This article includes mentions of suicide & COVID-19.
The end credits of Dark Winds season 3, episode 1, “Ye’iitsoh,” revealed a dedication on a black screen to someone named Joe Bufalino III, prompting questions about who he was and how he was connected to the show.
Dark Winds season 3’s first scene of episode 1 makes the darker and heavier tone clear, and it is threaded throughout the narrative all season as Joe wrestles with his demons. In a deeply sad parallel to real life, however, that darkness extended to the film community surrounding Dark Winds, which lost one of its own before season 3 began filming.
The show lost an incredible talent, Joe Bufalino III, who served as the second assistant director on Dark Winds. Tragically, Bufalino died by suicide on Thursday, August 17th, 2023.
If you or someone you love is experiencing suicidal ideation, there is hope. Suicide is never the answer. Please call 988 (US), or visit thehotline.org (US) or findahelpline.com (international) for help.
Though they were released after his passing, Dark Winds had ostensibly already wrapped post-production on the last few episodes of Dark Winds season 2 prior to his death, so the cast and crew made a point to honor their friend and colleague in the first episode of season 3.
Joe Bufalino III Left An Incredible Legacy Behind
Joe Bufalino III was an assistant director in New Mexico’s state film and TV industry and, reportedly, the state’s youngest first assistant director at age 32 at the time of his death. As a New Mexico-based crew member, he worked on multiple movies and TV shows that filmed in and around the area.
Before working as the second AD on Dark Winds, he had worked with many of the show’s cast and crew on other projects. That includes Longmire, in which Dark Winds‘ McClarnon also starred. Local crews are always deeply interconnected, so he would have known everyone in the community.
His legacy extended past his work, though. The cast and crew of Dark Winds were better off knowing him, as were all his friends and family. In his obituary in French Funerals & Cremations, he was described as someone who could “light up a room.” His empathy, compassion, and sunny personality were highlighted. Ultimately, it’s clear that the world lost a beautiful soul.
Joe Bufalino III’s Story Is A Reminder About How Hard The Past Half Decade Has Been On Crew
Bufalino’s tragic end is a stark reminder of just how hard the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and strikes were on the rank-and-file Hollywood crew. When people hear the word “Hollywood,” it tends to conjure up glamorous images of rich A-list actors and red carpets, but the reality is that the vast majority of people working in the film and TV industry neither live in Hollywood nor are they big stars.
Crew members are often underpaid and live paycheck to paycheck, with their livelihoods depending on a steady stream of work. Unfortunately, the one-two punch of the COVID pandemic and then the writers’ and actors’ strikes proved disastrous for the industry.
While those aforementioned big-name actors are largely just fine, they make up a very small percentage of people who are comfortable in Hollywood at the best of times, let alone after half a decade of shutdown and disruption.
Despite the content on our screens, the industry simply has not bounced back yet in the way it needs to in order to thrive, even six years after the lockdowns began. Everyone from key groups to screenwriters lost their livelihoods, but the work most people thought would return simply hasn’t.
Plenty of crew members have left the industry, feeling it’s no longer feasible to make a living by making movies and TV shows. Others became homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic as work dried up. Sadly, there are others, like Joe Bufalino III, whose lives ended by suicide.
Dark Winds Season 4 Features More Tributes To Those Who Were Involved In The Show
The season 3 tribute to Joe Bufalino III might be the first tribute, but it is far from the last. The premiere of Dark Winds season 4 featured a direct tribute to Robert Redford, who served as an executive producer for the mystery thriller. They included another nod to Redford in Dark Winds season 4, episode 4.
The show was extremely important to the legendary actor, and he fought to get Dark Winds made in the first place. As such, it’s fitting to pay respect to him.
In between those two tributes, Dark Winds season 4, episode 2 featured a tribute to Taylor Roberts, who headed the makeup department for season 3. It’s clear that everyone on the show has deep reverence for behind-the-scenes talents, like Bufalino and Roberts, who are integral to the show but might not be recognizable to the audience.
Then, Dark Winds season 4’s penultimate episode paid tribute to Udo Kier, the actor who played Gunthar Vaggan. The creative team decided to delay Kier’s tribute until season 4, episode 7, because the character died in that episode.
Ultimately, the choice to include so many tributes to the folks who pass away might seem jarring for anyone who doesn’t know the individuals being recognized, but it shows just how close the Dark Winds team is.
Sources: TVMaze, French Funerals & Cremations
- Release Date
-
June 12, 2022
- Showrunner
-
John Wirth, Vince Calandra
- Directors
-
Michael Nankin
- Writers
-
John Wirth, Steven Judd, Max Hurwitz, Rhiana Yazzie, Thomas Brady, DezBaa’