DARK WINDS Recap: (S02E02) Wonders of the Unknown

Posted by Noetta Harjo | Aug 6, 2023 | All the Rest, Indigenerd Wire, Recaps & Reviews, TV & Streaming | 0

The mystery of the blonde man begins to unfold on Dark Winds. In “Wonders of the Unknown,” Chee (Kiowa Gordon) recuperates after being shot while Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) investigates the link between the box and his son’s death.

Leaphorn literally drags Chee through the desert to get help. Chee is badly injured and losing blood after getting shot by Colton Wolf (Nicholas Logan). Wolf made it home and proceeded to remove shards of glass from his face, courtesy of Joe Leaphorn. When Leaphorn and Chee get to the road, a truck drives by and almost hits Joe.

Early the next morning, Bernadette (Jessica Matten) gets early for a walk. The mailman rides by and hands her a letter from Border Patrol. Hmmm … Bernadette gets ready for work and heads to the station. The place is buzzing about the moon landing that is being aird on TV the next day. The guys at the station are setting up an antenna so they can watch it.

RELATED: Dark Winds Season Premiere Recap: (S02E01) Na’nilkaadii

Leaphorn calls the station and tells Bernadette what happened the night before. He says he thinks the shooter is the same man who blew up Emerson Charley’s truck. He wants to find Tomas Charley (Robert I. Mesa) to find out what’s going on. Leaphorn instructs Bernadette to get to the hospital and get a statement from Chee. It’s obvious that Bernadette is worried about him, but really doesn’t want to question him. Before she leaves, she takes one last look at the unopened letter and puts it in her desk drawer.

Joe finally makes it home to a very worried Emma. He tells her that he’s fine, but she frets. She says she asked a medicine man to stop by their home that night. Joe says he doesn’t have time and retreats to the bathroom. He stares at his son’s belt buckle while isolated. Meanwhile, Colton is busy. He sets a clock inside of a baby doll. He puts the doll inside of a box and wraps it like a gift. The gift wrapping is yellow with red ribbon.

John Henry Diehl as BJ Vines – Dark Winds _ Season 2, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Michael Moriatis/AMC

Bernadette goes to the market to buy a medicine pouch. The store owner gives it to her for free and gives her an arrowhead. She looks around the store and sees chairs set up. The store is hosting a watch party for the moon landing.

Joe visits B. J. Vines (John Henry Diehl) and asks why Joe Jr.’s belt buckle was in his lock box. Vines knows nothing about it, but he surmises that Joe doesn’t actually have the box. The buckle was found outside of the box near the drill site, but the explosion at that site occurred three years before Vines bought the land.Then there’s the People of Darkness. He admits to being friends with the group leader, Dillon Charley, but that’s it. Leaphorn informs him about Emerson Charley’s murder. Vines shuts down the conversation by confidently declaring that wherever the buckle came from has nothing to do with him. Leaphorn leaves the house and notices that something heavy has been drug across the carpet in the house.

RELATED: 5 Things to Remember Before Watching Dark Winds Season 2

Sheriff Sena (A. Martinez) meets up with Joe to discuss the case. Vines gave Sena a list of items that he says were in his box. Joe tells Sena about what they found at the Malpais. Sena thinks the People of the Darkness are involved. He suggests Joe talk to his father about the fanatic group. Leaphorn says the People of Darkness doesn’t explain the blonde man who shot at them. He thinks Tomas Charley is the key to connecting the box, the blonde man and the People of Darkness, but Joe can’t find him. Joe doesn’t have any leads, so he has to talk to his father.

Bernadette visits Chee in the hospital to get his statement. She’s all business. He gives her a description of the shooter and his truck. Chee is a little taken back by how cold Bernadette is with him. He apologizes to her for how things went down in the cave last season. He thinks he put her in a bad position. She changes the subject by giving him the medicine pouch. If he had one, he wouldn’t be in the hospital. But then again, she wouldn’t be there with him.

Joseph Runningfox as Henry Leaphorn – Dark Winds _ Season 2, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Michael Moriatis/AMC

Joe visits his parents Henry (Joseph Runningfox) and Joyce Leaphorn (Sarah Luther). His dad used to be a tribal cop. He left because of how the tribal police dealt with a group like the People of Darkness. Henry calls those groups peyote freaks who disobey the law, hold their meetings in secret and search for vision quests. He also calls them real criminals. Henry tells Joe to talk to Margaret Cigaret (Betty Ann Tsosie). She knows all about the People of Darkness. Joe does as his father says and Margaret knows more than he thought. She says Dillon Charley gave the White People their sacred medicine for fun, commercializing their ceremonies. They call themselves People of Darkness but they are clueless. Margaret thought when Dillon died, the people of darkness would die with him.

