Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 3.The finale of Bernadette (Jessica Matten) and Chee's (Kiowa Gordon) relationship and Joe Leaphorn's (Zahn McClarnon) connection to BJ Vines' death.

In the finale of Dark Winds season 3, everyone's cases came to a close. Bernadette managed to kill Budge de Baca (Raoul Max Trujillo), expose the drug and human trafficking ring, and arrest the dirty cops at Border Patrol. Likewise, Leaphorn and Chee managed to save George Bowlegs (Bodhi Okuma Linton), killed Dr. Reynolds, and solved Ernesto Cata's murder. Leaphorn even managed to get FBI Agent Sylvia Washington (Jenna Elfman) off his back. On top of it all, the finale also set up Dark Winds season 4, and all those developments could use a closer look.

Bernadette Killed Budge With The Feather Joe Made Her - Deeper Meaning Explained

Joe Was A Mentor To Bernadette, & The Lessons He Taught Her Helped Her Save Herself

After being captured by Budge, Bernadette was nearly buried alive by him. However, Bernadette looked up at the metal feather Leaphorn made for her. She then escaped the car and killed Budge with the same feather. Bernadette using the feather Joe gave her symbolizes how his mentorship gave her the tools to be a great detective and cop. Bernadette had previously mentioned how much Joe's guidance meant to her, and at that moment, the feather reminded her of all the lessons she had learned from him. She kept on fighting because she knew that's what Joe would tell her to do.

Why Reynolds Refused To Put His Gun Down & Why Chee Shot Him Instead Of Leaphorn

Reynolds Died By Suicide By Cop & Leaphorn Hesitated To Kill Him While Chee Didn't

Once Leaphorn successfully saved George Bowlegs from Dr. Reynolds, the murderous archaeologist made a surprising decision. Despite Joe's warnings, Reynolds refused to let go of his gun, and Chee ended up shooting him dead because of it. There was no way out for Reynolds besides letting go of the gun, which made that moment a bit confusing, but also explains exactly why he did it. Reynolds had nothing left: his professional career was ruined, he had killed a child and his assistant, Teddi (Carly Roland), and he didn't want to go on living, so he died by suicide by cop.

Reynolds had nothing left: his professional career was ruined, he had killed a child and his assistant, Teddi (Carly Roland), and he didn't want to go on living, so he died by suicide by cop.

Reynolds' suicide wasn't the only surprising end to the investigation, however. Instead of Joe, Chee popped out from behind a corner and shot Reynolds himself. The reason Chee killed Reynolds instead of Joe is that Joe hesitated. Joe ed that Gordo (A Martinez) previously told him that when you kill a man, he's "bound" to you, and he didn't want Reynolds to be bound to him. Chee, on the other hand, didn't hesitate, and he killed Reynolds as soon as his gun went up. Whether Reynolds is "bound" to Chee remains to be seen in Dark Winds season 4.

Why Bernadette Didn't Forgive Ivan At The End Of Dark Winds Season 3

Ivan Did The Right Thing, But Only After Hurting A Lot Of Innocent People

Ivan Muños (Alex Meraz) had a bit of a redemption in Dark Winds season 3's finale, but it wasn't enough to repair his relationship with Bernadette. Bernadette had previously discovered that Ivan was one of the many dirty cops at Border Patrol who was taking money from Tom Spenser, but he eventually switched sides. Ivan found Bernadette after she killed Budge and actually helped her raid Spenser ranch, arrest Ed Henry (Terry Serpico) and Eleanda (Tonantzin Carmelo), and stop the drug and human trafficking rings. However, once the dust settled, Bernadette didn't take Ivan back.

Bernadette didn't restart her romantic relationship with Ivan for two simple reasons: she didn't trust him, and she didn't forgive him. Ivan may have decided to do the right thing in the end, but his complacency in Spenser's trafficking ring ended up hurting a lot of innocent people in the process. He also implicitly lied to Bernadette and wrongly earned her trust. Those factors, coupled with Bernadette's ironclad sense of right and wrong, meant she wasn't interested in Ivan anymore. Why would she date a dirty cop who she'll never fully trust again, even if he did ultimately help her?

Why Agent Washington Couldn't Prove Joe Killed BJ Vines

Washington's Investigation Hinged On Joe's Phony Alibi, But Emma ed It

One of the bigger surprises of Dark Winds season 3's ending came from FBI Special Agent Sylvia Washington. Washington was investigating Joe's involvement in BJ Vines' death all season long, she often seemed to be just a step away from putting him in prison. However, in the Dark Winds season 3 finale, Washington explained that she didn't have enough evidence to prove that Joe killed Vines. With that, she simply walked away, but Dark Winds didn't fully explain why Washington couldn't prove Joe's guilt.

Agent Washington had a chance to expose Joe's alibi as a lie. In Dark Winds season 3, episode 4, Washington refused to drive with Joe to interview Emma about his whereabouts on the night of BJ Vines' disappearance.

The simple explanation is that Washington's entire investigation into Joe hinged on Emma Leaphorn (Deanna Allison) contradicting his alibi, which she didn't do. All of Washington's evidence up to that point was completely circumstantial: she had a witness who placed a police car near Vines' house, another witness who saw the model of truck Joe was driving but nothing more, and she didn't get anything conclusive from searching the Leaphorn residence. All she had was a motive that countless other Diné people shared and an alibi that seemed fishy, but was ed by a third party.

