Dark Winds: Inside George R.R. Martin’s Connection to the Critically Acclaimed Series Ahead of Season 3
AMC’s Dark Winds, the George R.R. Martin-backed Western psychological thriller based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, hits Netflix with Season 3 on October 27 — and it’s already renewed for Season 4.
Yes, George R.R. Martin helps run a Western. And not just any Western — AMC's 'Dark Winds' is a tense, old-school psychological thriller based on Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee novels, and it keeps quietly racking up wins. Season 3 finally hits Netflix on October 27, just in time for Halloween, and the show is already locked for Season 4.
The AMC-Netflix deal that changed the game
AMC cut a new licensing deal with Netflix last year, and 'Dark Winds' is one of the big beneficiaries. Netflix scooped up the series in August 2024, and it has since been a legit streaming success — enough to outpace some of AMC's own 'The Walking Dead' spinoffs on the charts. The numbers back it up too: according to an engagement report, the show pulled 19.2 million views in the U.S., translating to 87.5 million viewing hours from June 2024 through June 2025. And critics? All three seasons sit at a spotless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Season 3 lands on Netflix October 27, courtesy of AMC's new Netflix pact
- Netflix pickup: August 2024; the show has repeatedly topped the in-service charts
- U.S. engagement: 19.2 million views / 87.5 million viewing hours (June 2024–June 2025)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100% for Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3
- Renewed for Season 4 before Season 3 even premiered on AMC
- Netflix rights are set to run through July 2028
- George R.R. Martin pops up for a cameo in Season 3
- The show just scored its second Wrangler Award, this time for best television drama of 2024
GRRM's fingerprints are all over it (in a good way)
Martin has been an executive producer since day one and keeps talking about the series on his site, Not A Blog. Recently, he celebrated the show's second Wrangler Award win. It's a funny bit of inside baseball: the guy best known for dragons and medieval warfare is also shepherding a grounded, Southwestern crime drama — and it's working. Between Martin's guidance, the writing, and a killer cast, 'Dark Winds' has become one of AMC's best shows that too many people somehow missed. The Netflix window should fix that.
What Season 4 looks like (as far as they'll tell us)
Plot details are locked down, per usual. Expect a fresh case for the Tribal Police, the kind of left-turn twists the show loves, and likely another pull from Hillerman's bookshelf. The big news behind the camera: Zahn McClarnon — who leads the series as Joe Leaphorn — will make his directorial debut in Season 4. AMC hasn't said how many episodes he'll direct yet.
Meanwhile, here and now
If you want to catch up or finally see what the fuss is about, 'Dark Winds' is streaming on Netflix and AMC+. Season 3 hits Netflix October 27. And yes, AMC proved it's not just a 'Walking Dead' factory — this one's the real deal.