Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) in Dark Winds season 2, episode 4Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
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Sean Morrison
Published Feb 22, 2026, 10:06 PM EST
Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2023. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers.
Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism.
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Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 4, episode 2.This week's episode of Dark Winds season 4 ended with a big twist that should have major implications for Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), but non-Navajo viewers may not know what a death hogan is. Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito surprisingly managed to finish their search for Billie Tsosie this week. They caught her while she was stealing supplies to treat Albert Gorman's bullet wounds, but the mystery isn't completely over yet.
Though the main cast of Dark Winds has found Billie, they still don't know why Irene was hunting her and Albert, and they won't be able to ask the recently deceased Albert anymore. There's also a new problem facing specifically Chee: ghost sickness, which also ties the show into Tony Hillerman's books. There were a few surprises in store for Dark Winds this week, and they all warrant an explanation.
What A Death Hogan Is & Why Chee Went Into It In Dark Winds Season 4, Episode 2
Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) in Dark Winds season 4, episode 2Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
At the end of Dark Winds season 4, episode 2, Bernadette, Leaphorn, and Chee found Albert Gorman dead at the home of Ashie Begay. Bernadette and Leaphorn, however, instantly recognized the home as a death hogan and warned Chee against entering. Navajo people generally try to avoid coming into contact with dead bodies, as they believe that a person releases their "chindi," the negative parts of their spirit, and coming into contact with chindi can cause ghost sickness.
Ghost sickness occurs when a Navajo person encounters someone's chindi, either by touching a corpse or by entering a death hogan. Navajo people also believe that when a person dies indoors, their chindi is trapped in the building, turning it into a death hogan. A hole is then made in the north wall of the building to let the chindi escape and to signal to other Navajo people not to enter. That hole let Leaphorn and Manuelito instantly identify the death hogan.
Chee seemingly knew the stigma surrounding death hogans when Bernadette warned him against entering, but he went in anyway. As we saw, Chee then got a nosebleed and started seeing visions. Chee has been afflicted with ghost sickness. Chee likely entered the death hogan because he's always been a skeptic about things like ghost sickness and medicine, and he likely didn't take Bernadette's warning seriously.
Why Joe Doesn't Want Chee To Know That He's Retiring
Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) holding flashlights in Dark Winds season 4, episode 2Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
In Dark Winds season 4, episode 1, Joe told Bernadette that he is planning on retiring, and that he wants her to take his place as lieutenant. This week's episode revealed that only Bernadette knows about Joe's plan, and she asked him if she could tell Chee. Joe, however, refused, and the only justification he gave was that he didn't want everyone in the office to know yet, and he asked Bernadette to essentially lie for him.
Chee has proven himself to have loose lips already this season, as Bernadette already knew about Billie Tsosie's disappearance before returning to the police station. Joe likely believes that if he tells Chee about his decision, Chee won't be able to keep the secret from the rest of his officers. Once they know, Joe will be pestered with questions and well wishes, and he just wants to do his job normally for the next few weeks he's still doing it.
Related
Dark Winds Season 4 Review: Leaphorn's Greatest Adversary To Date Brings Out The Best In The Main Cast
Dark Winds season 4 returns in spectacular fashion, featuring a brilliant new villain, inspired acting performances, and superb character work.
Posts By Sean MorrisonWhile it might make sense for Joe to keep Chee in the dark, that doesn't make it the right decision. Chee is going to find out that Joe is retiring and Bernadette is replacing him eventually, and he's likely going to be upset that they kept him in the dark. He'll likely be even more mad at Bernadette, as they've just restarted their relationship only for her to get promoted over him. Chee is an ambitious man, and he likely won't be happy that Bernadette got the promotion instead of him.
Why Irene Didn't Shoot Joe In Dark Winds Season 4, Episode 2
Franka Potente as Irene wearing a black tactical suit in Dark Winds season 4Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection
Towards the beginning of Dark Winds season 4, episode 2, Joe and Chee followed a trail of fluid left after Gorman shot at Irene's van. That led them to an auto shop where Irene got supplies to repair her van, and while they were there, the contract killer had Joe in the scope of her rifle. Despite being able to easily kill him, however, Irene didn't take the shot, and she gave a mysterious smile as Joe and Chee left the area.
It's not entirely clear why Irene didn't shoot Joe. She obviously has no qualms about killing bystanders, even a police officer like Joe. His death also would have gotten him off her trail and made her hunt for Gorman easier. There are, however, some reasons she didn't take the shot. The most important is that Irene seems to be fascinated by Joe for some reason, and she seems to be enjoying the thrill of him hunting for her.
Dark Winds Season 4 Release Schedule
Title
Release Date (Sundays @ 9 PM ET on AMC+)
Baptism by Fire
February 15
Toward Their Unknown Paths
February 22
That Which has been Torn Apart
March 1
The New World
March 8
Those Who Harmed One Another
March 15
Those Who Were Searching For Me
March 22
We Came Back
March 29
The Glittering World
April 5
That's likely why Irene smiled after seeing Joe. She's clearly a professional who covers her tracks, but Joe was able to get very close to her just by following a radiator leak. He's a challenge to her, and she probably has some twisted sense of admiration for Joe. She didn't kill Joe for the same reason he didn't kill the deer in the premiere of Dark Winds season 4: mutual respect.
Irene's apparent fascination with Joe could be a real problem going forward. Irene is a professional, but she's also clearly not mentally stable. If she convinces herself she's in a game of cat and mouse with Joe, she could do some real damage to him as part of that game. Even if she doesn't, however, it's clear that Irene is going to be a problem for Dark Winds season 4.
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9.4/10
Dark Winds
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Release Date June 12, 2022 Network AMC Showrunner John Wirth, Vince Calandra Directors Michael Nankin Writers John Wirth, Steven Judd, Max Hurwitz, Rhiana Yazzie, Thomas Brady, DezBaa'
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Zahn McClarnon
Lt. Joe Leaphorn
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