After her great storyline in season 2, it’s been really disappointing to see Emma Leaphorn’sDark Windsseason 3 story take a huge step back. Emma (Deanna Allison) has had an interesting role in the show as one ofDark Winds' cast of characters, the light to Joe’s dark, the counterbalance that keeps him on the right track. Their love is deep and strong, and it’s one of the best parts of the show. Unfortunately,Dark Windsseason 3’s storyappears ready to undermine it, with Joe regressing as a partner and keeping Emma at a distance.
It’s a real shame, too, considering how great Emma’s storyline inDark Windsseason 2 was.Dark Windshas always done an excellent job of weaving real history into its fictional story, and it doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of how the United States has treated Native American people, especially those on reservations. The forced sterilization of Navajo women storyline was a shameful reality, andDark Windsseason 2incorporated it skillfully into the story, giving Emma an interesting arc. It’s why her lack of screen time inDark Windsseason 3 so far is such a letdown.
Emma Leaphorn Has Been Sidelined In Dark Winds Season 3
She’s Been Reduced To A Few Scenes So Far
Though it’s only two episodes in, thus far, Emma has been completely sidelined inDark Windsseason 3. The only scenes she’s had have been of her gently prying into what’s been bothering Joe and appearing troubled by his short, terse answers and the fact he’s clearly keeping something from her.Emma was upset by the coyote story inDark Windsseason 3, episode 1, because of what the symbolism means in her Navajo spirituality she holds so dear. She knows it portends an ill omen of trouble heading their way. Outside of that, though, Deanna Allison simply hasn’t had much to do this season as Emma, which is unfortunate.
Emma has always come across as gentle and caring, butDark Windsseason 2 showed that she is tougher than she appears and more than willing to do the right thing, speaking truth to power at the expense of her own peace.
Emma has always come across as gentle and caring, butDark Windsseason 2 showed that she is tougher than she appears and more than willing to do the right thing, speaking truth to power at the expense of her own peace. At the end of the season, the reporter breaking the story about forced sterilization warned Emma that going public with her testimony would have consequences, but so far, that story has remained dormant in season 3 in favor of juggling the dual Bernadette and Leaphorn and Chee storylines.
Joe’s Marriage To Emma Is The Backbone Of Dark Winds
She Is His Balance And His Foundation
Sadly, the focus on the dual cases and on Joe’s fracturing mental state is also cutting into the number of scenes of Emma and Joe together, which is a problem. Joe’s marriage to Emma and their relationship have always quietly been the backbone of the show. Their scenes together are what ground it in sincerity so that it’s not just a thriller series, but a show that provides deep character work wrapped in the trappings of a procedural thriller. With so much of the focus on Joe Leaphorn’s emotional landscape, it can be easy to forget that Emma lost a son, too, but Allison has done an excellent job of allowing Emma’s quiet grief to appear in bits and pieces.
Dark Winds Season 3’s Ye’iitsoh Explained: Meaning & Native American Folklore
Dark Winds season 3 introduces a terrifying new entity from Navajo folklore known as Ye’iitsoh & its presence has larger implications for Joe Leaporn.
Emma is also the reason why Joe is able to do the things he does and still survive the darkness he sees. She’s always been more of a Navajo traditionalist than her husband, firmly grounded in her Diné culture, customs, and spiritual practice in a way Joe isn’t. While Joe practices his faith, Emma lives it. Her spirituality provides her with a stable foundation, which, in turn, enables her to provide Joe with a stable foundation.
Emma is emotionally resilient in a way Joe hasn’t been, with her traditional practice allowing her to feel and process her emotions, particularly her grief, while Joe suppresses his. Joe’s inability to deal with that grief and rage came to a head last season, but its reverberations have yet to be felt. Now, his decision toleave BJ Vines to die in the desert inDark Windsseason 2and his subsequent guilt over it is poised to destroy his marriage to Emma, and without her, he would be utterly lost.
She Appears To Have Dodged That Fate In The Show
Hopefully, Emma will have more of a prominent role to play inDark Windsseason 3 as the season progresses. There are six episodes left, so it’s certainly possible for her to be brought more firmly into the story, particularly as Joe’s decisions and the secrets he’s keeping come to light. Emma deserves more screen time and a stronger arc than merely being Joe Leaphorn’s quietly supportive wife, especially after last season showed she has agency and a rich life all her own.
Emma deserves more screen time and a stronger arc than merely being Joe Leaphorn’s quietly supportive wife, especially after last season showed she has agency and a rich life all her own.
That said, it would be a mistake forDark Windsto give Emma Leaphorn the story she has in the books. Emma sadly dies inA Thief of Time, the eighth book in Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn/Chee series, of a staph infection after surgery on a brain tumor. IfDark Windswere to do that, it would rip Joe’s foundations out from underneath him and kill the soul of the series. Instead, it appears that Emma and Joe’s son, Joe Jr., who does not exist in the books, is the character whose death turns Joe’s world on its axis. It’s a more elegant solution, as killing Emma off would be a waste of a character that has so much potential.
