Some TV shows prove to be such a perfect marriage of character and actor that they genuinely become a chicken-and-egg scenario — was the role created for the actor, or was it merely lying in wait for the right person to step into those shoes? That’s the question you might find yourself turning over in your head while watching Max’s new series Duster, co-created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan. After becoming a household name for his role on Lost, it felt like Josh Holloway needed a project that played to his strengths as an actor while serving as a natural evolution for the type of charming, morally gray characters viewers most associate him with. While Duster is undeniably a showcase for everything Holloway already does best, Abrams and Morgan’s ’70s crime thriller also succeeds at being a wildly fun ride, with an excellent supporting cast — including the likes of Keith David, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Donal Logue, and more — bolstering the terrific (albeit reluctant) team-up between Holloway’s hotshot getaway driver and an up-and-coming FBI agent, played by Rachel Hilson.
What Is ‘Duster’ About?
Jim Ellis (Holloway) is a smooth talker with a certain reputation. In his personal life, he’s much more of a love ’em and leave ’em type, but when it comes to his day job, he definitely works outside legal boundaries. As a getaway driver and low-level courier for Arizona mob boss Ezra Saxton (David), Jim has become accustomed to doing whatever’s ordered of him without asking too many questions in exchange. He’s also making a concerted effort not to let his work for Saxton (or “Sax”) spill over into his private connection with his ex, Izzy (Camille Guaty), and her daughter, Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez), setting aside some of his earnings to help them out every month despite Izzy’s protests. Yet underneath his charming veneer, there’s a part of Jim that has never fully moved past the loss of his brother, Joe, who also worked for Sax until he was unexpectedly killed in a car explosion.
Meanwhile, Nina Hayes (Hilson), who’s just become the first Black woman to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation due to sheer doggedness (and applying multiple times), ends up in the Arizona field office with a goal of her own: to topple Ezra Saxton’s crime syndicate, no matter the cost. While navigating everyday discrimination in the workplace as well as skepticism from her boss, Abbott (Greg Grunberg), Hayes, alongside her new partner, Awan (Koostachin), is determined to infiltrate Sax’s operation, especially since the previous agent assigned to the case failed. Finding a way in via confidential informant sounds easy, but when Hayes approaches Jim and proposes they team up to take down Sax, he’s initially resistant to the idea. When Hayes offers up the possibility that Sax may have had something to do with Joey Ellis’ death, Jim starts to consider whether the man he’s been driving for this entire time could actually be responsible for such a personal betrayal.
Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson Are the Perfect Duo in ‘Duster’
Watching through Duster‘s first season (of which all eight episodes were provided for review) makes one thing instantly clear: Jim Ellis is the role that Josh Holloway was born to play. As a character who lives within the margins of morality but also displays a conscience beneath his outwardly carefree demeanor, Jim is both winsome and captivating in Holloway’s hands. He’s effortlessly charming with women without tipping over into full-on creep territory, and his abiding affection for Izzy and Luna instantly makes him more complex beyond a two-dimensional ladies’ man. Amid high-octane driving stunts and even higher stakes comes the right blend of humor and intensity, and Holloway gets just as much of a chance to show off his capabilities during more ludicrous fights, like when Jim ends up befriending an assassin sent to kill him, as he does in the deadlier shootouts where multiple character fates are on the line. Yet that’s not to imply that Duster only consists of action and comedy; there are still plenty of moments, particularly involving Jim’s family, where we’re afforded a welcome glimpse of emotional vulnerability, and Holloway knocks those out of the park every time.
If Josh Holloway’s Jim Ellis is the heart of Duster, then Rachel Hilson’s Agent Nina Hayes is its soul. As someone operating on the opposite side of the law, Hayes’ ultimate mission often clashes with the red tape and roadblocks that accompany working for the FBI. Given that she has her own, more personal motivation for wanting to see Saxton behind bars — the truth of which is gradually spooled out throughout the story — Hayes is willing to sidestep the proper chain of command in order to unearth answers, which also puts her in the crosshairs of more than one higher authority. Hilson and Holloway are arguably each other’s best scene partners, especially as Hayes and Jim’s dynamic moves further and further away from begrudging, but Hayes and Awan’s odd-couple FBI agent duo is also incredibly endearing thanks to Hilson and Koostachin, deepening in a way that feels very much earned by the events of the finale. The common denominator for all of these onscreen successes is Hilson, who infuses her character with equal parts sensitivity and tenacity, and deserves to become a household name in her own right after Duster.
