Jessica Matten introduces us to the Dark Winds Season 2 villain (Exclusive)

Dark Winds Season 2 brings back the crime-solving trio comprising Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito. Only this time, they have an adversary who is far more dangerous than any they have encountered before.

Jessica Matten, who plays Bernadette, spoke about how Nicholas Logan, who plays the Dark Winds Season 2 villain, is actually the nicest guy in real life. She also went on to draw parallels to her character and that of Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and their circumstances over the last two seasons.

Read on to learn more in this exclusive interview by SK POP. Check out more thoughts from Matten on Dark Winds Season 2 here.

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What if Dark Winds Season 2 was based in 2023? Jessica Matten doesn't think Bernadette would be too different

Dark Winds Season 2 takes us all the way back to the time of the moon landing and Vietnam and Elvis Presley. That said, when Jessica Matten was asked how different her character would be if the show was set in 2023, she seemed to be of the opinion that things would not be starkly different:

"I don’t think it would be that much different. Which is something for the audience to be reflective of too. To realize that times have passed. And yet things still in a lot of ways remain the same. Our police outfits may change but that’s about it."

This time around, there's a worthy antagonist as well. Even though Matten did not have too many scenes with actor Nicholas Logan, she was in awe of his masterful acting chops.

The actress spoke about how Logan, an innately likable guy, made himself seem hateable in Dark Winds Season 2:

"I didn’t have many scenes with him but I watched some of the scenes that he did with Zahn. And I was like dude, you can act. He’s known to play villains he said. Which is so funny because in real life he’s like (raises pitch in voice) – ‘Hi guys, how are you?’"

She continued:

"Like he’s the nicest human being on planet earth. And you would not be able to tell from his character. But again I think it’s a testament to his acting ability. The dude can just act."

SK POP pointed out how Jim Chee had one foot out of the door in Season 1, with higher aspirations. Meanwhile Bernadette has the same goals in Dark Winds Season 2, aiming for a life beyond the reservation. Matten remarked:

"That’s totally cool that you pointed that out because I just realized that in Season 1, Kiowa…Chee had one foot in, one foot out of the door. And ironically, Berandette has one foot in and one foot out. And what I can say is her decision is deeply rooted in racism. Which is a massive topic of this entire season. But racism that was very true to the time."

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Catch Dark Winds Season 2 on July 30 on AMC at 9 pm ET/PT. Those that want early access can check out the show this Thursday on AMC +.

Please note that the interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike commenced.