DUSTER – Review by Lynn Venhaus
In the testosterone-heavy ‘70s throwback crime drama Duster, a female beacon of light shines bright.
Rachel Hilson is sensational as FBI agent Nina Hayes, a smart young Black woman in a (mostly) white man’s criminal underworld, more specifically the 1972 labor force that featured many uncool fashions, porn mustaches and provincial sexist thinking. You’ve come a long way, baby, is right.
This snappy original series from Warner Brothers Television has eight episodes airing every Thursday at 9 p.m. on HBO Max, starting May 15 through July 3.
From producing duo J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, it has a playful Smokey and the Bandit and Starsky and Hutch vibe, not to mention sitcom-y character quirks, which add to its madcap charm.
Yet, it is serious about the crimes being investigated and there’s an abundance of grit and gruesome, although this is far from a standard procedural.
With plenty of personality, retro look and groovy soundtrack, Duster is a fun-to-watch excursion into a Southwest crime syndicate operation that hasn’t hit its stride yet, but the elements suffice as entertainment.
Reteaming Abrams, the Lost creator, with Josh Holloway, best known for playing Sawyer on the show’s six seasons, is a serendipitous move. Holloway, who was last seen coming to a grisly demise as a crafty white-collar criminal on season four of Yellowstone, understands the assignment, and handles the absurdities with a sly smile.
The lanky, long-haired Holloway, all swagger in his bell bottom jeans, is a crime syndicate driver whose fast car is a 1970 cherry-red Plymouth Duster. Your missing 8-tracks are likely playing part of the show’s score, most certified bangers.
Hilson’s intrepid Nina is going to blaze trails but she’s also going to encounter bumps in the road, and her journey’s just as interesting as Holloway’s Jim Ellis.
Hayes has landed in a dusty desert outpost – Phoenix, Arizona. The pasty dudes in polyester ogle the confident new hire with skepticism (“Mod Squad incoming,” one agent says to another.) Ugh. You know exactly this type and their photo-copied brethren, and can immediately tell she’s brighter than all of them.
Played with a fire in her belly but instinctively knowing she must play their reindeer games, the savvy Hayes – just love her gumption – tests her mettle time and again. She teams up with the sole Native American agent in the office, the pleasant Awan Bitsui – a marvelous portrayal by Asivak Koostachin, who must endure the others calling him “Kemosabe.” Ugh.
The Wayback Machine shows how tone-deaf the ruling class was before any kind of enlightening, so kudos for those references to remind us how far we’ve come and how far we need to go.
Hayes is obsessed with this cold-case file pointing to shady dealings with Ezra Saxton, the local crime kingpin. Keith David has been given his moment to shine with this juicy role – is he a warm-hearted father figure or cold-blooded killer or both?
Without spoiling too much, the show is built around Ellis teaming up with Hayes, and they’re off on some wild rides and rocky roads.
The supporting characters benefit from strong writing and clear points of view. Corbin Bernsen is having fun as Ellis’ Pops, who is married to sassy Gail O’Grady. She is luxuriating as Charlotte, an aging showgirl in Fredericks of Hollywood outfits. Both gained fame through Steven Bochco series’ “LA Law” and “NYPD Blue” respectively.
Greg Gunberg, an Abrams regular, is Hayes’ superior and always threatening to fire her because of her maverick methods.
You’ll see familiar familiar faces as well. Sydney Elisabeth is Saxton’s daughter Genesis, Camille Gauty is the mother of the precocious and adorable Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez), who idolizes “Uncle Jim,” and Sofia Vassilieva is a smart Girl Friday who can do more than “make a mean cup of Sanka.”
Check this out — Adrienne Barbeau plays a former agent’s wife character, and another young actress plays the real Adrienne Barbeau at a pool party at Elvis’ Palm Springs home, up for a role in Norman Lear’s “Maude.” Oh, the meta references!
You may have seen Hilson on “This Is Us” as a young Beth Clarke, Randall Pearce’s future wife, or the short-lived “Rise,” or as Mia Brooks in “Love, Victor.” She’s landed a game-changer.
While “Duster” will take time to reveal its staying power, the potential for this show seems to be good, given its pedigree. After three episodes, it seems headed in the right – and entertaining – direction.
Morgan, a former staff writer for “Shameless” and “Parenthood,” was also an executive story editor and producer on “TURN: Washington’s Spies.” Abrams is the megamind also behind “Alias,” “Felicity,” “Person of Interest,” “Fringe” and “Westworld” television shows and some high-profile films (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Mission” Impossible III,” “Super 8.”)
And its title sequence, designed by Abrams, signals the show’s cheeky wit and emotional roller coaster. The best part about the program is the well-crafted details — and featuring intelligent, strong women.
