Based on the “Leaphorn & Chee” novel series by Tony Hillerman and set in the 1970s, “Dark Winds” follows the FBI investigation of a bank robbery in Gallup, N.M., and the Navajo Tribal inquiry into the local murder of two Native residents. Lt. Joe Leaphorn, his new deputy Jim Chee, and Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito do the heavy lifting around the reservation, which is near Monument Valley. The strange behaviors of some of the residents and the newcomers intertwine with their personal stories as the two men battle the forces of evil and their own personal demons on the path to salvation.
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Video Quality
The second season of Dark Winds comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation that matches the high bar set by the debut season. The location work continues to be a standout aspect as they are presented with favorable depth and clarity on this disc. Distinct features are readily visible within the landscape with great texture. Black levels are deep without any significant instance of crush or banding. No compression artifacts sullied the experience thanks to a solid encode. The series showcases deep colors in the environments and costumes which hold up well. Skin tones and facial details are rendered flawlessly which brings a great immediacy to the picture. RLJE Entertainment has done a first-rate job with this series.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that serves the series well. The score establishes an appropriate tone for the series that fills up the room on this track. There is occasional activity in the low end when bits of action pop up. Dialogue stays grounded in the front center channels for the most part and emanates clearly. This track rarely experiences any anomalies throughout the season. The track does a fine job of making sure neither sound effects nor the score ever overpowers the exchanges of dialogue. Ambient activity is not overwhelming, but it spreads nicely in the rear channels to help flesh out the world. Overall, there is not much to complain about with this track. There are optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this release.
Final Thoughts
The sophomore season of Dark Winds maintains the high level of quality established by the first outing with a deeper exploration of some of the characters’ backstories. Having certain characters separated more this season is a slight disappointment, but the way in which the writers find new facets within this narrative makes it all worth it. RLJE Films and AMC have delivered a Blu-Ray with a stellar A/V presentation but no supplemental features. If you haven’t checked this one out yet, you should fix that immediately. Recommended
Dark Winds: The Complete Second Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