How Tom Spenser Avoided Being Arrested At The End Of Dark Winds Season 3

Spenser Protected Himself From The Trafficking Ring & Benefited From "White Man's Justice"

Another big surprise of the Dark Winds season 3 finale concerned Tom Spenser. As the final montage showed, Spenser managed to completely avoid arrest somehow, and he was in an idyllic foreign country with his sickly wife. Luckily, Spenser himself explained how he managed to walk free from his drug and human trafficking ring. As Spenser said, he was careful to cover his tracks and maintain plausible deniability, and to the police, it just looked like he was a disinterested millionaire who had no idea what his employees were up to.

A big theme of Dark Winds has been the idea of the "white man's justice," and the concept that white people, especially in the 1970s, didn't have to face the same justice nonwhite people do.

Spenser did cover his tracks with the trafficking rings, but he also had another proverbial ace up his sleeve. A big theme of Dark Winds has been the idea of the "white man's justice," and the concept that white people, especially in the 1970s, didn't have to face the same justice nonwhite people do. Spenser was a rich white man with a degree of plausible deniability: even if the police could have proved he knew about the trafficking, he was never going to get true justice. It's the same reason Joe killed BJ Vines: rich white men almost never have to pay for their crimes.

Will Bernadette & Chee Start Dating In Dark Winds Season 4?

Chee & Bernadette's Relationship Prospects Look Better Than Ever

On a lighter note, Dark Winds season 3's finale also had a ray of hope for the slow-burn romance between Chee and Bernadette. At the end of the finale, Bernadette drove up to Chee's trailer back on the Navajo Nation. Though they didn't say anything, they did share a knowing smile, and it looks like they're going to finally restart their romance in Dark Winds season 4. There's nothing holding them back anymore: Ivan's out of the picture, Bernadette and Chee clearly still have feelings for one another, and now that Bernadette's back on the reservation, they can finally be together.

How Joe Leaphorn Will Try To Earn Emma's Forgiveness In Dark Winds Season 4

Joe Has To Heal From His Son's Death & Make More Room In His Heart For Emma

Perhaps the most important thing to know going into Dark Winds season 4 is that Joe Leaphorn is going to try to earn Emma's forgiveness. Emma left Joe in episode 7, but at the end of the finale, he kept replaying the recording of Emma saying she hopes she can find a way to forgive her husband. In that same recording, Emma mentioned that the main reason she was mad at Joe was because he let the grief of Joe Junior's death consume him and it left no room in his heart for her. If Joe wants to earn Emma's forgiveness, he'll have to make more room for her.

That's much easier said than done, however, and it isn't entirely clear what Joe can do to earn Emma's forgiveness. He has made some good progress already: Joe started working on building the fence that Emma wanted him to make in Dark Winds season 3, episode 6's dream sequence. Mostly, however, Joe will have to learn how to reprioritize his life and spend less time seeking justice and more time loving and caring for Emma. He'll also have to come to with Joe Jr.'s death and let go of the hate he harbors for BJ Vines, which may require some traditional Navajo medicine, as Emma suggested.

The Real Meaning Of Dark Winds Season 3's Ending Explained

Dark Winds Season 3 Was Largely About Redemption & Things You Can't Control

Dark Winds season 3 touched on quite a few subjects, but it's mostly about redemption. However, Dark Winds season 3 also understands that redemption is a very complicated concept. Some people, like Joe and Shorty Bowlegs (Derek Hinkey) were capable of finding redemption, while others, like Ivan, weren't. The thing that separates them and makes redemption possible, Dark Winds season 3 declares, is a combination of the original sin and the lengths a person would go to in order to fix their mistakes. Some sins, according to the show, are too grievous for redemption, while others demand more repentance than we'd normally expect.

Joe and Shorty were capable of being redeemed because their original crimes weren't unforgivable, and because they made genuine efforts to look inwards and change themselves. Joe, for instance, did kill a man, but he did it to protect his people and find real justice for his son. Shorty Bowlegs was a jerk as a child, and though it stuck with Chee, it didn't ruin his life. Ivan, on the other hand, accepted hush money that put several people, like the Mixtec family, directly in harm's way. Joe and Shorty's sins don't compare to Ivan's, so their redemption is possible while his isn't.

Dark Winds season 3 also clearly states that redemption is a lot harder to earn than we would like to think. Joe's redemption isn't complete, and the only way he'll get Emma back is through a lot of soul-searching, a lot of work on himself, and a fundamental change in the way he views the world and his marriage. Shorty's redemption only came years after he originally wronged Chee, and it was only through confronting his sins, making amends with Chee, and breaking the cycle of abuse that he was able to have a good relationship with George again.

Joe's redemption isn't complete, and the only way he'll get Emma back is through a lot of soul-searching, a lot of work on himself, and a fundamental change in the way he views the world and his marriage.

Alongside redemption, Dark Winds season 3 has a lot to say about the ideas of justice and control. As Spenser clearly displayed, legal justice often doesn't correctly punish the guilty. However, as Joe displayed, "real" justice often has a hefty price tag associated with it. Sheriff Gordo (A Martinez) also provided a salient summary of another lesson: we can't control everything. Gordo told Chee that he thought Joe and George were talking about "All the things us mere mortals can't control." Despite everyone's best efforts, Ernesto Cata was still murdered, and Tom Spenser still got away. The characters of Dark Winds have to accept that they can't fix everything.