Throughout most of the 00s, J. J. Abrams was one of the biggest names in television. The back-to-back success of Alias and Lost made him a force in the industry. His focus on long-term, “mystery box” style storytelling has influenced countless shows for better and worse. Abrams left TV in 2010 to focus on reviving and then subsequently killing both the Star Trek and Star Wars film franchises. Now, he’s back with Duster.
Co-created by Abrams and Into the Badlands’ LaToya Morgan, Duster feels like Abrams’ past work and not just because of Greg Grunberg’s presence. Set in 1972, the series follows Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson), the FBI’s first Black female agent. Hayes is on the trail of crime boss, Ezra Saxton (Keith David) and needs the help of his most trusted getaway driver, Jim Ellis (Lost alum Josh Holloway). Ellis suspects that Saxton may have ordered the murder of his brother, which provides the show with an element of mystery.
Duster operates as something like a “double throwback.” 70s action series like The Dukes of Hazard and Starsky & Hutch clearly inspired the show. It’s jam-packed with era specific references that occasionally verge on too obvious, such as when Ellis flips on the radio to a news report about Watergate. It also, like fellow HBO Max hit The Pitt, harkens back to the heights of broadcast TV. There’s a series arc, but that doesn’t stop the show from getting up to episodic antics. This also helps further develop the cast.
The show’s primary hook is Holloway, using the same rugged charm that made Sawyer one of Lost’s breakout characters. Finally, given the vehicle (pun very much intended) that he’s been missing, Holloway makes even the more ridiculous moments land. The program takes its time building up to the eventual meeting between Ellis and Nina. It soars to a new level whenever the duo is on screen. Holloway and Hilson have the type of fiery chemistry that instantly elevates a series like this.
There’s also a host of reliable character actors from Corbin Bernsen as Jim’s father Wade to Donal Logue as a corrupt cop. We even get a fun guest appearance by Patrick Warburton as an Elvis-obsessed mobster. The cast goes deeper, including Nina’s partner on the case, Awan (Asivak Koostachin) and Ezra’s adult children. The series occasionally feels overstuffed with the amount of characters it juggles, but it’s a small price to pay for this much fun.
Abrams sticks to writing with Duster, which allows other directors to take a crack at his ideas. Steph Green handles the first two episodes and establishes the look and feel right away. There’s a retro charm to the show’s action and the dusty trappings of the American Southwest make for a captivating setting. Where the directing falters is in the car chase scenes, which often lack the type of kinetic pace you want. Maybe it was easier to film a good car chase back when we were less concerned with the safety of cast and crew?
Not everything here lands. Nina experiences a great deal of racism and sexism at her FBI field office. While it is true to the era, the stories examining this often feel shallow and prone to cliche. The show works best as campy, escapist television. It’s a drive into the past that succeeds when it isn’t slowing down. Duster may not be the nicest ride, but it has a lot of fun along the way.
Duster is currently streaming on HBO Max. New episodes release on Thursdays.