1971 - Fallstaff, AZ - An audacious daylight robbery of an armored car takes place. The guards are shot and killed. The robbers get away in a helicopter.
Present - Navajo Reservation - Anna Atcitty, a 19-year-old woman, and Hosteen Tso, an old man, are found dead in a motel room. She was in the bathroom. There is no apparent cause of her death. He was on the floor of the bedroom. His eyes are missing and his throat was cut. The only other person in the room was an old, blind woman. The old man had come to her for help because he was having pain in his back.
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn returns the old woman to her daughter. The 19-year-old was the old woman's granddaughter. The father doesn't want to talk. He is angry about something and is holding a grudge against Leaphorn due to some past transgression, perceived or otherwise.
Jim Chee joins Leaphorn's command. He has a college degree from Berkley. He was originally from the reservation. Joe Leaphorn has one other officer working directly for him. Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito.
Leaphorn and Chee go to the morgue. There they meet with a couple of FBI special agents, one of whom is Leland Whitover. Leaphorn calls him High Pockets. Whitover doesn't like the nickname. Murder is a federal crime. Chee has to turn the investigation over to the FBI.
Leaphorn and Chee go to see the family of the dead girl. The grandmother hasn't said a thing since she was returned to them. The mother gives Leaphorn a photograph. Leaphorn leaves Chee there and radios Sergeant Manuelito to come get Chee.
Chee and Manuelito go check up on Sally Growing Thunder, a young woman who is pregnant. Leaphorn's wife is worried about her. Leaphorn's wife works in the doctor's office which Sally visited the day before. Manuelito knocks on the door. Eventually someone answers. Manuelito gets a few moments alone with Sally.
Chee walks around the house, while Manuelito is busy with the girl. He doesn't see it but a man with a shotgun, inside the house spots him. They leave when Manuelito is done with Sally. Manuelito tried to confront the woman of the house just before they leave but she sensed or felt something wrong and decided that they should leave instead.
Jim Chee meets with Special Agent Whitover, High Pockets, at a restaurant. Their relationship isn't as presented before. Chee is also a FBI Special Agent. Whitover reminds Chee that he's his boss.
Leaphorn goes to see Father Tso, a priest who came to see him a few days ago. Father Tso told him that he was staying at the home of Hosteen Tso, his grandfather. Leaphorn looks around. He doesn't find the priest. It isn't visible to Leaphorn but there's a helicopter with a fresh body inside in the reservoir behind the house.
Thoughts
Joe Leaphorn is played by Zahn McClarnon. I know him primarily from Season 2 of Fargo.
Leland Whitover is played by Noah Emmerich. I know him primarily from The Americans.
What next? How long will it be before Leaphorn finds out that Chee is working for Whitover? Leaphorn already seems very standoffish. Is that just how he is or is he suspicious of Chee? What is up with Sally Growing Thunder and her mother? Who is the man with the shotgun? Is that the father of Sally's unborn child? What really happened in the hotel? Is the killer someone who has already been introduced? What happened to the robbers and the money they stole? Is there a connection between the robbery and the killings at the motel?
This is based on some of the books written by Tony Hillerman. I've read a few of them but it has been at least a couple decades since I read one of them. The season is six episodes long. This episode doesn't resolve much of anything. I assume that the plot threads in this episode will flow through the rest of the season.
This is good. I want to watch more.
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