RELATED: Dark Winds Returns for Season 2 With an Explosive Trailer

Joe and Chee go over what they know about the case. Rosemary Vines (Jeri Ryan) told Chee that Tomas took the box. She believes the People of Darkness are behind the robbery. Margaret says the People of Darkness are still around, reshaping themselves. Tomas said Vines is a witch and leads the People of Darkness. He also believes Vines cursed his father, giving him cancer. Rosemary’s theory is that Dillon Charley gave Vines something and Emerson wanted it back. So, Emerson sent Tomas to retrieve it. But what does that have to do with the People of Darkness? Joe says he and Bern are going back to the Malpais to look around again.

Joe goes home to a distraught Sally (Elva Guerra) and her crying baby. She says he’s been crying all day and she doesn’t know why. Joe takes the baby and looks at him. He feels the baby’s gums and says the boy is cutting teeth. He goes to the kitchen to make a home remedy to soothe the baby.

Jacqueline Byers as Mary Landon – Dark Winds _ Season 2, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Michael Moriatis/AMC

Emma goes back to work. She is with a young Navajo girl and is encouraging her to give birth the old way. The girl is unsure, so Emma tells her to talk to her mother and grandmother. After they leave, a woman named Mary Landon (Jacqueline Byers) approaches Emma. She is a reporter for the LA Times and is writing a story on the effect of the Family Planning Services Act on Indian women. Emma gets annoyed and declines the woman’s offer to interview her. Mary heard about Emma’s work and says the world needs to know. Emma thinks she is playing with Navajo lives and leaves to avoid getting too worked up.

RELATED: Dark Winds Renewed for Season 2 at AMC

Bernadette visits Joe after work and shows him the letter from Border Patrol. The letter only requests an interview. Joe doesn’t understand why Bernadette would go to the interview. She says Congress is passing an Act that states Border Patrol has to hire Native officers the next year. Bernadette also doesn’t feel she has anywhere to go in her current job. Joe says she will move up when he leaves, but this is more about Bernadette finding her own way. Joe doesn’t understand that either, but he will support her. Later that night, Colton leaves his trailer with the yellow gift box. He drives it to a house and sets the box in front of the door.

The next morning, Joe and Bernadette revisit the Malpais. She looks at one of the letters and questions it. Joe tells her to bag it so they can examine it later. He finds a box with the letters BJ V on the front. He also sees a swarm of buzzards flying over something. They both go to where the birds are flying and find Tomas Charley’s body. Joe says they need to find Tomas’ son.

Jessica Matten as Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito and Jet James Grant as Benny Charley – Dark Winds _ Season 2, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Michael Moriatis/AMC

The two tribal cops find Tomas’ son Benny (Jet James Grant) is sitting on the porch. He has the yellow gift box on his lap. Joe helps him open the box and they are both surprised to find the doll. Benny says his dad gives him gifts, but never gives girl toys. He sees a pull string and grabs it. Joe stops him from pulling it and asks to see the doll. He examines the back of the doll and finds the bomb. He tells Bernadette to take Benny and leave. Joe also asks her to send his father to the house.

RELATED: Marvel’s Echo Set for Fall Premiere on Disney+

Emma prepares a cradleboard for Sally’s baby. She tells Sally the story of how Father Sky and Mother Earth were brought together with a lightning bolt. She lays the baby on the board and wraps him inside. Emma says babies need to hear their stories so they will remember. Elsewhere, Colton calls the hospital. He poses as an FBI agent investigating the shooting at Malpais. He says he needs Chee’s room number so he can stop by and interview him.

Meanwhile, Henry arrives at the Charley house and helps Joe defuse the bomb. He’s eager to get home to watch the moon landing. People are excited about the moon landing, because the astronauts will drive a car on the moon. Bernadette examines the papers she found at Malpais while Benny watches the event. Joe comes in and tells Bernadette that the bomb was taken care of. He also tells Benny that they are going to keep the doll for a little while.

Bernadette shows Joe the papers. They all have the Arizona state seal on them. Joe tells her to go to the capital to see if she can find copies of the letters. He sits next to Benny and tells him a story about the astronauts that trained on the reservation. Benny asks Joe why they haven’t called his dad to come get him. Joe says they can’t. Benny asks if he will see his dad again and Joe says no. At the market, the community members cheer when the astronauts drive a vehicle on the moon. Steve Begay (Jarrett Hogner) messes with some wires and causes a blackout. They all decide to go to the police station to watch the rest of the coverage.

RELATED: Reservation Dogs Season 3 Will Be The Final Season

Benny sees a picture of an astronaut on the TV and says one of them was near their house the week before. He says the man looked just like the guy on TV, but with lighter hair. Benny told his grandpa, Emerson and grandpa told him to stay away from the astronaut because he was bad. Joe asks why Emerson thought the man was bad. Benny says the bad man blew up the well.

The community members arrive in the jail as Joe tries to leave. He sits down by the door, realizing that the blonde man killed his son. Meanwhile, the blond man, Colton Wolf arrives at the hospital, dressed as a doctor with dark brown hair. He sees Chee sitting at the nurse’s station, watching TV.

GGA Indigenerd Wire: 5 Indigenous Faces to Watch

Share: