Dark Winds Season 4, Episode 2 Ending Explained: Why Chee Went Into The Death Hogan

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Be warned, this article reveals major plot points from episode 2 of Dark Winds season 4! This week’s episode ended with a shocking twist involving Jim Chee, but its significance might not be clear to viewers unfamiliar with Navajo traditions – specifically, what a “death hogan” is. Meanwhile, Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito successfully located Billie Tsosie, finding her as she was gathering medical supplies for Albert Gorman. However, the overall mystery remains unsolved.

The team on Dark Winds has located Billie, but they still don’t understand why Irene was pursuing her and Albert – and now, with Albert gone, they can’t ask him. Meanwhile, Chee is dealing with a new challenge: a condition called ghost sickness, which is rooted in the stories by Tony Hillerman. This week’s episode of Dark Winds had several unexpected twists that deserve a closer look.

What A Death Hogan Is & Why Chee Went Into It In Dark Winds Season 4, Episode 2

Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

In the latest episode of Dark Winds, Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernadette discovered Albert Gorman’s body at Ashie Begay’s house. Recognizing the house as a traditional “death hogan,” Leaphorn and Bernadette cautioned Chee not to go inside. This is because Navajo culture believes that when someone dies, a negative spiritual essence called “chindi” is released, and contact with it can lead to illness, known as ghost sickness. Therefore, Navajo people generally avoid touching the deceased or being near places associated with death.

Among the Navajo, ‘ghost sickness’ happens when someone comes into contact with the spirit of a deceased person – a ‘chindi’ – either by touching a body or entering a building where someone died, known as a ‘death hogan.’ If someone dies inside, their spirit is believed to remain trapped within the building. To release the spirit and warn others away, a hole is made in the north wall. When Leaphorn and Manuelito saw this hole, they immediately knew they were looking at a death hogan.

Chee was aware that death hogans were considered dangerous, but he ignored Bernadette’s warning and went inside. Shortly after, he experienced a nosebleed and began having visions, indicating he was suffering from ghost sickness. It seems Chee entered the hogan because he doubted the existence of ghost sickness and traditional healing, and didn’t heed Bernadette’s advice.

Why Joe Doesn’t Want Chee To Know That He’s Retiring

Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

In the first episode of Dark Winds season 4, Joe informed Bernadette of his intention to retire and asked her to take over as lieutenant. This week’s episode showed that Bernadette is the only one who knows about his plan. She asked if she could share the news with Chee, but Joe refused, simply stating he wasn’t ready for the whole office to find out and asking her to keep it a secret for him.

Chee has already shown he can’t keep a secret this season – Bernadette found out about Billie Tsosie’s disappearance before Chee even got back to the station. Joe probably thinks if he tells Chee his plans, Chee will immediately share them with the other officers. Joe’s worried that will lead to unwanted attention, questions, and congratulations, and he just wants to be left alone to finish his work in peace for the next few weeks.

Even though Joe might think it’s best not to tell Chee about his retirement and Bernadette’s promotion, it’s probably a mistake. Chee will inevitably find out, and keeping him in the dark will likely upset him. Because they’ve recently rekindled their relationship, he’ll probably be especially angry with Bernadette for being promoted over him. Chee is driven and ambitious, so he’s unlikely to be pleased that Bernadette got the position instead of him.

Why Irene Didn’t Shoot Joe In Dark Winds Season 4, Episode 2

Michael Moriatis / ©AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Early in the second episode of Dark Winds season 4, Joe and Chee tracked a fluid trail from where Gorman shot at Irene’s van. This led them to an auto shop where Irene had been getting parts to fix her vehicle. While they were investigating, the hitman had Joe in the crosshairs of her rifle. Surprisingly, she didn’t shoot him, and instead offered a puzzling smile as Joe and Chee drove away.

It’s a mystery why Irene didn’t kill Joe. She’s proven she’s willing to kill anyone, even a police officer, and eliminating him would have helped her escape and focus on finding Gorman. However, there are possible explanations. It seems Irene is strangely drawn to Joe, and she might be enjoying the challenge of being hunted by him.

Dark Winds Season 4 Release Schedule
Title Release Date (Sundays @ 9 PM ET on AMC+)
Baptism by Fire February 15
Toward Their Unknown Paths February 22
That Which has been Torn Apart March 1
The New World March 8
Those Who Harmed One Another March 15
Those Who Were Searching For Me March 22
We Came Back March 29
The Glittering World April 5

Irene probably smiled at Joe because he surprised her. She’s good at hiding her intentions, but Joe managed to get close by simply investigating a leaky radiator. He seems to be a worthy opponent, and she likely has a strange respect for him. She didn’t harm Joe for the same reason Joe didn’t kill the deer in the first episode of Dark Winds season 4: they recognized a shared understanding and respect for each other.

Okay, so I’m really worried about Irene. As a viewer, it’s pretty clear she’s not all there, even though she tries to act professional. I’m getting a bad feeling that she’s fixated on Joe, and if she starts seeing things as some kind of twisted game, she could seriously mess with him. Honestly, even if she doesn’t go full-on cat-and-mouse, I just know she’s going to be a major headache in season 4 of Dark Winds. She’s definitely someone to watch, and not in a good way.

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2026-02-23 06:20