Duster: A throwback thrill ride that never hits the brakes

Photo: HBO Max

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.

Final Verdict: Tune In

The Four Seasons: Fitfully Funny But Anchored By A Terrific Cast

Photo: Netflix

It’s hard to believe it now, but the original The Four Seasons, a romantic comedy written and directed by Alan Alda, was one of the biggest hits of 1981. The movie was even big enough to inspire a short-lived CBS series. Whatever pop culture cache the film once had is now long gone. Oddly enough, that makes it the perfect candidate for a remake. Something fondly remembered by a select few, but not big enough to attract rabid fans annoyed at any changes made. This is 2025 though, so a movie won’t work. Better make it a streaming series!

This version of The Four Seasons, created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, follows the same basic premise with a few modern updates. Three middle-aged couples go on a series of different vacations (one for each season) as they adapt to various changes in their lives. Like the film version, the show is a comfort watch. It asks only that you enjoy its cozy vibe and capable cast of actors playing off one another.

The Four Seasons assembles a group of gifted comedians and simply asks them to hang out. Tina Fey and Will Forte play Kate and Jack, the traditional married couple. They do great work at conveying the type of relationship where you know exactly what to expect of each other. We even get a few Forte freakouts. The always excellent Coleman Domingo plays Danny, who is in an open relationship with his husband Claude (Marco Calvani). The show wisely sidesteps any potential drama that would bring and instead focuses on Danny’s upcoming heart surgery. Unsurprisingly, Domingo is the strongest actor of the bunch, bringing gravitas to a relationship that occasionally feels under-baked. Steve Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver round out the couples as Nick and Anne. Nick reveals early on that he plans to divorce Anne and that revelation is the impetus that drives much of the plot.

As a show, The Four Seasons is a “soft comedy,” more concerned with the interplay and banter between the characters than crafting big comedic moments. It works thanks to the cast’s chemistry, but it helps to go in knowing you won’t be getting anything too zany. There’s also a tendency for the series to veer into drama, what with all the middle-age angst swirling around these characters. It’s a tricky tonal balance to hit and there are plenty of misses throughout the episodes I’ve seen.

Still, there’s a lot to love, even if it comes in fits and starts. The show is warm and inviting with a cast that you want to spend time with. The changing seasons and different locations help provide a visual boost as well. Would this have made a better movie? Probably, but that’s not the world we live in. As it stands, The Four Seasons is a pleasant way to spend 4 hours. By the end, you might even feel like part of the gang.

The Four Seasons is currently streaming on Netflix.

Final Verdict: Tune In

Government Cheese: Fun, stylish, and a little weightless

Photo: Apple TV+

More than any other streaming service, Apple TV+ is the one most focused on producing original programming. This is mostly out of necessity as Apple doesn’t have a catalog to pull from like Warner Bros. or Disney. Regardless of the why, it’s nice to have a streaming option willing to take swings even if it they don’t always land. Government Cheese is even more of a swing than usual.

Created by prolific music video director Paul Hunter and Ayesha Carr, the series is full of style and plenty of whimsy. Set in Los Angeles circa 1969, Government Cheese follows Hampton Chambers (David Oyelowo) a thief recently released from prison. Hampton is ready for a second chance and his invention, a self-sharpening power drill, is the key to it. However, his fractious personal life and a favor owed to the local crime family complicate things. This is a show with a lot of plot, which proves to be a challenge for its 30-40 minute runtime.

The series moves at a quick pace, which works for the quirky tone. Government Cheese has a vibe that I can only describe as The Coen brothers meet Wes Anderson. The show has a penchant for black comedy that is juxtaposed by the vibrant color palette. There’s also a tendency for the narrative to drift into dream sequences, a favorite device of the Coens. It’s a delight to watch even if the program lacks the charm of its influences. There’s a certain remove to the series that is often lobbied at Anderson’s work. All the zaniness obscures the emotions we’re supposed to feel.

Like those films, the show attempts to glide past those criticisms with the help of a great cast. Oyelowo is outstanding as Hampton, a man of seemingly endless determination. He makes the almost delusional levels of self-confidence Hampton displays endearing while also showing the cracks in his facade. Simone Missick plays his wife, Astoria, who is less than enthused to have him back at home. The series takes its time showing the devolution of their relationship, but Missick makes it clear with every weary smile and behind-the-back eye roll. She’s seen this all before.

Their two sons fall a little too easily into archetypes. Einstein is the academic one with a bright future, while Harrison is the counter-culture rebel. The real scene-stealer is Bokeem Woodbine as Bootsy. He is the constant devil on Hampton’s shoulder, tempting him back to the world of crime. We don’t get a lot of him, but Woodbine makes a meal out of every line and expression.

With a great cast and energetic direction courtesy of Hunter, Government Cheese has a lot going for it. The offbeat tone keeps you at arm’s length, but it’s hard not to be won over by the show’s commitment to its characters. This is the type of program that I can only really envision on a platform like Apple TV+. The creators can do exactly what they want and it shows for good and bad. That’s all I really want from TV.

