Dark Winds star Kiowa Gordon and showrunner John Wirth weigh in on the future of Bernadette Manuelito and Jim Chee. AMC’s neo-noir thriller, based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, continues to follow Chee (Gordon) and Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) as they solve crimes in the Navajo Nation during the 1970s. But while their cases hit close to home, Chee’s heart remains hundreds of miles away from the reservation, where Bernadette (Jessica Matten) has relocated to work for the U.S. Border Patrol since the end of Dark Winds season 2.
In an interview with ScreenRant’s Tatiana Hullender, Gordon delved into Chee’s unwavering commitment to Bernadette, while Wirth confirmed that there’s a “very promising beat” at the end of season 3 that could set the stage for the two to reunite in Dark Winds season 4. Read what they had to say below:
Kiowa Gordon: I always think back to the phone call in episode 2, which was great. We did that in two days. She did her coverage first, and then I did mine, but I was just laying on my hoodie next to her desk on the floor while they had the camera propped up on her face. She’s reading her line, and I’m just reading lines off to her while she’s doing it. I was tearing up in that moment, and it was like, “What the heck? I’m not even doing this scene. I’m just reading it to her.”
Just listening to her and watching her, I can feel how we’re pining over each other. It’s going to come to a head at some point, and Jim’s been pretty open with her. But they’re not really together, so whatever. If she wants a side piece? She can have it.
I think it’s good to hold onto the hope, though. That’s what Jim’s holding onto. He’s not going to let go of Bernadette that easily.
John Wirth: She can’t stay away from the reservation forever, so you can wipe your tears and not worry too much. There’s a very promising beat to their story at the end of season 3, which I think will leave us longing for what’s going to happen in season 4.
They’re like young people everywhere, who are attracted to each other and trying to figure out how they make that work.
What This Means For Dark Winds
Chee And Bernadette’s Separation Is A Set-Up For Season 4
The complicated romance between Chee and Manuelito has been a slow-burning arc since Dark Winds began, and its latest chapter has only deepened the divide. The two broke up in season 1 but maintained their flirtatious banter. Yet, Bernadette’s decision to join the Border Patrol has placed her hundreds of miles away from Chee and the reservation since the beginning of season 3. A bittersweet phone call in Dark Winds season 3, episode 2, perfectly captured their lingering desires, where Bernadette choked up at hearing Chee’s voice, only to be met with his silence.
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However, a reunion between the lovesick officers seems to be on its way after the end of Dark Winds season 3, episode 3. In the episode, Chee and Leaphorn come across a compound that holds photos of Border Patrol agents, including Bernadette, tying their murder investigation into Ernesto Cata with Bernadette’s human trafficking case. Besides, as Wirth stated, Bernadette “can’t stay away from the reservation forever.” Rather than wrapping up their relationship or putting it on pause indefinitely, Dark Winds is building tension for season 4—and rather masterfully, at that.
Our Take On Bernadette And Che In Dark Winds
The Trio’s Chemistry Is Too Strong to Keep Chee, Bernadette, And Leaphorn Apart
The third season of Dark Winds has drawn heavily from The Sinister Pig, the Hillerman novel where Chee and Bernadette finally make their relationship official, so it’s only fitting that the show is beginning to mirror that emotional payoff. While Dark Winds often plays loose with its source material, this is one moment worth staying true to. The series simply works best when Chee, Bernadette, and Leaphorn are united, and with episode 3 connecting their cases, it looks like the Dark Winds story—alongside Chee and Bernadette’s relationship—is finally moving back toward that long-overdue reunion.