Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 4, episode 8.Even though Dark Winds season 4 just ended, the acclaimed crime thriller has already revealed the mystery next season will revolve around. Each season of Dark Winds tackles one new mystery, usually taken from the pages of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee books. Normally, the creators of Dark Winds reveal the premise of each season a few months in advance to build hype. This time, however, the show revealed the next mystery in this season’s finale.

The finale of Dark Winds season 4 wrapped up most of the season’s loose ends, from the mystery surrounding Billie Tsosie’s family to the conspiracy between Irene Vaggan and Dominic McNair. At the very end of the episode, however, Joe Leaphorn learned that his longtime friend and contemporary, Gordo Sena, had been murdered. Since Dark Winds season 5 has already been renewed, it seems clear that the coming season will solve this mystery.

Gordo Sena Was Murdered In Dark Winds Season 4’s Finale

The way the finale of Dark Winds season 4 introduced Gordo’s murder makes it very clear that the series is gearing up to spend an entire season finding justice for him. Dark Winds revealed almost nothing about Gordo’s murder before the season ended. Leaphorn simply got a call and told Bernadette the news. All we know for certain is that he was killed the night after Leaphorn visited him, and that he was supposed to go fishing with Leaphorn the following morning.

Gordo’s death has so many loose ends that Dark Winds season 5 can work on tying up. For instance, if he was killed in his own home, that means his wife, Linda Hamilton’s Barbara, likely witnessed something about the murder. Barbara, however, has some form of dementia, so her memory loss will almost certainly complicate Leaphorn, Manuelito, and Chee’s investigation.

Gordo’s past also helps give Dark Winds season 5 a ready-made mystery. Gordo was the sheriff of Scarborough county for years before he retired. He undoubtedly made a lot of enemies by working in law enforcement for that long, and the list of suspects who could have killed him is almost certainly a mile long. Honestly, Gordo was the perfect character to base a murder mystery around: his death basically writes the season itself.

Dark Winds Season 5 Has To Be About Solving Gordo’s Murder

The creators of Dark Winds haven’t outright confirmed that Gordo’s murder will be the mystery season 5 follows, but they might as well have. No show can have a reveal like this and not turn it into the basis of an entire season. Gordo was one of the best characters in Dark Winds, and certainly one of the most beloved. He deserves an entire season dedicated to finding his killer. Dark Winds also wouldn’t be able to come up with a more enticing mystery than Gordo’s murder.

Gordo’s murder also gives Dark Winds season 5 so much material to work with for its other main characters. Leaphorn, for example, was contemplating retirement, but he’s going to reconsider that now to solve Gordo’s murder. Chee, as well, was considering leaving the reservation in favor of the FBI, but this new case throws a wrench in that plan. Gordo’s murder is a golden opportunity that cannot be wasted.

The fact that Dark Winds was willing to do a season-ending cliffhanger like this and set up a new season all in one go also reveals a few interesting things about the series. Mainly, it seems the creators of Dark Winds are getting more confident. Season 5 was renewed before season 4 even premiered, but this cliffhanger also demonstrates that AMC is confident the series can maintain its audience between seasons.

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It’s not very surprising that AMC is more confident than ever in Dark Winds. It’s one of the few shows with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes across every single season. Dark Winds is constantly praised for its mysteries, its acting performances, and the technical skill it’s produced with. Gordo’s murder is just yet another sign that Dark Winds is picking up steam and heading towards a bright future.

Release Date

June 12, 2022

Showrunner

John Wirth, Vince Calandra

Directors

Michael Nankin

Writers

John Wirth, Steven Judd, Max Hurwitz, Rhiana Yazzie, Thomas Brady, DezBaa’