Why Zahn McClarnon and ‘Dark Winds’ Should Be Considered for Emmys

The third season of “Dark Winds” might be one of its best yet.

In the latest season, Zahn McClarnon’s Joe Leaphorn is tracking down a missing Native teenager who goes missing after his friend is murdered. At home, his wife Emma (Deanna Allison) is struggling to forgive him and decides to leave. Amid it all, Leaphorn is facing generational trauma and confronting his past.

Although the show has largely gone unrecognized by Emmy voters, there’s still time to consider the AMC thriller and McClarnon’s performance when it comes to drama categories.

Take episode 6, which revolves around a ketamine fever dream that sees Joe transported back in time, threading together three narrative threads: the traditional Navajo story of the Hero Twins facing the Ye’iitsoh; Joe’s present-day confrontation with a monster that’s been haunting him throughout Season 3; and the revelation of a deeply personal childhood trauma.

McClarnon says it was satisfying to explore that aspect of the character. “I find it cathartic to tap into some of that stuff that I went through as a kid, which was very similar. I enjoy that process as an actor and that’s why I wanted to be an actor,” he said at an FYC panel and a later interview.

The actor, who is Hunkpapa Lakota, knew how authenticity was important to the creative team and showrunners. And for certain scenes, he had to learn Diné, the Navajo language. Cultural consultants on the show helped ensure the pronunciation was correct, but it wasn’t easy. McClarnon says it would often take a few weeks “to learn a couple of lines.”

Though McClarnon is always reserved, his performance in this season particularly is also filled with emotion. In the season finale, his eyes tell the story as he sits there wordless with his world falling apart, and he learns of Emma’s feelings towards him.

McClarnon has led “Dark Winds” for three seasons. In season four, he’ll get to direct. Yet, he doesn’t consider himself a leading man. “I don’t,” he replies when asked about it. “I know that I can be number one on a TV show. I can be an EP and direct at the same time. I have that skill,” he says.

McClarnon, who starred in the 2005 TNT series, “Into the West” and later in 2009’s “Not Forgotten” is overdue for lead awards attention. His performance as Joe Leaphorn has proven he can carry a series, with the complexity to peel back the layers. Though he starred in “Reservation Dogs,” which had comedic elements, he’s not sure about taking on a rom-com. He laughs, “I don’t know if I can be a romantic comedy leading man.” But McClarnon won’t rule it out. “We’ll see what happens,” he says.

Television Academy voters, it’s your move to spotlight McClarnon and show him he’s got everything it takes to lead the way.