TV REVIEW – J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan have teamed up to deliver a Max series that feels like what you’d get if a pulpy crime novel and a classic muscle car flick merged on a sun-baked Arizona highway. Here, a determined FBI agent chases justice (and yes, a bit of payback), partnering with a sharp-tongued getaway driver who’s got his own unfinished business. It would be too easy to say that the heroes of Duster are just fed up with the powers that be, but what really makes the show work is how playfully, shamelessly it caters to audience cravings for good old-fashioned, rough-around-the-edges fun.

FBI Agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson) is more than just a skilled investigator; she genuinely loves the hunt. In a fairer world—and certainly not in 1970s America—she’d already be in charge. But in ’72, as a Black woman in law enforcement, every day brings a new wall to climb, usually built by her own colleagues. Hayes is full of fire and grit, but she’s constantly boxed into thankless cases, and even those she has to fight tooth and nail for. When she finally lands a live case, she’s immediately up against absurd deadlines, backstabbing “allies,” and expectations that are clearly meant to trip her up. If she hasn’t burned down the whole bureau by now, it’s only partly because she believes in justice—the bigger reason is personal. This new investigation is tangled up with her childhood, her father, and the man who took them both away.

Pedal Down – This Wheelman Doesn’t Play by the Rules

Jim Ellis (Josh Holloway) is that guy everyone knows but nobody really gets. Since the moment he got his license, he’s been the right hand of Ezra Saxton (Keith David), the man the Feds call “the Al Capone of the Southwest.” There’s nobody better when it comes to getting away clean, losing a tail, or slipping through a tight spot. With his long blond hair, cut-from-stone abs, and that smirking, good-guy grin, Ellis is impossible to miss. But in his world, he’s always just “the driver”—never more, never the star. Everyone sees the red Plymouth Duster and the golden boy behind the wheel, but Ellis is itching for something bigger. He’s got a messy, complicated father-son dynamic with Saxton, but that’s nothing new—he’s always been the “other son,” the one living in someone else’s shadow.

That all took a tragic turn years ago when his brother, Joe, died. The original family patriarch, Wade Ellis (Corbin Bernsen), also worked for Saxton, and Joe was supposed to inherit the whole operation. But after a so-called accident, Jim was left with nothing but grief and a cold case the police were happy to ignore. That’s what ultimately pushes him toward Hayes: she needs an inside man, and once she digs up evidence tying Saxton to Joe’s death, Jim reluctantly joins her—though every step stirs up the old pain he can’t outrun.

Car Chases, Bowling Alleys, and Studio Easter Eggs

From there, Duster careens through the Arizona desert and a wild parade of ’70s pop culture. Jim and Hayes are locked in a double game—adversaries on the surface, secret allies underneath. Jim constantly stumbles into bizarre personalities: The Blade or Sunglasses (with Patrick Warburton hamming it up as an Elvis-worshipping mobster running his operation out of the “Great Bowls of Fire” bowling alley), and each appearance is its own little spectacle. Jim’s anxiety sometimes explodes into surreal Looney Tunes hallucinations, and when he finds himself in a sterile hotel room with Howard Hughes, even he isn’t sure what’s real and what’s not. Shootouts, bar brawls, and, of course, at least one classic high-octane car escape per episode—all delivered with throwback swagger and a vintage, vinyl-heavy soundtrack.

Jim is the show’s firecracker: always in motion, chasing that dream of freedom, while Hayes is stuck in a paperwork jungle. Early on, it’s clear she’s wading through mountains of files and red tape, all while connecting with fellow outsider Awan Bitsui (Asivak Koostachin), the half-Navajo agent whose Superman wallet gets more screen time than his backstory—an obvious wink at the studio’s upcoming superhero flick. Hilson brings Nina to life with enough spark and sly humor that her story never gets lost in Jim’s wild ride. Duster is pure muscle-car nostalgia, complete with characters who gawk at Bullitt and compare Hayes to Pam Grier. The soundtrack is packed with classic rock, and the credits sequence—scored by Abrams himself—nails that Hot Wheels energy.

No Prestige, No Pretense—Just a Damn Good Time

Duster fits perfectly into Max’s new strategy: don’t overthink it, just give viewers a sleek, crowd-pleasing series in a beloved genre. Eight episodes is all you get—no dragging it out—and the big budget shows, but nobody’s pretending to reinvent television here. Abrams and Morgan know the assignment: entertain first, worry about everything else later. Holloway brings effortless ’70s charisma, the candy-apple red muscle car pops on screen, Hilson’s take-no-prisoners agent owns every scene, and the show never tries to be more than it is.

Of course, not every chase scene is a masterpiece—some of the car action is shot on empty roads that feel a little too quiet, and the season never quite redlines into a full adrenaline rush. But Duster nails enough of the little moments that you barely notice the bumps. If you’re into heroes sticking it to the system, this show is here for a good time, not for prestige points. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need: a reminder that TV can still be fun, fast, and just the right amount of retro.

-Gergely Herpai  „BadSector”-