Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 3, episode 4.Joe Leaphorn's (Zahn McClarnon) decision to kill BJ Vines (John Diehl) has been tearing him apart in Leaphorn has been stalked by the Ye'iitsoh, which is either a manifestation of his guilt or a bit of actual bad medicine. We knew that Leaphorn hadn't been handling his role in Vines' death well, but Dark Winds threw a curveball on why exactly he was so torn up about it.

So far, it has seemed like Joe was riddled with guilt for a rash decision he made with BJ Vines. It was easy to assume that Joe, a man who has dedicated almost his entire life to serving and upholding law and order on the Navajo Nation, would have felt bad that he didn't go through the legal channels and instead relied on vigilante "Indian" justice. By the ending of Dark Winds season 3, episode 4, however, it doesn't seem like Leaphorn has even considered that part of his guilt: he seems to be mad that he didn't kill Vines himself.

Joe Leaphorn Seems To Feel Guilt For Not Killing BJ Vines Himself In Dark Winds

Joe Doesn't Regret Killing Vines, He Regrets Not Pulling The Trigger

After Dark Winds season 3, episode 4, it doesn't seem like Leaphorn is actually feeling guilty about killing Vines. While he was recounting the story to Emma, Joe seemed a lot more torn up about not being "strong enough" to pull the trigger and kill Vines himself. He mentioned that he let the land do what he couldn't, and through it all, he maintained that he had to protect the Diné and get vengeance for Joe Jr. His words didn't indicate that he had any remorse at all for Vines' death, which is fairly shocking for Leaphorn.

Joe's Conversation With Emma Potentially Reveals A Darkness In Him We Hadn't Seen Before

Joe Doesn't Seem To Have Any Remorse For BJ Vines' Death; He's More Cold-Blooded Than We Thought

There is a chance that Joe was just putting up a front to seem stronger and justify his actions, but if he really does think not killing Vines himself was the worst part of his decision, that has some major implications for his character. We had been assuming that Leaphorn was seeing the ants and the Ye'iitsoh because he couldn't handle killing a man in cold blood, but his conversation with Emma completely recontextualizes his guilt. Joe is no longer a man haunted by a mistake made in the heat of the moment, he's a cold-blooded killer who regrets not taking his revenge all the way.

That would be a massive change to Joe Leaphorn, both for the character in Tony Hillerman's books and for Dark Winds itself. Joe has always been a paragon of Dark Winds: his marriage to Emma was never anything but wholesome, he served his community well and proudly, and he was a mentor to the younger generations through Bernadette and Chee. It's surprising to think that such a good man could have the capacity to not only murder a person but actually regret not doing the deed with his own two hands. Maybe Joe isn't as good as we thought.

Joe Is Running Out Of Options In Dark Winds Season 3

Joe's Decisions Are Ruining His Marriage, His Spirit, & His Chances Of Freedom

Joe's confession about what's eating at him doesn't just change the way we should have been viewing him all season, it also sets up a lot more trouble for the rest of Dark Winds season 3. BJ Vines' death is hanging over every area of Leaphorn's life, and he's very quickly running out of ways to solve all of his problems. Sylvia Washington (Jenna Elfman) is incredibly close to proving Joe killed Vines, Joe doesn't seem interested at all in fixing his spiritual malaise, meaning the Ye'iitsoh likely isn't going anywhere, and his marriage with Emma is in more trouble than we've ever seen before.

There really aren't a lot of great solutions to any of those problems, either. Washington is hot on Joe's trail, and she'll only uncover more evidence or find a new way to peel back Leaphorn's ever-diminishing calm. Likewise, Joe would have to have a massive change of heart to be in the right space to start healing spiritually and mentally, which doesn't seem likely after his confession to Emma. Emma also seems very disturbed by Joe, and his violent actions may have irreparably damaged their marriage. Joe Leaphorn is sinking fast in Dark Winds season 3, and he's running out of life preservers.