A Strong Supporting Cast Makes ‘Duster’ a Must-Watch
Duster‘s supporting cast is a large part of what makes the show feel so well-baked and lived-in, and there’s no better instance of the story’s overall complexity than Keith David’s Ezra Saxton. While other series might have portrayed Sax as a mustache-twirling antagonist, someone whose motivations were comically evil, Duster isn’t interested in making one of its more notorious figures that superficial. As the season progresses, more facets of Sax’s history and personality come to light until it becomes that much easier to understand why Jim would have such a difficult time considering him capable of the worst. Yes, he has a significant hand in illegal dealings, but he’s also a family man, overprotective of his son Royce (Benjamin Charles Watson), who’s dealing with heart problems, and reluctant to let his daughter, Genesis (Sydney Elisabeth), rise through the ranks of the family business. David brings every ounce of gravitas he’s best known for to Saxton, resulting in a character that’s both disarming and intimidating but also elevated beyond any criminal stereotype.
Other additions to Duster‘s cast provide the series with a welcome dose of humanity; Camille Guaty’s Izzy isn’t written to be the nagging, long-suffering ex-girlfriend, but someone who still clearly cares about Jim despite her concerns about his line of work. Adriana Aluna Martinez plays Luna with spitfire energy that complements Holloway’s steady screen presence, even if her most rebellious moments test Jim’s soft spot for her. Koostachin and Sofia Vassilieva make up two delightful thirds of an unlikely investigative trio alongside Hilson at the FBI, but Awan is significantly more fleshed-out amid the unchecked racism that leeches out from his white peers in the field office. Corbin Bernsen, who plays Jim’s father, Wade, gradually gets to peel back his character’s deeper layers as the investigation into Sax becomes personal, while Gail O’Grady cuts a hilarious, feather-clad, chain-smoking figure as Wade’s second wife, Charlotte, who makes no secret of her utter disdain and loathing for Jim. All together, this ensemble contributes to Duster‘s unique energy, keeping the series from sliding too far into dour dramatic territory while also playing the kind of people you’ll be eager to check back in with as new episodes drop. The only time the show really stumbles in its pace is when it leaves Arizona for other locales, focusing on nefarious characters the likes of which have yet to fully make themselves known as real threats.
While some viewers might have expected that Abrams’ first co-created series since 2010 would live firmly in the sci-fi vein, Duster proves that the right move for him was collaborating with Morgan on a dynamite retro crime thriller that low-key doubles as a Lost reunion. Not only is it impossible to envision anyone but Holloway leading this series, but Hilson also gives an undeniably star-making performance that deserves to earn her wider recognition, and the relationship between their polar opposites serves as the beating heart of the story. The central investigation takes some wild turns, ending up in a place that feels both unexpected and natural for these characters while setting up a Season 2 that’s even bigger in scope, drama, and action. That said, the best part of watching Duster, by far, is simply letting it take you along for the ride.
Duster premieres May 15 on Max.
Duster, co-created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, is a dynamite ’70s crime thriller worth tuning in for.
- Release Date
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May 14, 2025
- Network
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Max
- Directors
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Steph Green
- Jim Ellis is the role that Josh Holloway was born to play, a flawless marriage of character and actor.
- Holloway and co-star Rachel Hilson are a perfect duo in Duster.
- Keith David breathes richness and complexity into the role of mob boss Ezra Saxton.
- The supporting cast, including Asivak Koostachin, Camille Guaty, Adriana Aluna Martinez, Donal Logue, and more, is all terrific.
- The story slows down a little whenever we follow characters who are positioned outside Arizona.
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