Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 5 recap: Leaphorn reaches George’s hideout in the Coal mines 

AMC’s Dark Winds premiered in 2022 and is based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series of novels. The western crime thriller is currently airing its third season, which is based on the novels Dance Hall of the Dead and The Sinister Pig.

In the previous episode, Halsey (Phil Burke) was murdered in police custody. In episode 5 of Dark Winds, Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Chee (Kiowa Gordon) investigate Halsey’s involvement in Ernesto’s murder and finally get ahold of George Bowlegs’s whereabouts.

The synopsis of the episode titled Tsékǫ̨' Hasą́ní (Coal Mine Canyon) states:

"Following a grisly murder, Leaphorn and Chee strike out on their own when the FBI take over their case. Special Agent Washington pays the Leaphorns an unexpected visit. Manuelito searches for evidence south of the border."

Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 5 recap: Bernadette and Ivan go to Mexico to investigate Spenser’s operation

Even after being subtly threatened by Budge Budge de Baca (Raoul Max Trujillo) in an earlier episode of Dark Winds, Bernadette (Jessica Matten) doesn’t falter and looks determined to unravel Spenser’s criminal activities to stop further deaths. She has also been informed by Chee that their cases might not be two separate ones, and that Budge might be an important piece in solving both of them.

She and a reluctant Ivan go to Mexico to secretly investigate Spenser’s operation. In an oil refinery of AGS in Juarez, they find Budge and Spenser’s truck and take pictures of it, but are caught doing so.

Fortunately, they survive the attack and run away from there, but Bernadette has now become suspicious of everyone, including Ivan, of being the informer for Tom Spenser (Bruce Greenwood).

Also Read: Dark Winds Season 3 Cast and Character guide: Who plays whom in AMC period thriller

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Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 5 recap: Leaphorn and Chee continue their investigation of Ernesto’s death and finally learn about George’s location

Since the FBI has taken over the case after Halsey died in police custody, Leaphorn and Chee do not stop their investigation and reach a diner to find out if Halsey was telling them the truth about being there when Ernesto died. After confirming Halsey was in the diner, they also got intel about another man who came to meet Halsey there. Based on the description given by the waitress, Chee guesses it might be Budge, whom the FBI has also been looking for.

In the episode, we also get to see Joe Leaphorn’s detective skills as he theorizes that George might have tried to run away to his mother in Reno, based on his father Shorty Bowlegs’s statement, who told them that George wanted to visit his mother and that his toolbox was missing.

Leaphorn successfully guesses that George might have sold Shorty’s tools in a pawn shop for money and gone to Reno. After questioning George in the pawn shop, Leaphorn also asks about the dirt in George’s fingers and nails, which finally leads him to George’s hideout in the coal mines.

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Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 5 recap: Leaphorn’s struggle with guilt and Agent Washington’s investigation

From the beginning of the episode, we see Leaphorn struggling with his guilt of killing BJ Vines, as he has been having nightmares. He confesses to the Navajo medicine woman that he has crossed the line that separates men from monsters. She asks him if he has been seeing monsters. Leaphorn tells her that she has already been to the station and asks if it is the Ye'iitsoh’s presence. However, she does not answer his question but tells him to follow the pollen path that will draw away the monsters.

Meanwhile, Emma (Deanna Allison) does not want to live with Leaphorn anymore after his confession about being responsible for BJ Vines’s death and asks him to leave. Leaphorn leaves their home and begins living in his car.

Elsewhere, Agent Sylvia Washington (Jenna Elfman) finally gets the last thread of her evidence in the BJ Vines case after she learns that Vines’s neighbor saw him being taken in a police car at night.

With this information, Washington finally gets a search warrant and goes to visit the Leaphorn house.

The next episode will be a crucial one in Season 3 of the crime series, to see if Leaphorn can get ahold of George and if Washington gets to arrest Leaphorn for his crime.

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Catch new episodes of Dark Winds every Sunday on AMC.

Read More: Dark Winds Season 3's strong viewership all but proves its Season 4 renewal to be worth the wait