Government Cheese is currently streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes release on Wednesdays.

Final Verdict: Tune In

Ransom Canyon: Yellowstone meets the Netflix algorithm with poor results

Photo: Netflix

It’s common knowledge at this point that there are large sections of the Netflix library viewers will never see. This is more or less by design. The almighty algorithm only shows you what it thinks you want. Part of being a TV blogger with a self-imposed goal of watching as many new shows as possible means finding things the Netflix machine will never send my way. Ransom Canyon is the latest example of this trend.

The series is another of Netflix’s soapy romance dramas in the vein of Virgin River or Sweet Magnolias with an added western flair. That means cowboy hats, horses, and big trucks. Like the other shows in this genre, Ransom Canyon follows a collection of characters from the titular small town who go about their melodramatic lives. The central story involves a love triangle between stoic rancher Staten (Josh Duhamel), dancehall owner Quinn (Minka Kelly), and sleazy businessman Davis (Eoin Macken). Davis spends most of his time trying to convince ranch owners to give their land over to a new pipeline. He also may have had a hand in the death of Staten’s son a year earlier, which is one way to set up a rivalry.

There are other characters who take up considerable time on the show, but I find myself at a loss to describe them. They are part of a sea of generic, handsome people who come and go as the plot demands. Their stories are just as milquetoast. Teen lovers forbidden to see one another; a mysterious stranger rolls into town with a dark past; a young girl with dreams of leaving this town must deal with her drunk and inattentive parents. You’ve likely seen stories like this before and if you have, you’ll know exactly where these are going. Our main storyline doesn’t fare much better.

There’s at least a glimmer of originality in the way Ransom Canyon makes Davis an unrepentant villain and Macken seems to revel in that. His is the only performance that feels alive. What makes these streaming soap operas work is a central pairing that is both charming and worth rooting for. Duhamel and Kelly have all the chemistry of an oil spill. Duhamel plays Staten as a sentient hunk of wood. He’s so afraid of showing even the most basic emotions that he settles for none of them. This negatively affects Quinn too, as we have no evidence of why she is so infatuated with this man. You might even find yourself rooting for the benign evil of Davis. At least he knows what he wants.

Ransom Canyon aims to be the next Netflix hit, but fails to provide viewers with anything interesting. There’s nothing here that you haven’t seen in other, better shows. What it offers instead is a series full of retrograde ideals and no heart. Even the actors don’t seem to care that much. At one point, someone unironically calls a character a “soy boy.” It lands with a dull thud, like everything else.

Ransom Canyon is currently streaming on Netflix.

Final Verdict: Tune Out

Lazarus: Playing the hits and hinting at something new

Photo: Adult Swim

Like many a kid my age, I learned about the wider world of anime through the original Adult Swim block. Despite the many warnings that these shows weren’t kid-friendly, I stayed up way too late watching as much as I could. While I enjoyed what I understood of Aqua Teen Hunger Force or Sealab 2021, it was the anime offerings that always kept me coming back. That begins with Cowboy Bebop. I could write multiple articles just on the effect that series had on my adolescent mind. Instead, I’ll keep it short and say it’s a show that continues to influence me. Now, Adult Swim and Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe have reunited for a program that aims to recapture some of that magic.

Lazarus is Watanabe’s first new project in 6 years and a clear callback to his most famous work. Set in the year 2052, the series follows a ragtag group brought together to find Dr. Skinner, the enigmatic creator of a miracle drug that took the world by storm. The drug, known as “Hapna,” relieves all pain and quickly becomes a sensation, that is until Skinner reveals the big side effect. Hapna mutates in the body after 3 years, killing the user. With only a month before that change takes place, our crew is on the clock. It’s a compelling central mystery that helps anchor the show.

For the action scenes, Watanabe teams up with Chad Stahelski of John Wick fame and his influence is apparent. While the fights lack flow and grace, they pack the type of hard punch you’d expect. Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington is also on hand to add a bit of Bebop flair. The trio’s disparate tastes combine to create a fun, if somewhat rigid, style.

Our main cast, an anime Suicide Squad of sorts, provides the most obvious parallels with Cowboy Bebop. You’ve got Axel, the lanky wise-cracker with a kick-based fighting style. There’s Chris, the femme fatale and Douglas, the team’s coordinator and muscle. We even have a hacker. The sixth member, Leland, is the outlier. A drone expert and younger than the rest of the crew, he provides a sense of innocence. The cast is fun even if they all feel a little run-of-the-mill. With only 13 half-hour episodes, there’s a good chance most of them will stay that way.

It’s hard for Lazarus to escape the shadow of its influences, but there’s still plenty of potential. This is a show with fun action, a killer soundtrack, and some big ideas. It remains entertaining, even while referencing Watanabe’s past work. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but isn’t beholden to it either. That small gap is hard to navigate, but Lazarus pulls it off.

Lazarus airs Sundays on Adult Swim and streams on Max.

Final Verdict: Tune In