Alex Meraz’s Ivan In Dark Winds Season 3 Makes Up For His Awful Villain In Landman Season 1

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dark Winds season 3, episode 5.Alex Meraz's Ivan Muños in Dark Winds season 3 is so much better than his awful villain, Jimenez, in Landman season 1. Alex Meraz joined the cast of Dark Winds season 3 just a few months after he played the cartel boss Jimenez in Taylor Sheridan's Landman. His character, Ivan Muños, is a Border Patrol officer in New Mexico and a love interest of Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten). Ivan also came between Bernadette and Jim Chee's (Kiowa Gordon) slow-burn romance before helping her investigate Budge de Baca (Raoul Max Trujillo) and Tom Spenser (Bruce Greenwood) in Dark Winds season 3.

Both Landman and Dark Winds season 3 mark something of a hot streak for Alex Meraz with popular television, but there's another major link between his two most recent characters. Dark Winds just revealed that Ivan isn't actually on Bernadette's side, and he's actually working for the show's main villains, which makes him just as much of an antagonist as Jimenez. Though they're both villains and played by Alex Meraz, there's one major difference between Ivan and Jimenez: Ivan is so much better than Landman's lackluster bad guy.

Alex Meraz’s Ivan Muños Was Just Revealed As One Of Dark Winds Season 3’s Villains

Bernadette Figured Out That Ivan Is Working With Budge & Spenser In Dark Winds Season 3

Ivan Munos (Alex Meraz) sitting shirtless in bed with Bernadette Manuelito in Dark Winds season 3, episode 5

At the end of Dark Winds season 3, episode 5, Bernadette figured out that Ivan is working with Budge de Baca and Tom Spenser. Bernadette connected Ivan's wallet to Budge via the rubber band on it, which all but proves that Ivan was sent to manipulate Bernadette into dropping her investigation. It's not entirely clear what Bernadette is going to do with that information, but it is clear that Ivan is one of Dark Winds season 3's main villains now. It's also clear that Dark Winds has given Alex Meraz a much better villain role than Landman did.

Ivan Is A Way Better Villain In Dark Winds Than Meraz’s Jimenez In Landman

Jimenez Was Stupid & Inconsequential While Ivan Is Conniving & Kind Of Likable

Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) looking furious and Jimenez (Alex Meraz) in Landman season 1, episode 7

Ivan in Dark Winds isn't just the second villain Alex Meraz has played in the span of months, he's also significantly better than Jimenez was in Landman. Jimenez, though he ran the American operation for a major cartel, was a dunce. He let Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) walk all over him, and when he finally stood up to him, it was by blowing up an oil drill and calling all kinds of attention to the cartel. The best thing Jimenez did in Landman was die and make room for Andy Garcia's Gallino. Jimenez was just a very lackluster villain all around.

Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and Gallino (Andy Garcia) in Landman season 1, episode 10

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Ivan Muños, on the other hand, is everything Jimenez wasn't. Ivan is smart and conniving enough to trick Bernadette, a brilliant detective. He's also got a lot more personality than Jimenez ever showed. Even if it was an act, Ivan was kind to Bernadette, and he actually came across as pretty endearing at the beginning of Dark Winds season 3. Now that his deception has been laid bare, however, Ivan has also proven that he's much easier to hate than Jimenez ever was. Ivan is much more complex and fun to watch than Jimenez, and Dark Winds finally gave Alex Meraz an opportunity to show how talented he is.

I Know He Won’t, But I Almost Hope Ivan Comes Back In Dark Winds Season 4

Ivan Adds An Interesting Dynamic To Bernadette & Chee's Relationship & Could Be Good For A Redemption Arc

Bernadette and Ivan in Dark Winds season 3

Ivan has been such an interesting villain so far that I actually kind of want him to return for Dark Winds season 4, which has already been confirmed. Of course, the odds of Ivan coming back are slim to none. Once Bernadette exposes Spenser's trafficking ring, Ivan's probably either going to prison or he's going to die by Budge's hand. Still, if there were a way for Ivan to both survive and avoid jail time, I'd like to see Dark Winds take that opportunity. Ivan is up there with BJ Vines in terms of Dark Winds villains, and I think the show would benefit from Meraz's return.

Dark Winds Season 3 Release Schedule
Episode #	Title	Release Date (9 p.m. EDT)
Episode 1	"Ye'iitsoh (Big Monster)"	March 9
Episode 2	"Náá'tsoh (Big Eyes)"	March 16
Episode 3	"Ch'į́į́dii (Ghosts)"	March 23
Episode 4	"Chahałheeł (Darkness Falls)"	March 30
Episode 5	"Tsékǫ̨' Hasą́ní (Coal Mine Canyon)"	April 6
Episode 6	"Ábidoo'niidę́ę́ (What We Had Been Told)"	April 13
Episode 7	"T'áá Áłts'íísígo (Just a Small Piece)"	April 20
Episode 8	"Béésh Łį́į́ (Iron Horse)"	April 27

There are other reasons Ivan's return in Dark Winds season 4 would benefit the show beyond his character being interesting. Ivan has added a fascinating dynamic to Bernadette and Chee's relationship, and though Ivan's romance with Bernadette is functionally over, he could continue to poke and prod at Chee in the future. Likewise, I feel like Ivan is the perfect candidate for a redemption arc. He probably has a good heart underneath all his sins, and he may even be unwillingly working with Budge and Spenser. I'd like to see Alex Meraz continue playing his best villain in Dark Winds.