Josh Holloway’s distinctive purple Plymouth has pushed its final joyride. “Duster,” the Seventies-set collection by creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan specializing in getaway driver Jim Ellis caught up in a criminal offense syndicate and FBI agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson) tasked with taking it down, was formally canceled by HBO Max (previously Max, which was previously previously HBO Max — it was a complete factor) earlier than the mud had even settled on final week’s season finale. The present marked a long-awaited reunion between Holloway and Abrams, each of whom labored collectively on the hit ABC collection “Misplaced,” in addition to Abrams’ first important undertaking since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” hit theaters in 2019. Extremely sufficient, it additionally represented the one precise title to return to fruition from Abrams’ and his manufacturing firm Unhealthy Robotic’s profitable first-look cope with HBO introduced again in 2020. The high-profile casualties in that deal included the likes of “The Shining” spin-off “Overlook,” “Justice League Darkish,” and the wildly costly “Demimonde.”
The cancelation of “Duster,” reported by Deadline, resets that counter all the way in which again to zero … and, sadly, the information comes as little shock to those that’ve been intently following alongside. Even followers of the present must admit that, regardless of the improbable ensemble solid and the well-written story, it struggled to achieve a lot traction with common audiences. Anecdotally, any point out of the present amongst (for lack of a greater phrase) “normies” was usually met by clean stares or shock that they’d by no means even heard of this manufacturing earlier than. Because it seems, that is precisely what led to its demise. The report cites its poor efficiency on each Luminate and the Nielsen scores, with the present in the end unable to outlive its flagging viewership.
The worst a part of all of it, in fact, is that “Duster” was solely simply getting began. Season 1 informed its story to completion, charting the uneasy alliance between Ellis and Hayes throughout their makes an attempt to search out the reality behind a pair of murders that hit far too near residence, respectively. What Abrams and Morgan meant to return subsequent, nevertheless, would’ve been nothing wanting appointment tv.
Duster would’ve had the wildest second season we have seen in years
Oh, what may’ve been. In an alternate universe, “Duster” ended up flying excessive on the energy of its “Misplaced” attraction and justified a number of return visits to this gorgeously-rendered crime drama set within the Seventies American Southwest. As a lot as automobile fanatics can respect the sheer horsepower on show between Jim Ellis’ eponymous purple Duster and Nina Hayes’ child blue Plymouth Belvedere II (for extra gearhead nerdery, try author Priscilla Web page’s in depth deep dive over at Hagerty), it was the colourful characters and twist-ridden plot that stored viewers coming again. All through its debut season, “Duster” adopted FBI Agent Hayes because the company’s first Black lady throughout her dogged quest to convey crime boss Ezra Saxton (a perfectly-cast Keith David) to justice for the killing of her father. Fortunately, her ideally suited “in” to the organized legal operation simply so occurs to be Jim Ellis, a low-level driver whose brother died below mysterious circumstances whereas working for Saxton. Satisfied that there was extra to this than meets the attention, Ellis begrudgingly turns into Hayes’ confidential informant and the pair got down to discover the reality.
As a lot as this setup fueled the principle narrative drive for the season, the finale goes out of its option to tee up a brand new storyline that would really kick issues into overdrive. All through their investigations, Ellis and Hayes get roped into the margins of ongoing conspiracies involving none apart from rich and paranoid recluse Howard Hughes (a scenery-chewing Tom Nelis), Richard freaking Nixon (Paul Wilson), and finally the lacking Oval Workplace tapes on the coronary heart of the Watergate scandal. And if that weren’t sufficient to maintain us occupied? Like all good J.J. Abrams present, the finale throws a serious swerve at us revealing that Jim’s late brother, whose shadow looms so giant over the overarching story, is definitely alive — and that he is extra essential in world affairs than they might’ve ever imagined.
Better of all, although, the season concludes with the implicit promise of one-time enemies Ellis and Hayes teaming up correctly to resolve, nicely, every part. This dynamic is what your entire present has been constructing as much as, and it is a crying disgrace we’ll by no means see this partnership — or the general collection — reside as much as that potential. We’ll simply must think about what “Duster” may’ve been.
