Dark Winds sets up a very dark fourth season in this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip

As laid out in the clip, said season is going for a fish-out-of-water premise, drawn from Tony Hillerman’s 1984 crime novel The Ghostway. Specifically, that means seeing stars Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, and Jessica Matten transplanted to 1970s Los Angeles in search of a girl who’s run away from the Navajo Nation. It also means a major appearance from Run Lola Run and Bourne star Franka Potente, who looks honestly pretty terrifying as “Irene Vogner,” a killer for hire who becomes obsessed with McClarnon’s Joe Leaphorn while tracking down the missing girl. (Also on the guest star roster for this season: “TV show where very bad things happen to people” veteran Titus Welliver, and an appearance from the late Udo Kier.)

Elsewhere in the clip, the show serves up a healthy dollop of ‘shipper fuel, highlighting the ongoing connection between Gordon’s Chee and Matten’s Bernadette, who sound like they’re undergoing a whole new level of trauma bonding after the separation imposed by the show’s third season. Finally, we get a glimpse of McClarnon stepping into the show’s director’s chair, which will be the veteran actor’s first shot at helming an episode of TV.

Dark Winds returns for its fourth season on Sunday, February 15 on AMC and AMC+.