‘Dark Winds’ has a major task on its hands furthering this character’s storyline

Arguably AMC’s best offering currently, Graham Roland’s psychological thriller series Dark Winds‘ third season is expected to premiere in early 2025, with an exact release date unknown.

The show’s second season ended with all the major characters left to make critical choices, especially Navajo Tribal Police Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten). It is shown that Bernadette receives an offer to work with the Border Patrol police force, which she accepts. However, the season 2 finale doesn’t shed much light on her decision-making process, which has left many fans confused about her future on the show.

However, an August 2023 TV Line interview with executive producer Chris Eyre should calm the fans’ nerves, in which he all but confirmed that Matten will return to play Bernadette in the upcoming season. Towards the end of the second season, the character shares a romantic relationship with the show’s central figure, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), which could be a major reason why the showrunners wouldn’t want to do away with Bernadette. Here’s what Eyre had to say on the subject:

“It’s an Indian love story. Imagine that. There are so many Indian love stories that are traditional, cultural Native American things, which is interesting … they have this miss, this miss of time and place. And the question is, can they find the right time and the right place? I hope they do.”

Chris Eyre/TV Line

When directly pressed about Bernadette’s inclusion, Eyre was equally straightforward, highlighting Matten’s impact on the show:

“Oh, for sure. For sure. Jessica [Matten] is in there, man. Jessica is solid. Whether we follow her down to the border or she makes visits, or she doesn’t go, Jessica is solid, man. We love her.”

Chris Eyre/TV Line

Apart from Eyre’s comments, the show’s IMDb page, which has listings for the cast for season 3, also mentions Matten’s name, which is a positive sign that she will return.

Introduced in the pilot of Dark Winds, Matten’s character has faced a topsy-turvy journey in the show so far. Her first task is an interrogation of the mother of a pregnant teenager, who later turns out to be a witch. As the show progresses, her investigations coincide with Joe Leaphorn’s (Zahn McClarnon) and Chee’s work, and the three law enforcement authorities eventually end up forming an informal trio.

By the end of season 2, Bernadette accepts the Border Patrol job and waves a final goodbye to her friends and colleagues. It will be intriguing to see how the showrunners progress her storyline further as she is stationed far from Navajo, and fans will also keep a keen eye on how her dynamic with Chee is taken further.