This article discusses sexual assault and pedophilia.
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 3, episode 6.Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) had a very confusing spiritual journey inDark Windsseason 3, episode 6, and there was so much symbolism and subtext that it likely needs a bit of clarification. Joe has been struggling with visions ofthe Ye’iitsoh inDark Windsever since he killed BJ Vines. Most recently, theending ofDark Windsseason 3, episode 5set up a big confrontation between Joe and the monster, which was teased at the start of the season.Dark Windsdid not disappoint, as it took an entire episode away from both Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) to dive into Joe’s psyche.
Right from the start,Dark Windsseason 3, episode 6 was confusing. After getting hit with a poison dart, Joe found himself in a dreamscape, a desert wasteland that Margaret Cigaret (Betty Ann Tsosie) described as the Yellow World where monsters are created. That also came afterMargaret explained the Pollen Pathto Joe, which made it clear that Joe was having some sort of spiritual journey. Plenty of weird things happened during Joe’s dream, however, and all of the symbolism and metaphors likely need to be explained.
Agent Washington’s Dance With Leaphorn: Symbolism & Meaning Explained
Leaphorn & Washington Have Been Figuratively Dancing Around BJ Vines & Their Ideas Of Justice All Season
In the middle of Joe’s dream, he was visited by FBI Special Agent Sylvia Washington (Jenna Elfman), and she confusingly asked him to dance with her. Washington has been breathing down Joe’s neck and investigating BJ Vines' death all season long, though, so Joe rightly viewed her as an enemy.The most basic way to interpret Washington’s dance with Leaphorn is as a metaphor for their relationship. Washington has been figuratively “dancing” with Leaphorn all season, as they go back and forth on trying to solve and cover up BJ Vines' murder, respectively.
On a deeper level, Washington and Leaphorn’s dance is symbolic of their opposing views of justice. Washington believes in a very basic idea of justice, one that sees America’s laws and norms as having the authority to make justice real. She said as much when she explained that priests and businessmen are “good guys.“Joe, on the other hand, knows that anybody can be a horrible person, and that the legal system Washington loves often fails Navajo people in favor of white people.
If the dance is a metaphor for justice, Washington believes that following the steps and looking the part makes the dance real, while Joe knows that nothing is ever so simple.
The dance demonstrates Joe and Washington’s opposing views: Washington is prim and proper, dressed in a gown and following the steps to a T, while Joe is still in his uniform and stumbling over his feet. She’s figured out the system, while Joe is still more focused on true justice.If the dance is a metaphor for justice, Washington believes that following the steps and looking the part makes the dance real, while Joe knows that nothing is ever so simple.
Emma’s Vegetables & Key Scene In Dark Winds Season 3, Episode 6 Explained
Emma Was Trying To Tell Joe That He Needs To Prioritize Her More Than His Duty
Joe had another confusing visitor in one of his dreams: his wife, Emma Leaphorn (Deanna Allison). Joe was locked up in the station’s interrogation room when Emma visited him with a crate full of vegetables that had been destroyed by critters, and she was complaining about how he didn’t build her a fence. Joe was understandably more worried about being locked up and saving George Bowlegs, so Emma’s concerns didn’t make much sense on the surface.Joe’s dream of Emma, however, symbolizes how he was losing her long before Agent Washington came to town.
Emma and Joe have begun to drift apart, mainly because of Joe’s decision to kill BJ Vines and his decision to leave Emma in the dark about it. Emma’s complaints about the vegetables boiled down to her not understanding why Joe always prioritizes his duties as a police lieutenant over his duties as her husband.That was the main point of Emma’s dream sequence: Joe has always cared more about being a servant of justice than anything else. It’s why he chose to deliver “Indian Justice” to BJ Vines without consulting her: Joe was more interested in seeing justice served than doing what was in Emma’s best interest.
Joe’s dream of Emma was just a different example of how his priorities are interfering in their marriage, even if they are fundamentally good.
If Joe had been thinking of his duties as Emma’s husband, he would have told her that BJ Vines had killed Joe Jr., and he would have asked what she wanted to do about it. But, Joe was thinking like a cop and a protector of the Navajo people, so he just killed BJ Vines without asking her.BJ Vines' death is certainly the biggest stressor of their marriage, but it’s Joe’s priorities that are the root of this problem. Joe’s dream of Emma was just a different example of how his priorities are interfering in their marriage, even if they are fundamentally good.
