On the finish of Dark Winds season 3, episode 1, the physique of the murdered lacking boy, Ernesto Cata, is discovered with an arrowhead shoved into his mouth, an odd act filled with darkish symbolism. Dark Winds season 3, which has embraced horror elements, kicked off with Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee investigating the disturbing disappearance of two teenage boys from the reservation, Ernesto Cata and George Bowlegs. Whereas George was confirmed alive – for now – Ernesto was nonetheless lacking and the bloody gouges left on his bike indicated he’d come to a foul finish.
Certainly, he had, and {the teenager}’s corpse was discovered shoved right into a drain pipe within the desert, confirming that his demise will need to have been lonely and horrific. It is clear that the boys have been both concerned in some shady enterprise or, extra doubtless, noticed one thing they should not have seen and Ernesto was killed to maintain him quiet, with George subsequent on the record. It is a deeply troubling case for the Dark Winds characters, and Joe Leaphorn appears to suppose the arrowhead present in Ernesto’s mouth is essential to breaking open the thriller.
Why Leaphorn Is So Targeted On The Arrowhead With Ernesto Cata’s Demise
It Does not Match Into The Puzzle
The arrowhead present in Ernesto’s mouth on the end of Dark Winds season 3, episode 1 is exceedingly unusual, the type of calling card a serial killer would go away, or somebody with a private grudge. Actually, that is what Sheriff Gordo guesses when he informs Joe the homicide weapon was doubtless one thing like a clawed hammer, speculating that maybe Ernesto and George had gotten right into a battle and Bowlegs snapped and took out his rage on his buddy. However Leaphorn shortly shoots that down, figuring out {that a} Navajo would by no means try this to a different Navajo.
“The arrowhead does not make sense, Gordo. It is a sacred object,” he explains. “When you’re placing an arrowhead within the mouth of a useless… It is like a Catholic defiling a crucifix. Whoever did this is not Diné.” Leaphorn is aware of that, fairly than proving the involvement of one other of the Diné folks, the arrowhead virtually definitely guidelines out somebody Navajo, at the least not one who nonetheless respects his tradition, additional deepening the thriller of Dark Winds season 3’s story.

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Including to Leaphorn’s suspicions, the arrowhead is faux. Archaeologist Dr. Reynolds factors out that the edging on the arrowhead was made with a machine fairly than a hand device and that Leaphorn may purchase a dozen of them if he went all the way down to the buying and selling publish that sells souvenirs and trinkets to vacationers. The reveal additional helps Leaphorn’s idea that the killer is not Diné; a Navajo would not must resort to purchasing an affordable toy in the event that they needed an arrowhead.
What Might The Arrowhead In Ernesto Cata’s Mouth Actually Imply For The Darkish Winds Killer?
No matter The Motivation For The Arrowhead, The That means Behind It Is Darkish
Whoever killed Ernesto Cata and put the arrowhead in his mouth, it is clear they’ve a deep-rooted hatred of the Navajo folks. Clearly, they knew sufficient to know that the arrowhead holds symbolic which means within the tradition, however presumably did not know that placing it in somebody’s mouth can be thought-about sacrilegious, displaying their callous disregard for Diné spirituality and customized. Worse can be if that they had identified that it was sacrilegious and meant it to be, defiling the boy’s physique in a manner that carries on previous his demise.
One other chance that’s equally darkish is that the killer might be attempting to arrange a local of the reservation to take the autumn, considering that the arrowhead would mechanically be related to the killer being Navajo.
One other chance that’s equally darkish is that the killer might be attempting to arrange a local of the reservation to take the autumn, considering that the arrowhead would mechanically be related to the killer being Navajo. Nonetheless, contemplating the brutality of the kill and the methodical manner Ernesto Cata’s physique had been shoved into the drain pipe, the killer does not look like somebody who does not suppose issues by, indicating he would have identified precisely what the arrowhead meant. With Darkish Winds season 3 leaning right into a horror-thriller vibe, it is doubtless the motivation behind the arrowhead will probably be a disturbing one, no matter it might be.
Darkish Winds season 3 is at present airing on AMC on Sundays at 9/8C.