'Dark Winds' Season 2 Episode 2 Recap & Ending Explained: What Was Colton Up To?

In the previous episode of Dark Winds, a local man named Emerson Charley was killed in a car explosion, and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn considered it a premeditated murder rather than an accident. Colton Wolf, a blonde, white man, was the killer who had been orchestrating these murders, making himself a target for Leaphorn and Chee. Although Chee was no longer part of the Navajo authority, he worked as a private investigator hired by Rosemary Vines to retrieve a lockbox from the Charleys. As Leaphorn and Chee teamed up to get the box, they faced Colton, resulting in an encounter where Chee got injured. However, despite a fierce altercation, both parties survived. In this newest episode, Joe Leaphorn would uncover a shocking truth about his son’s death, which was connected to the series of attacks orchestrated by Colton Wolf.

Spoilers Ahead

Episode 2 of Dark Winds Season 2 commenced with Joe Leaphorn successfully rescuing Jim Chee, who had fortunately survived the attack, and guiding him to the hospital. Inside the isolated trailer, Colton tended to his own wounds, which he had endured from his brawl with Chee and Leaphorn. Once Jim was admitted to the hospital, Joe called the department, and Bernadette answered the call. She was also facing a dilemma after being offered a position by the U.S. Border Patrol. Bernie kept this letter to herself initially and paid attention to what Joe tasked her to do. Joe asked her to visit Chee at the hospital to collect his alibi, as he was shot by the blonde shooter.

Meanwhile, Joe returned home and kept the entire incident hidden from Emma, although she sensed that something was deeply troubling him. He secluded himself in the bathroom and once again looked at his son’s badge, which was discovered near the site they visited while searching for the lockbox. Without wasting any time, Joe went to B.J. Vines to inquire about the explosion and his part in it. During their meeting, Joe questioned Vines about his son’s badge which he had been wearing on the day of the incident. Vines expressed sympathy but denied any involvement in the explosion, stating that he had merely purchased the land due to its value. However, Joe also informed B. J. Vines about Rosemary’s theory about the lockbox being stolen by the People of Darkness and let him know that they still couldn’t locate the box.

Recognizing the lack of useful information from Vines, Joe discussed the link between the land and the People of Darkness and its potential connection to the explosion with Sheriff Gordo Sena. Without hesitation, Gordo suggested that Joe talk to his old man about the matter.

Bernadette visited a local shop to buy something for Chee and learned about the ongoing Apollo 11 moon landing. Later, she went to the hospital to see Chee and directly questioned him about his statement regarding the attack. Chee suggested that he and Bernie should discuss their past misbehaviors, and he apologized to her. Bernie recommended that Chee have something for protection to guard against escalating danger and gifted him the item she bought from the local shop.

Meanwhile, Joe visited his old man, Henry, who expressed regret over Joe’s choice to stay on the reservation and continue his investigation, something Henry had done in the past. However, Henry didn’t want his son to endure the same hardships he had experienced, urging Joe to leave the area for a more peaceful life in town. He believed Emma was to blame for not influencing Joe to do so. Joe directly confronted Henry, pressing him to reveal information about the People of Darkness. Henry then took Joe to an old lady named Margaret Cigaret, a friend of Joe’s mother’s, who was well-informed about the People of Darkness and their connection with the Vines.

According to Margaret, Dillon, a leader of the People of Darkness, had exploited the sacred ceremonies of their Navajo culture, allowing white people to profit from them. After Dillon’s death, the People of Darkness underwent a reformation, but Tomas believed that B.J. Vines was behind this restructuring. Tomas also suspected that B.J. Vines practiced witchcraft, which allegedly resulted in Tomas’ father being cursed with cancer.

After returning home, Joe spent the evening in his garage when Bernie came over to discuss the job offer from the Border Patrol. Joe wasn’t pleased with the idea of Bernie wanting to leave the reservation and take up a new job, as he believed she could develop her investigative skills by staying there. However, Bernie desired a better life and bigger career opportunities, and Joe eventually gave his consent and agreed to provide her with any reference letter she might need.

Meanwhile, Emma was attending to the mothers in her clinic when she encountered an American journalist from the LA Times. The journalist wanted to cover a story about the family planning situation in the Navajo community, but Emma was hesitant to provide information about it. She didn’t want their Native American stories to be exploited by white people for commercial purposes. Despite Emma’s reservations, the journalist seemed determined to delve deeper into the information to write her article.

As we observed Colton inside his trailer, he was assembling an explosive inside a doll and wrapping it up as a gift. Meanwhile, Joe and Bernie revisited the isolated land where Joe found his son’s badge earlier. They came back to the place in search of clues or the lockbox belonging to the Vines, but shockingly, instead of any of them, they stumbled upon Tomas Charley’s lifeless body, presumably killed by Colton. Acting quickly, Joe and Bernie hurried to Tomas Charley’s residence, fearing for the safety of his little kid, Benny. Just as they arrived, they found Tomas’s son, Benny, grabbing the gift box left for him on the doorstep by Colton. Joe deduced that the doll was not the gift Tomas had intended for his son, but rather it was Colton’s doing.

Bernie was tasked with taking Benny to the department for his safety, while Joe contacted Henry to safely detonate the bomb. Thanks to Henry’s help, the bomb was neutralized, freeing Joe from immediate danger. Later, when Joe came back to the precinct and watched the Moon Landing on television with Benny, something unexpected was revealed. Benny disclosed that his grandpa had told him a light-haired man was responsible for the explosion at the drill site, which stunned Joe. He now knew the truth: the blonde shooter, Colton Wolf, was behind his son’s death. Now the entire investigation didn’t only remain just another case for Leaphorn, but it also fueled his anger and pushed him to find the culprit and bring him to justice.

Meanwhile, Colton headed to the hospital to target Jim Chee and silence him before he could further help the authorities in capturing him. In the upcoming episode of Dark Winds, we might gain further insight into what will unfold within the native community and whether Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie can prevent further tragedies.

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