JuicyTalk
AMC’s Dark Winds has continued an unfortunate trend with the Emmy Awards that has been going on for three years now, and I’m so disappointed. Dark Winds has been a hit for AMC since it began. Every season of Dark Winds has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Dark Winds season 4 has already been confirmed, and the show is among the network’s most popular.
Everything about Dark Winds seems positive, and it also looks like the show is going to keep its momentum. George R.R. Martin’s comments about Dark Winds season 4 seem promising, and the new cast members for Dark Winds season 4 should add even more talent to the show. While the future is bright, there’s also a disappointing trend Dark Winds has been experiencing.
Despite A Brilliant Performance From Zahn McClarnon, Dark Winds Didn’t Get A Single Emmy Nomination
Zahn McClarnon Gave The Performance As His Life As Joe Leaphorn But Didn’t Even Get Nominated
The list of nominations for the 2025 Emmy Awards was recently revealed, and Dark Winds season 3 didn’t get a single nomination. That’s unfortunately not news: despite having three seasons with perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores, Dark Winds has never been nominated for an Emmy. It’s a long-standing snub, but this year’s nominations carry an extra sting.
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Zahn McClarnon has been excellent for a very long time, but Dark Winds season 3, episode 6 makes it impossible for award voting bodies to ignore him.
Dark Winds season 3 not being nominated for an Emmy hurts worse this year because Zahn McClarnon gave the performance of his life as Joe Leaphorn. He was astounding throughout the entire season: he nailed Joe’s internal torment by the Ye’iitsoh, his strugggle to hold onto Emma (Deanna Allison), and so much more. McClarnon was a powerhouse in every aspect of acting.
Praise for Zahn McClarnon in Dark Winds Season 3 (via Rotten Tomatoes) | |
|---|---|
Outlet | Review |
Movies & Munchies | “Zahn McClarnon is a gripping and flawed lead that propels the series from good to great.” |
New York Magazine/Vulture | “…unforgettable work in what’s shaping up to be a career-highlight season for McClarnon” |
Paste Magazine | “McClarnon’s tour de force” |
Rolling Stone | “McClarnon is such an arresting screen presence” |
RogerEbert.com | “McClarnon is a singular performer in modern television, one who, with each season of “Dark Winds,” gives a more heart-wrenching performance than the last.” |
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series is stacked this year – the likes of Pedro Pascal and Gary Oldman have been nominated – but Zahn McClarnon still deserved at least a nomination. I literally cannot overstate this: Zahn McClarnon was incredible in Dark Winds. It could well be his magnum opus, but it got no recognition at all from the Emmys.
Zahn McClarnon Isn’t The Only Part Of Dark Winds That Got Snubbed At The Emmys
Jessica Matten & Kiowa Gordon Also Deserved Nominations & So Did Dark Winds’ Costume Department
While it is a massive shame that Zahn McClarnon didn’t get an Emmy nomination, he’s not the only member of Dark Winds‘ cast who got snubbed. Both Kiowa Gordon (Chee) and Jessica Matten (Bernadette) deserved to be nominated for best supporting actor and actress, respectively. They’ve gotten better with every season of Dark Winds, and their chemistry is the second most engaging part of the show.
Matten and Gordon being snubbed also stings a bit more than McClarnon not being recognized. The fields for supporting actor and actress are far less competitive than the competition for lead actor is, yet Gordon and Matten still didn’t get a nomination. The White Lotus had three actors and four actresses get nominations, yet Dark Winds might as well not have existed.
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Dark Winds season 4 is still a ways away, but there’s already another Western detective procedural featuring Zahn McClarnon that can pass the time.
Dark Winds also got snubbed behind the camera. Lahly Poore-Ericson, the costume designer for Dark Winds season 3, deserved a nomination for the Outstanding Period Costumes Emmy. Dark Winds season 3 is set in 1972, and Poore-Ericson did a tremendous job of showing that in the characters’ clothing. They also nailed Dark Winds‘ Ye’iitsoh, but other Westerns like American Primeval and 1923 got nominated instead.
I honestly don’t know what to attribute this snub to; it’s utterly baffling to me. Dark Winds deserves a lot better than this.
It’s honestly such a shame that the Emmy Awards have completely overlooked Dark Winds for three years running. It’s a phenomenal show led by an all-star cast and crew, yet the Emmys somehow don’t recognize all the talent on display in Dark Winds. I honestly don’t know what to attribute this snub to; it’s utterly baffling to me. Dark Winds deserves a lot better than this.
