its fifth season. According to FlixPatrol data, the George R. R. Martin-produced series has climbed to No. 6 on AMC+’s overall Top 10 chart. It is also performing well internationally, including in Australia, where it reached the No. 3 spot on SBS and also recently appeared at No. 3 on Netflix’s Australian chart. Not bad for a show that has quietly become one of AMC’s most reliable prestige crime dramas.
Based on Tony Hillerman’s Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee novels, Dark Winds follows officers of the Navajo Tribal Police as they investigate crimes on Indigenous land in the 1970s. That setup gives the series its strongest identity. It has the rugged Western landscape and community tension that makes the Yellowstone comparison easy to understand, but its investigative structure and morally layered crime storytelling also place it firmly in the Bosch lane. Plus, it has Titus Welliver. Add the show’s spiritual and supernatural undercurrents, and it becomes something more specific than either comparison on its own.
The cast includes Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs, Fargo) as Lt. Joe Leaphorn, Kiowa Gordon (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Roswell, New Mexico) as Jim Chee, Jessica Matten (Tribal, Frontier) as Bernadette Manuelito, Deanna Allison (Accused, Dark Winds) as Emma Leaphorn, Rainn Wilson (The Office, Super) as Dan DeMarco, Elva Guerra(Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls) as Sally Growing Thunder, and Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager, Bosch) as Rosemary Vines
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
It is. The series was created by Graham Roland, with Martin and the late Robert Redford among its executive producers. Season 5 began filming shortly after the Season 4 finale, which means AMC is clearly not letting the momentum sit around too long. The renewal also came with strong backing from the network, which has positioned Dark Winds as one of its key ongoing dramas.
When the Season 5 renewal was announced, Dan McDermott, chief content officer of AMC Networks and president of AMC Studios, praised the show’s blend of crime, culture, and atmosphere.
“Over four seasons, Dark Winds has masterfully blended compelling character-driven stories, Navajo culture, spirituality and breathtaking cinematography,” McDermott said. “We are elated to continue the journey alongside showrunner John Wirth and the incomparable Zahn McClarnon. Our extraordinary producing and creative team, cast and crew have crafted a gripping crime drama that continues to be embraced by fans and widely celebrated by critics. We can’t wait to share more of this incredible story with audiences across the globe.”
McClarnon also spoke about what returning means to him, saying, “Thank you to Kristin Dolan, Dan McDermott, and all of AMC Networks for continuing to support and believe in Dark Winds. It’s such a privilege to embody the character of Joe Leaphorn, and I’m excited to return to Santa Fe with this amazing cast and crew to craft another thrilling season of the show that means so much to all of us.”
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John Wirth, Vince Calandra
Set in the 1970s on a remote Navajo reservation, this crime thriller follows tribal police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee as they investigate a series of brutal crimes that challenge their spiritual beliefs and personal lives. The show blends mystery, culture, and the harsh realities of life in the Southwest.