THE STORY – Set in the 1970s Southwest, the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate goes from awful to wildly, stupidly, dangerously awful.
THE CAST – Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin & Corbin Bernsen
THE TEAM – J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan (Co-Creators, Co-Writers & Producers)
TV aficionados understand the chokehold that J.J. Abrams and Josh Holloway had audiences with “Lost.” It was easily one of the most celebrated and essential television viewing experiences not only of the 2000s but of all time. One that serves as one of the best examples of watercooler television, something that feels less consistent in today’s age of programming. So, when the idea of Abrams and Holloway reuniting fifteen years after “Lost” ended came to be with their new series “Duster,” the hype naturally began to build. On paper, it’s also a series that sounds incredibly up my alley. That’s why it brings me no pleasure to say that the freshman season of “Duster” doesn’t do much other than leave a fun Holloway performance in the rearview.
Pretty quickly, viewers learn that there’s nothing in the world slowing down wheelman Jim Ellis (played by Holloway). Jim, who works for the ruthless crime boss Ezra Saxon (played by Keith David), constantly cruises down the empty roads of the Southwest with nothing but his luscious blonde locks and bright orange Plymouth Duster. If there’s an issue that needs solving, Jim can get it done as fast as possible. It’s a life that he and his deceased brother have known since they were young due to his father Wade (played by Corbin Bernsen) ‘s long-time friendship with Saxon. Despite operating in this criminal underworld, it’s a lifestyle that never really presented Jim with too many complications, at least professionally. That is until he’s thrown for a loop when the ambitious federal agent straight from Quantico, Nina Hayes (played by Rachel Hilson), makes her way to Arizona in hopes of taking down Saxon’s criminal empire. Once certain revelations are disclosed to Jim, he and Agent Hayes form an unlikely pairing that will stop at nothing to bring down Saxon. With “Duster,” Abrahms and co-creator LaToya Morgan usher in another series that joins the growing trend of shows on streamers that feel like remnants of the age of network television.
Those expecting Abrams to get in the director’s chair once again will be disappointed as his work only extends to the creation of the series and co-writing of the first three episodes with Morgan. If anything, that’s where the series is at its strongest, with the series’ first few episodes. “Duster” is nothing revelatory, feeling like a merger of a specific type of digestible fast-food television that has come before it. “Duster,” while entertaining for most of the series, never gets past the feeling of being something that has been done before in a far more efficient manner. The moments where “Duster” does let loose are when it takes advantage of its 1970s backdrop, using specific historical figures as background characters, helping push the conspiracy at the center of the series forward. What attempts to make “Duster” run so smoothly is the performance by Holloway, which anchors the entire series together.
It’s always enjoyable to see a tried and true television veteran actor like Holloway every time he pops up on screen. After “Lost,” it felt like Holloway had far bigger things cooking up for him, only to be relegated to a consistently working television actor who occasionally had roles that broke through, whether it was the short-lived sci-fi series “Colony” or his recurring work on “Yellowstone.” Now Holloway is given his shot to shine again as a leading man, and he strives in “Duster,” even if it’s due to the series never really pushing his limits as an actor. His register here is steadily on cruise control, managing to bring that old-school charisma and machismo that feels essential for a character like Jim to work.
Holloway easily tells audiences that this is the coolest, smoothest dude that everyone can’t help but be charmed by. His chemistry with everyone on screen, mainly Hilson, with whom he shares a large majority of his screen time, helps the unlikely buddy cop pairing work beyond a level of serviceability. Hilson brings an energy that plays well off Holloway. Her character is steadfast; ambition and dedication are only a shell for the pain that Saxon has brought her. She does plenty to rope viewers on the issues she not only faces amongst her co-workers as a woman of color in her position but also against those wanting to stop her for ulterior motives. Whenever Holloway and Hilson are in the thick of it together, it’s clear the series appears to reach its ceiling. The only other performances that stick out are David, who isn’t straying too far from what works for him as well. Bernsen gets to have some fun moments as Wade, especially with Gail O’Grady, who plays his wife Charlotte. Charlotte’s animosity for Jim, along with most people from Wade’s past life, leads to an amusing running gag that continues throughout most of the first season.
“Duster” certainly isn’t reinventing the wheel, and those expecting to fill in the void that “Lost” has left all these years ago will certainly be disappointed. What “Duster” does is make a somewhat fun experience for audiences where a cooler-than-ice Josh Holloway drives fast and finds himself consistently getting into trouble. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like that’s entirely a bad thing. It just doesn’t leave an urgency to keep coming back around for seasons on end. It isn’t anything fresh, and by the time the finale hits, some viewers will have more than hit their limit. “Duster” knows what it is, but sometimes it isn’t necessary to wish for a little bit more. Who knows if “Duster” will race past a first season, but Abrams and company will just have to take it one mile at a time.
THE GOOD – Josh Holloway’s performance as the smooth-talking wheelman Jim Ellis is the best we’ve seen him in some time. The series has enough action and charm to keep viewers engaged.
THE BAD – It doesn’t bring anything new to the table besides some digestible entertainment that will only grow stale with some of the longer the series continues.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – None
THE FINAL SCORE – 5/10
