Why Dark Winds Season 4 Trades Manuelito & Chee’s Will-They-Won’t-They Dynamic For An Official Romance

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for season 4 of Dark Winds. The latest season of Dark Winds delivered plenty of action and drama, and also hinted at a possible romance. Showrunner John Wirth recently spoke with ScreenRant about the evolving relationship between Bernadette Manuelito and Jim Chee and how their connection is changing.

Dark Winds, a crime drama that premiered in 2022, is based on the Leaphorn & Chee novels by Tony Hillerman. Set in the 1970s American Southwest, the show follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Officer Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) as they investigate murders. The series also explores the lives and cultures of people living on Native American reservations. Season four largely adapts the novel The Ghostway.

I recently spoke with showrunner Wirth about what’s in store for Manuelito and Chee in Dark Winds season four. They’ve had a really rocky relationship, and honestly, as a viewer, I’ve been left guessing whether they’ll finally get it together or not. Wirth explained that the new season will really explore how past experiences have impacted Bernadette, and how she’s dealing with some serious trauma. It sounds like we’ll see a lot of growth and change for both characters as they navigate these new challenges.

In the third season, Bernadette went through a really difficult ordeal where she almost got buried alive. She confronted and killed a villain named Budge, which was likely the first time she’d had to take a life while on duty. As a deeply spiritual and traditional person, this experience deeply affected her.

She returned to the reservation, seemingly to find her balance again. She had a relationship there that didn’t work out, but I admire her for going back. Now she’s focusing on healing, and the Navajo culture offers many ceremonies and resources to help people through emotional and psychological challenges, which she’s utilizing.

We intentionally moved Chee and her relationship forward quickly. With only eight episodes, we didn’t want to spend time on the typical ‘will they/won’t they’ storyline. Instead, we started with them already together and focused on how they were dealing with the challenges of being a couple.

This creates a fascinating problem for Leaphorn and the others: who will take over, and how will that change their relationships? The dynamic between the three of them is complex, and it was interesting to explore. Everyone is dealing with difficult consequences, especially Chee, and things become even more complicated when they travel to California and uncover new information.

This season does a better job of helping viewers connect with and understand the characters.

Sean Morrison at ScreenRant reviewed season 4 of Dark Winds and noted that while the show is strong overall, the romantic connection between Chee and Bernadette felt lacking. He felt their slow-developing relationship didn’t quite spark as much as he’d hoped. Given all the turmoil in the series, it’s uncertain whether this couple will find stability or if the ongoing drama will ultimately pull them apart.

AMC’s Dark Winds is standing out as a critically acclaimed series, achieving a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a remarkable accomplishment. The network has also given the show an early renewal for a fifth season, even before the fourth season has aired. Viewers can likely expect the new season around 2027, continuing the eight-episode format.

Dark Winds is available on AMC, and you can stream the series on AMC+.

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2026-02-15 20:28