Joe Discovered That His Father, Henry, Murdered An Abusive Priest Decades Ago
Henry’s “Indian Justice” Completely Recontextualizes His Relationship With Joe
Throughout his dream sequence, Joe saw a priest he knew as a child, and one who he knew was a pedophile. As Joe remembered, the priest raped his cousin, and Joe told his father, Henry Leaphorn (Joseph Running Fox) about it.As Joe investigated the priest’s murder, he discovered that Henry delivered his own brand of “Indian Justice” to the priest decades ago. That revelation in and of itself is huge, but it also completely recontextualizes Joe’s relationship with his father.
Knowing that Henry killed an abusive priest when he was a police officer makes it a lot easier to understand why he was so supportive of Joe’s quest for Indian Justice against BJ Vines. Henry already had firsthand experience with the failings of the U.S. legal system: as he explained, no one would have believed a Navajo man’s claims about an abusive priest in the 1920s or 1930s.That also explains why Henry has always resented Joe’s decision to return to the reservation and become a cop: he didn’t want his son to have to make the same decision he did with the priest.
How Joe Knew That The Ye’iitsoh Was Just A Man, Not A Monster In Dark Winds Season 3
The Bloody Human Handprint Is Proof That The Ye’iitsoh Is Just A Man
After his dreams were over, Joe discovered that the Ye’iitsoh that has been haunting him all season isn’t actually a monster, but just a man in a costume. Joe chased after the Ye’iitsoh at some point, and he managed to land a shot in the man’s shoulder. When he followed the trail,Joe found a bloody but distinctly human handprint, proving that the Ye’iitsoh is a man and Joe isn’t actually going insane. While this is a great development for Joe’s mental health, it still leaves a massive question: who is posing as the Ye’iitsoh and why?
The Real Meaning Of Joe’s Dreams In Dark Winds Season 3, Episode 6 Explained
Joe’s Dreams Helped Him Get Back Onto The Pollen Path & Confront Some Of The Darker Parts Of His Spirit
Joe’s extended dream sequence inDark Windsseason 3, episode 6 was obviously an important part of the show, and all of them were working towards one goal: getting Joe back on the Pollen Path. As Margaret explained, Joe left the Pollen Path by becoming unbalanced after killing BJ Vines. All of his dreams were an effort to rectify that imbalance. Joe confronted some dark secrets he had buried very far back in his memory, he crystallized his views of justice, and he listened to some valid criticisms of himself and the choices he’s made.
Hopefully, Joe’s spiritual journey will be enough to get his life back into balance and back on the Pollen Path.
Hopefully, Joe’s spiritual journey will be enough to get his life back into balance and back on the Pollen Path.AsDark Windsalready proved, Joe is even more determined than ever to protect people who rely on him, like George. He should also be more ready to accept responsibility for BJ Vines' death and for how he hurt Emma, both of which will help his spirit heal. With luck, Joe could finally get the metaphorical Ye’iitsoh off his mind.
There was also a lot of significance in Margaret’s narration throughout the episode.Margaret explained the myth of the Ye’iitsoh and the twins who slew him, and it seems fairly clear that they were meant to be a parallel to Joe and George’s battle against the fake Ye’iitsoh. Joe is one of the twins, and he’s finally figured out how to fight the Ye’iitsoh, just as the twins figured out to use the monster’s own weapons against him. Unfortunately, if Joe continues his mirroring of Navajo folklore, he might emerge from this battle unrecognizable to his loved ones, just as the twins did in the play.
Is Joe Going To Die After His Fight With The Ye’iitsoh?
At the very end ofDark Windsseason 3, episode 6, it looked like Joe might have succumbed to his wounds and could be in danger of dying. The Ye’iitsoh had sliced him across the thigh, and Joe passed out just as he was telling Jim Chee where to find him. Luckily,there’s almost no chance that Leaphorn is about to die inDark Winds. There’s no wayDark Windswould kill Joe in the middle of the season, especially after he had a major spiritual breakthrough. Plus, Chee is on his way, and he’ll almost certainly be able to find Joe in time.
“Ye’iitsoh (Big Monster)”
“Náá’tsoh (Big Eyes)”
“Ch’į́į́dii (Ghosts)”
“T’áá Áłts’íísígo (Just a Small Piece)”
“Béésh Łį́į́ (Iron Horse)”
April 27
Another reason Joe probably won’t die is because his troubles inDark Windsseason 3 are far from over. The wound to his thigh is likely going to put him out of commission for a while, and Agent Washington’s investigation is threatening both his freedom and his job as a police lieutenant.He also has to repair his marriage to Emma, and there’s just too much left unresolved forDark Windsto kill Joe off at this point. We still need to see how - or if - Joe gets out of this, soDark Windsneeds him around for at least two more episodes.
