Why Dark Winds Can Never Fully Adapt The Leaphorn & Chee Books After Season 5 Renewal

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Despite the show Dark Winds being picked up for a fifth season, star Zahn McClarnon explains that it’s impossible to bring the original books to life completely on screen.

Zahn McClarnon stars as Joe Leaphorn in the popular AMC series inspired by Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels. The current season, season 4, is based on The Ghostway, and while the story partially takes place in Los Angeles, Leaphorn remains a central character even though he isn’t in this specific book. With season 5 already confirmed before season 4 even aired, the show is clearly successful and has the potential to bring many more of Hillerman’s books to life.

I recently spoke with Zahn McClarnon about the future of Dark Winds, and he shared some fascinating insights. While the show is doing well and has a lot of potential, he explained that not everything from the source novels will make it to the screen. He believes certain deeply personal aspects of the Diné culture simply can’t be authentically portrayed on television. He stressed that Dark Winds isn’t meant to be a documentary; if you really want to understand those nuances, he encourages viewers to experience them firsthand – to visit a Navajo reservation and connect with the Navajo people directly. Here’s what he had to say:

I’m excited to delve deeper into Joe’s character this season. We have a lot planned, and I don’t want to give away any surprises, but there are definitely more layers to uncover.

Playing Joe Leaphorn is a dream come true, and I still can’t believe I get to do it. It’s incredible to be a working actor on a show that’s lasted five seasons, and we have plenty more books to adapt! I’m especially excited about the possibility of exploring some of the Leaphorn & Chee novels in the future.

When adapting these books, we’re being careful with how we portray Diné culture. We can’t share everything the books reveal, as some aspects are considered private and shouldn’t be shown on TV. We deeply respect Diné traditions and are committed to handling them with sensitivity. We’re creating a fictional story, not a documentary, so anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the culture should connect directly with the Navajo people and visit the Navajo Nation.

Many crime dramas exist, but Dark Winds stands out due to its portrayal and examination of Navajo culture. The show consistently maintains this focus, as noted in a ScreenRant review of season 4, which highlights the series’ blend of Navajo culture and supernatural themes. The showrunners have made smart choices about adapting the source material, recognizing that some cultural details work better in a book than on screen, and this commitment to authenticity is a key reason why the show’s representation has been so positively received.

The show also has plans to adapt other books from the Leaphorn & Chee series in future seasons. While adapting The Ghostway presented difficulties, Dark Winds has demonstrated its ability to bring the novels to life, even with some changes to the original stories. This is possible because many of the books focus on either Leaphorn or Chee individually, while the AMC series features both characters in every season.

In the series Dark Winds, Kiowa Gordon stars as Chee and Jessica Matten plays Bernadette Manuelito. Graham Roland created the show, with Vince Calandra leading the first season and John Wirth taking over as showrunner for all following seasons. The late Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, both served as executive producers and made brief appearances in the premiere episode of season 3.

Dark Winds releases new episodes at 9:00 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

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2026-02-22 20:48