Zahn McClarnon  in ‘Dark Winds’ crime series

Zahn McClarnon in Criminal drama

‘Dark Winds’ delivers a gloomy Native-American criminal drama onto the network (CNN) In the dark and somber crime series “Dark Winds,” which is set on Native American tribal property in the 1970s and is reminiscent of both “True Detective” and “Twin Peaks” due to its eerily magical atmosphere, atmosphere plays a significant role. It’s a great mystery that features Native-American talent both in front of and behind the camera, and it’s better during its wide-open-spaces buildup than the rather jumbled climax.

Zahn McClarnon entry

The six-episode show creates a welcome starring vehicle for Zahn McClarnon (“Fargo,” “Westworld”) as Joe Leaphorn, who is one of a few dozen police officers assigned to patrol thousands of dusty, visually striking acres. The show counts among its producers both Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, who is the creator of “Game of Thrones.”

Leaphorn is joined by a new deputy, the ambitious Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), who is given foreboding advice by a coworker named Bernadette (Jessica Matten) who says, “Out here, sometimes your greatest protection isn’t your.38.” Leaphorn and Jim Chee become partners in the investigation of a murder.

The plot, which was developed by Graham Roland and adapted from Tony Hillerman’s novels about Navajo detectives, involves a tourist family that buys the wrong painting, as well as an unsolved bank heist that left behind unfound loot and still commands the interest of an FBI agent (“The Americans'” Noah Emmerich) operating in the area.

In the meanwhile, Leaphorn and his wife (played by Deanna Allison) are suffering from a personal tragedy. McClarnon’s painful faces whenever his family background is brought up do a lot of work in portraying the mileage that the character carries with him throughout the plot.

“Dark Winds”

As has been said, “Dark Winds” is differentiated more by its introduction to a specific location and time than by the primary mystery. This period in time is distant enough in the past that allusions to magic appear more realistic. In addition, there are stark reminders of previous sins against this group, such as a pregnant lady being cautioned about the possibility of being sterilized against her will if she gives birth in the hospital.

Alongside recent creations like the FX series “Reservation Dogs,” in which McClarnon co-stars, and “Rutherford Falls,” the series provides as an additional strong platform for Native-American talent in a manner that has proved historically rare in Hollywood. (Redford purchased the rights to Hillerman’s novels in the 1980s and shopped the concept around for several years before teaming up with Martin and finding someone interested in it.)

The critically acclaimed programs “The Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul” are both going to an end in the near future, leaving AMC at something of a crossroads. The network’s development efforts look to be moving in the right direction at least with “Dark Winds,” despite the fact that it is difficult to replicate the success of franchises of this kind.

“Dark Winds” will make its debut on AMC on June 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), and subscribers to AMC+ will get early access to the episode.

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