After the events of the first episode, we know Jim (Josh Holloway) and Nina (Rachel Hilson) have their work cut out for them if they’re going to bring down Saxton (Keith David) and his crew. How does that work progress in episode 2 on HBO? Well, it’s not without its challenges. Let’s dive into this week’s action in Duster season 1 episode 2, "Suspicious Minds." SPOILERS BELOW.
A grave in the desert
Living near Phoenix, especially a less developed city in the early 1970s, has its advantages. It means you’re never far from a desolate place to stash a body. That turns out to come in handy for Jim as he’s burying someone—or trying to—as we open the episode. But it’s not easy. His shovel breaks. Then, another car comes up on him. Is he cooked?
Quickly we flash back 15 hours to see how Jim’s day went off the rails. Turns out, it’s tied to his deal with Nina. He was spotted by a Bible-quoting corrupt cop, Sgt. Groomes (Donal Logue). Seems our cop wants a hefty sum in exchange for not selling Jim out to Saxton. That puts Jim in a big pickle.
To help solve his issue, Jim goes to a fixer dubbed Sunglasses (Patrick Warburton). Sunglasses agrees to help push this cop of Jim’s case, but the price is steep. Lacking the funds, Jim offers to swipe Elvis’s blue swede shoes as payment. But that sets a clock on his day, leaving him precious little time to get everything sorted.
Jim heads over to see Izzy (Camille Guaty), who happens to know where the shoes are kept. Turns out she had a run-in with Elvis at his house in Palm Springs once upon a time. In exchange for information, she cajoles Jim into watching Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez) while she has an appointment. It’s during this quality time that Jim hatches his plan.
He heads to his father’s (Corbin Bernsen) to get a piece of equipment he needs. His father is none too pleased to learn his son is working with Sunglasses. Jim also has a run-in with his stepmother (Gail O’Grady), who previously tried to get him hooked by the Feds. With a plan and equipment in his possession, Jim heads to Palm Springs.
At the party, he runs across Col. Parker and a familiar face—Genesis (Sydney Elisabeth)—who is there trying to set up her own business. Jim agrees not to tell Saxton about his daughter if she returns the favor. But it’s clear this will come back up soon enough. Despite the obstacles, Jim gets the shoes.
He returns to seal his deal with Sunglasses, but there’s a problem. When Sunglasses tried to intervene, it turned into a shootout. His brother was killed, and he killed the cop. But now, the price has gone up. Jim doesn’t have it and he doesn’t plan to pay. So, a fight ensues, and Sunglasses is killed. It’s his body Jim was trying to bury.
We end up back where we started, with a plan gone wrong for Jim. Turns out the car pulling up was his father, who had an extra shovel and lends a helping hand. What could have been bad turns into a father-son bonding opportunity. But Jim’s not out of hot water yet. As the episode closes, we learn that Sgt. Groomes didn’t die.
Finding more evidence in Duster episode 2
While Jim is going through his ordeal in Palm Springs and the desert, Nina is doing her own work. Her partnership with Awan (Asivak Koostachin) is cooking. They both trust each other and work well together. And now, they’re digging into the death of Jim’s brother, looking for more evidence.
That leads them to Sgt. Groomes, who took the report on the explosion. He points the finger back at Nina’s predecessor, suggesting he might have covered up evidence and certainly had a report altered. Nina wants to pursue the lead—including talking to his widow—but her boss (Greg Grunberg) warns her off it. Nina ignores him, something she has a habit of doing, and it rankles the widow.
Nina doesn’t learn anything and may have opened herself to more issues. But, for the time being, she and Awan decide to break into the impound yard and collect their own evidence. Nina also opens up, sharing the truth about her father with Awan. If they’re going to get justice, they have to trust one another. That begins with the truth. Will they collect anything that provides a break in the case? That’s a question for the future.
I’m still enjoying the show. This episode didn’t feature any cool driving sequences, but it did give us some cool characters and cool moments. Warburton does some nice work, albeit brief for the series. This episode focused mostly on Holloway, which is what’s working best. The FBI investigation felt a little tacked on at times but hopefully it’s going somewhere interesting.
New episodes of Duster air Thursdays at 10 p.m. on HBO Max. We’re recapping episodes here each week, so come back as we look at the adventures of episode three next week.