Summary: A flashback shows Whitover allying with Hoski. In the present, Chee calls Bernadette and warns her about Whitover. She arrives at the lake and slips away from him. Leaphorn watches in the cave as Hoski sends the father of the mormons to get Dan's van. Hoski and Frank notice Leaphorn and try to smoke him out. Leaphorn comes out and makes his presence known when Whitover walks in, but Whitover turns on him. Leaphorn gets Frank to turn on Whitover but Whitover shoots him. Whitover shoots at Leaphorn who falls in the hole. Hoski escapes, but can't take his car since Leaphorn ruined the tires. Whitover tries to escape with the money but is confronted by Chee. Guy shoots and kills him and Chee and Bernadette cover it up by making it look like he died in a cave-in. Leaphorn goes after Hoski and talks to him. Hoski chooses to kill himself. A while later, Chee returns to the reservation, having left the FBI. Leaphorn learns the truth about what happened to Whitover and tells Chee that Frank survived.
The Good: The flashback scene was a strong start to the episode. Following the Whitover twist, it was important to understand the kind of relationship that he has with the Buffalo Society, especially seeing that he was a white man. It was completely logical that he forced his way into their operation with threats. This season has slowly unveiled that Frank and Hoski are really in over their heads with all of this and that a lot has gone wrong. That continued to be the case here. The climax was decent fun to watch. Chee is smart as he tips off Bernadette and comes in to save her, while Leaphorn is resourceful as he escapes his predicament and prevents Hoski and Frank from escaping. Whitover turning on Leaphorn was a sad moment and it was tense to see him clash with Hoski and Frank over their differing ideals. It was all consistent with what we had seen of the characters beforehand. Whitover's death was satisfying. He tried one last hail mary to get Chee to his side, but naturally it didn't work and his lack of compassion cost him as he infuriates Guy who goes the extra mile and kills him in cold blood. Whitover was a simple villain, but he was effective, and this felt like the right time for him to die. Hoski's death on the other hand was surprisingly tragic. I felt for him at the end as he sacrificed his life, understanding that he had gone astray in his ideals. It was a sad scene that helped flesh out the character. The Bad: This episode ended up feeling a bit by-the-numbers. It was fun and an effective climax, but there wasn't anything special emotionally, or even from a plot perspective. This was the simplest way to end the show and there were few surprises along the way. It felt like this episode played it far too safe for concluding the first season. I was left with next to no lingering questions and there wasn't much for me to dwell on after finishing this episode. I've finished the show and hardly thought about it since. Hoski and Leaphorn's scene didn't quite connect me with the characters. These two have hardly interacted, so their final heart to heart felt a bit forced. It was a sudden interjection of themes that felt rushed and inorganic; it was an attempt to be meaningful and significant without doing the necessary legwork to actually be meaningful and significant. Having both Leaphorn and Chee get shot in the shoulder after dodging a gunshot was too much. Getting shot in the shoulder is a cliche, and doing that same thing twice in the same episode was weak. The Unknown: Frank survived somehow and left with the money. Is he actually unable to die? How on Earth did he survive? Where did he go? What is he going to do with the money? Will there we any consequences for Chee regarding his decision to cover up Whitover's death? Best Moment: I enjoyed seeing Leaphorn come up with a way to get out of the smoky prison he got trapped in. Using bullets in such a clever way was a creative solution that was satisfying to watch unfold. Character of the Episode: Leaphorn. Conclusion: This was a fine, if unoriginal, finale. There wasn't anything bad here, it just felt very by-the-numbers and uninspiring overall. "Dark Winds" season 1 was decent overall. If you're looking to fill some time with a fun mystery, then this show definitely delivers that. It's a condensed mystery with good acting, good writing, and some interesting ideas. However, if you're looking to watch something that really hits hard and has something special about it, then this will not be the show for you. This show was simple, it was effective, it was satisfying, but it never so much as teased being a genuinely great show. "Dark Winds" played it safe and provided simple popcorn television without ever threatening to do something special or mind-blowing. Because of that, this is not a show I would ever suggest going out of your way to see. But it is fine enough, considering what it is. Score: 57
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|