AMC’s gripping psychological thriller Dark Winds roared back for its third season earlier in 2025, delivering eight episodes of unrelenting tension set against the stark beauty of 1970s Navajo Nation. Starring Zahn McClarnon as the tormented Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Kiowa Gordon as the undercover-turned-deputy Jim Chee, the series—executive produced by George R.R. Martin and the late Robert Redford—adapts Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels with a noir edge that earned perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores for its first two outings. Premiering on AMC and AMC+ on March 9, 2025, and wrapping April 27, the expanded season plunged deeper into cultural clashes, personal demons, and surreal mysteries, blending crime procedural with supernatural undertones that left viewers questioning reality.

Leaked plot details and trailer snippets, which surfaced online ahead of the AMC debut, teased a season where “monsters” aren’t just folklore. Picking up six months after Season 2’s explosive revenge, Leaphorn grapples with the moral fallout of killing B.J. Vines, the man tied to his son’s death. Narrated by McClarnon’s gravelly voiceover—”We all have a line that runs down the middle of our heart… that separates monsters from men”—the official trailer dropped in January 2025, showcasing gruesome discoveries and hallucinatory visions that blur justice and madness. A second teaser amplified the creep factor, with Leaphorn recounting childhood tales of skinwalkers while bloodied scenes unfolded against the reservation’s red rocks.

The core case kicks off with the vanishing of two young boys, leaving only a blood-stained bicycle as a clue—echoing Hillerman’s Dance Hall of the Dead. Leaphorn, haunted by guilt, teams with Chee and Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten), now navigating Border Patrol dangers. Leaks hinted at a sinister cult preying on Navajo youth, tying into broader themes of exploitation and lost traditions. Jenna Elfman joins as FBI Agent Sylvia Washington, clashing with local authorities in a multi-jurisdictional mess, while Bruce Greenwood portrays a shady developer with ties to missing persons.

Episode breakdowns from early leaks revealed escalating stakes: Episode 1 reintroduces Redford in his final cameo as a chess-playing inmate, dispensing cryptic wisdom to Leaphorn. Mid-season arcs delve into Chee’s identity crisis and Manuelito’s high-risk undercover work, culminating in a finale where Leaphorn confronts a human “monster” embodying colonial greed. Surreal elements—like visions of the dead—push the noir into horror territory, earning praise for respecting Navajo spirituality without exploitation.

Production wrapped in June 2025 after starting in March, filmed in New Mexico’s Tesuque Pueblo and Santa Fe for authenticity. Over 90% Indigenous crew and cast ensured cultural accuracy, a hallmark since Season 1. Guest stars like Raoul Max Trujillo and Tonantzin Carmelo added layers to reservation dynamics.

Critics hailed it as the boldest yet. Rolling Stone called McClarnon “riveting,” while Decider noted the show’s complexity in portraying Indigenous mysteries. Nielsen ratings showed strong linear viewership, averaging over 1 million per episode, with AMC+ boosts.

Netflix’s deal brought Seasons 1-2 to US screens in August 2024, sparking a surge—19.2 million views by mid-2025. Season 3 hits US Netflix October 27, 2025, after international rollouts in late September. This fall drop aligns with renewed licensing through 2027, faster than prior waits.

Fan leaks on TikTok and Reddit dissected trailers frame-by-frame, predicting twists like a pregnancy subplot or Chee-Manuelito romance. #DarkWindsS3 trended post-premiere, with X posts praising the leap in scope.

Renewed for Season 4 before Season 3 aired, filming starts soon for a 2026 debut, adding Titus Welliver. As Leaphorn warns, “Sometimes to stop a monster, you have to become one”—a line echoing through leaks and promos.

Viewership exploded globally post-Netflix international drops, hitting top 10s in 29 countries by October 2025. Stateside anticipation builds for October 27, with rewatches spiking.

Dark Winds S3 proves Indigenous-led stories can dominate, blending faith, fear, and unflinching justice. As winds darken on Netflix this fall, one question lingers: where do you draw the line?