Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 3, episode 1.AMC’sDark Windsis famously set on the Navajo Nation, but the mystery show’s setting in time isn’t always as obvious.Dark Windsseason 3, episode 1got off to a very fast start, as it did everything from setting up Ernesto Cata’s disappearance to showing theYe’iitsoh inDark Winds. Almost every character in thecast ofDark Windsseason 3had something to do, which meant the show didn’t have much time to establish its place in the timeline. Some viewers may wonder how much time has passed since theending ofDark Windsseason 2, and when the newest season takes place in real-world history.
The timeline ofDark Windsseason 3 is more important than it seems, especially given how season 2 ended. Bernadette (Jessica Matten) left to join the Border Patrol, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) rejoined the Navajo Tribal Police, and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) left BJ Vines to die in the desert. Depending on how much time passed, those events could either be fresh wounds for all the characters, or they could have gotten used to their new circumstances and guilt. Luckily, the exact setting ofDark Windsseason 3 isn’t hard to figure out.
Dark Winds Season 3 Is Set In 1972
Dark Winds Season 1 Took Place In 1971 & Season 3 Is About A Year Later
WhileDark Windsseason 3 hasn’t outright said when it takes place, it is possible to glean that information.Dark Windsseason 1 and the armored car robbery by the Buffalo Society took place in the summer of 1971, andDark Windsseason 2 took place in the winter of the same year.Since AMC has announced thatDark Windsseason 3 takes place just six months after season 2 (viaAMC), that means the newest season is set in 1972. Aside from the official description and the timeline put forward in the show, however, there are other clues that putDark Windsseason 3 in 1972.
Why Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 1 Is Dedicated To Joe Bufalino III
Dark Winds season 3 has struck a much darker tone than previous seasons. Sadly, that darkness extended to the loss of one of the film community’s own.
Dark Winds' setting in the early 1970s has always been important, and the show has always tried to incorporate different parts of Navajo and American history from the time period. For example, different characters frequently reference the ongoing Vietnam War and televised moon landings. Additionally,inDark Windsseason 3, episode 1, Bernadette briefly heard some background noise from a TV set that referenced “Hanoi Jane,” and Jane Fonda didn’t earn that nickname until July 1972. That background noise actually spoke about Fonda’s trip to Hanoi in the present tense, which seems to indicate thatDark Windsseason 3 takes place specifically in July 1972.
Why Dark Winds Being Set In The 1970s Works So Well
The 1970s Setting Allows Dark Winds To Explore Lesser-Known Parts Of Navajo History & Use A Tumultuous Time Period As Its Backdrop
The fact thatDark Windstakes place in the early 1970s is actually a massive advantage the show has.By focusing on the 1970s in the present tense,Dark Windsis able to much more actively grapple with some of the more tragic and tumultuous parts of Navajo and American history than if it were set in the present day. For example, much of Emma’s (Deanna Allison) story has been about the forced sterilization of Navajo women by white American doctors. Likewise, Joe Jr.’s death has allowedDark Windsto take a hard look at the dangers Navajo men faced while mining uranium and working on oil rigs.
“Ye’iitsoh (Big Monster)”
“Náá’tsoh (Big Eyes)”
“Ch’į́į́dii (Ghosts)”
“T’áá Áłts’íísígo (Just a Small Piece)”
“Béésh Łį́į́ (Iron Horse)”
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In a broad sense, being set in 1972 allowsDark Windsto stand out from other period dramas. Even other police procedural shows set in the same era, likeMindhunter, don’t focus on presenting their story from a Navajo perspective.Dark Windsis one of far too few stories told that focuses on Native American people and the history of atrocities carried out against them. On top of that,Dark Windsalso gets to use the same things other period dramas enjoy, like period-accurate cars, clothes, and historical events. The setting ofDark Windsis almost as much a character as Leaphorn or Chee.
