‘Dark Winds’ Season 4 ending explained: Is Gordo Sena dead? Joe Leaphorn's retirement plans fall apart
The finale episode of 'Dark Winds' Season 4 was arguably one of the most carefully crafted and well-executed conclusions to a season. The AMC show set up its latest installment as a tough challenge for Zahn McClarnon's Joe Leaphorn and Billie. The latter, a teenager played by Isabel DeRoy-Olson, has been on the Navajo Tribal Police's radar all season since there was a formidable threat to her life. The penultimate episode saw Franka Potente's Irene Vaggan abducting both Leaphorn and Billie, and holding them captive in her bunker as part of a twisted wish to have her own dollhouse family.
Although Vaggan wanted to recreate the familial bonds she never quite experienced in her own life, Leaphorn used his skills of observation to escape from her clutches and arrest her. He also went on to uncover Vaggan's sinister plot to have her mob boss, Dominic McNair, clear his name with the help of false testimony. On the other hand, Kiowa Gordon's Chee recovered from his ghost sickness after the entire community showed up to support him. At this point, it did seem that Leaphorn had finally checked all the boxes and, as previously established in the fourth season, was headed towards a quiet life of retirement. Nevertheless, tragedy soon followed when Leaphorn learned about the murder of Gordo Sena, played by A. Martinez.
The relationship between Sena and Leaphorn has been particularly fulfilling for the latter. Earlier in the season, Sena had revealed to Leaphorn that he wished he hadn't retired. He mentioned he wanted to meet death with his boots on, and that he was investigating a couple of cold cases from the past. In the aftermath of Sena's death, Leaphorn is poised to get to the root of the mystery and apprehend whoever killed his friend. His retirement, obviously, has to wait.
In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner John Wirth said Sena's death was a carefully planned narrative device that would prevent Leaphorn from retiring. Wirth also added, "The only real possible solution was an act of God, which made it inevitable for him to have to stay. The only thing significant enough would be someone being murdered on or near the Navajo Nation. Then as writers, you say, “Who’s the list?” Is it Emma, is it Bernadette, Chee, is it Sena? So we decided that it should be Gordo Sena, and I have to say, also, by the way, in the three seasons Sena was in [starting in season two], he became a much bigger part of the soul of the show than anybody ever imagined." 'Dark Winds' is exclusively available on AMC.
