'Dark Winds' Soars While 'The Last of Us' Stumbles in Season Finales

Olivia Bennett, 4/28/2025This article contrasts the season finales of HBO's "The Last of Us" and AMC's "Dark Winds," highlighting the latter's authentic storytelling and cultural depth. "Dark Winds" excels in character development through its Indigenous roots, while "The Last of Us" struggles with emotional direction amid its narrative shifts.

Let's cut to the chase: "Dark Winds" absolutely crushed it.

The show's third season finale delivers a masterclass in cultural storytelling, anchored by Zahn McClarnon's gut-wrenching performance as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. There's this moment — god, what a scene — where McClarnon sits alone with a tape recorder, and the raw emotion just bleeds through the screen. When Emma Leaphorn's recorded voice cuts through the silence with "I hope one day I can forgive him. But until that day, I walk alone," you can practically feel the weight of decades of shared history crumbling.

Meanwhile, over at HBO, "The Last of Us" seems to be having something of an identity crisis. The show's attempt to pivot toward an Ellie-centric narrative in episode 3 feels... well, let's just say the magic isn't quite there. Bella Ramsey's talented, no question, but asking her to shoulder the entire emotional weight of the series right now feels like putting the cart before the horse.

What really sets "Dark Winds" apart is its revolutionary approach to production. Writer/director Erica Tremblay spilled some fascinating tea about their writers' room process — they're not just paying lip service to cultural authenticity, they're living it. From Navajo prop departments to Indigenous camera operators, they're rewriting the playbook on how to tell culturally specific stories in mainstream television.

McClarnon (wearing both his actor and executive producer hats) nailed it when he talked about the show's broader impact: "That we get to re-educate people about a culture and the values of that culture is important." In today's fractured media landscape, where streaming wars and AI-generated content threaten to homogenize storytelling, this kind of dedication to authenticity feels downright revolutionary.

The contrast becomes particularly stark in episode 6, where McClarnon and Tremblay collaborated on scenes dealing with generational trauma. Their shared experiences as Native people infuse every frame with an authenticity that you simply can't fake — and lord knows Hollywood's tried.

Here's the thing about "The Last of Us" — it's got all the technical bells and whistles money can buy, but it's starting to feel like a ship without a compass. Where "Dark Winds" builds toward something real and meaningful while honoring its cultural roots, HBO's zombie drama seems caught between what worked before and where it needs to go next.

The way each show handles grief and transformation tells you everything you need to know. "Dark Winds" gives its characters room to breathe, to mess up, to figure things out. As Tremblay puts it, Leaphorn's finally "looking at himself in the mirror and recognizing things that he's never seen before." That's the kind of character development that keeps viewers coming back for more.

In an era where streaming platforms are tightening their belts and AI threatens to reshape the industry (don't even get me started on those 2025 predictions), "Dark Winds" reminds us what television can be when it prioritizes truth over trends. Sometimes the most universal stories are the ones that stay closest to their cultural roots.

Now that's what you call must-see TV.

Television's prestige landscape hit a fascinating crossroads this week, serving up two season finales that couldn't be more different in their execution and impact. While HBO's "The Last of Us" stumbles through its post-Joel identity crisis, AMC's "Dark Winds" soars to new heights — proving that authentic storytelling still packs the biggest emotional punch.Let's cut to the chase: "Dark Winds" absolutely crushed it.The show's third season finale delivers a masterclass in cultural storytelling, anchored by Zahn McClarnon's gut-wrenching performance as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. There's this moment — god, what a scene — where McClarnon sits alone with a tape recorder, and the raw emotion just bleeds through the screen. When Emma Leaphorn's recorded voice cuts through the silence with "I hope one day I can forgive him. But until that day, I walk alone," you can practically feel the weight of decades of shared history crumbling.Meanwhile, over at HBO, "The Last of Us" seems to be having something of an identity crisis. The show's attempt to pivot toward an Ellie-centric narrative in episode 3 feels... well, let's just say the magic isn't quite there. Bella Ramsey's talented, no question, but asking her to shoulder the entire emotional weight of the series right now feels like putting the cart before the horse.What really sets "Dark Winds" apart is its revolutionary approach to production. Writer/director Erica Tremblay spilled some fascinating tea about their writers' room process — they're not just paying lip service to cultural authenticity, they're living it. From Navajo prop departments to Indigenous camera operators, they're rewriting the playbook on how to tell culturally specific stories in mainstream television.McClarnon (wearing both his actor and executive producer hats) nailed it when he talked about the show's broader impact: "That we get to re-educate people about a culture and the values of that culture is important." In today's fractured media landscape, where streaming wars and AI-generated content threaten to homogenize storytelling, this kind of dedication to authenticity feels downright revolutionary.The contrast becomes particularly stark in episode 6, where McClarnon and Tremblay collaborated on scenes dealing with generational trauma. Their shared experiences as Native people infuse every frame with an authenticity that you simply can't fake — and lord knows Hollywood's tried.Here's the thing about "The Last of Us" — it's got all the technical bells and whistles money can buy, but it's starting to feel like a ship without a compass. Where "Dark Winds" builds toward something real and meaningful while honoring its cultural roots, HBO's zombie drama seems caught between what worked before and where it needs to go next.The way each show handles grief and transformation tells you everything you need to know. "Dark Winds" gives its characters room to breathe, to mess up, to figure things out. As Tremblay puts it, Leaphorn's finally "looking at himself in the mirror and recognizing things that he's never seen before." That's the kind of character development that keeps viewers coming back for more.In an era where streaming platforms are tightening their belts and AI threatens to reshape the industry (don't even get me started on those 2025 predictions), "Dark Winds" reminds us what television can be when it prioritizes truth over trends. Sometimes the most universal stories are the ones that stay closest to their cultural roots.Now that's what you call must-see TV.