This post contains spoiler from the Duster season finale on Max.
We’ve arrived at the season finale of Duster on Max. As we left off last week, it was clear the house of lies built by Nina (Rachel Hilson) and Jim (Josh Holloway) as they investigate Saxton (Keith David) had come crashing down. But could they find a way to survive? That’s the question we had to answer during this week’s finale, “66 Reno Split.” Let’s dive in and see how it turned out.
We open this week by flashing back to South Philly in 1954. There, Saxton is threatening Virgil Hayes (Kenneth Mosely). Seems Virgil isn’t keeping up his end of the numbers-running racket. Young Nina watches the exchange. It’s not long before her father ends up dead, providing the fuel that’s led to her choice of career and current situation.
Present day Nina wakes, finding herself tied up in a remote warehouse. Billy (Evan Jones) never believed her, and now he’s found the truth. He has her tied up and uses some extra-ordinary means to get answers. Before long, he invites Saxton to the warehouse to learn the truth about Nina. But much to her frustration, Saxton still doesn’t realize who she is.
Duster season finale and ending, explained
When Nina helps put the pieces together, Saxton begins to ask her what she remembers of Philly and her father. He doesn’t deny his part in killing the man, but suggests it wasn’t without reason. He shares that Nina’s father had turned the witness against the organization. That does little to quell Nina’s rage, but there’s little she can do about it in the current situation.
Jim, meanwhile, has delivered Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez), back to her mother Izzy (Camille Guaty). He’s also brought a present. Turns out Luna made an impression on Saxton, who agrees to turn over his blackmail on Bob Temple (Kevin Chamberlin). It’s the smoking gun Izzy needs to settle the strike. While there, Jim learns that his cover has been blown.
About the same time, Awan (Asivak Koostachin) has put together that Nina’s missing. He tells Agent Abbott (Greg Grunberg) something is wrong, but he doesn’t have answers. Soon, Jim calls and confirms his suspicions. But he asks Awan to sit tight so he can try to intervene for Nina. Awan keeps digging for answers, while Jim heads to the warehouse.
Jim finds Billy gloating, Nina in cuffs, and himself at the end of a gun barrel. Saxton asks for a reason, and Jim reveals that Nina dangled the truth about Joey’s murder. He also shares that his father, Wade (Corbin Bernsen), is his insurance policy, sitting in a bar with Saxton’s daughter Genesis (Sydney Elisabeth). That leaves Saxton with a problem.
His problems grow when Howard Hughes (Tom Nelis) calls to say their tape has been taken. Greek Sal (Jack Topalian) has had his men take it as part of a feud with Saxton. Now, Saxton has to get it back or incur the wrath of the mysterious Xavier. So, now, he has two problems. He calls the Cowboy (J.R. Yenque) about Nina. The Cowboy offers a solution. He tells Saxton to drop Nina off at a remote location. Meanwhile, he calls Agent Grant (Dan Tracy) to finish her off.
Next, Saxton makes a deal with Greek Sal. He’ll provide Jim, while Greek Sal provides the tape. With a solution to both problems in place, they head off. Billy goes to drop Nina, while Saxton brings Jim to the meeting with Sal in the trunk of his own car. Neither meeting goes as planned.
Billy drops Nina and heads out. She soon spots Agent Grant, who tries to finish her off. They fight, and just as Grant gets the drop on her, help arrives. Turns out Awan didn’t trust Grant and followed him out of the office. He arrives in time to plant two slugs in Grant. Nina is safe, and races off to try and save Jim.
Turns out, he’s doing okay. Saxton can’t bring himself to give Jim up, so he risks the tape as he turns on Greek Sal. Saxton kills Sal, and a gunfight ensues. In the chaos, Billy is killed. Nina arrives to save Saxton and join the fray. But as a gun points at Royce (Benjamin Charles Watson), Saxton dives in the way and takes the bullet. He dies in the fight, providing closure to Jim and Nina’s troubles and her quest for justice.
Duster's open-ended conclusion
But is that the end? Nina attempts to resign, her job done. But Agent Abbott won’t have it. Turns out he’s working on something bigger, with his sights set on the mysterious Xavier. He needs Nina, and he has just the right words to convince her.
Jim tries to leave, too, but is rebuffed. He goes to bid Izzy farewell. She’s celebrating a win for the Union, but she can’t let Jim leave. Turns out her fight was about insurance because she has cancer, and precious little time. That means she needs Jim to stay for her and Luna. He agrees.
As the hour closes, Nina finds Jim. Turns out their both staying and turns out she still needs his help. She tells Jim about the task force to find Xavier. And then she drops a bigger truth—Joey isn’t dead. Saxton helped him disappear because he is Xavier!
The first season of a show can be tough, especially for one like this where the future isn’t guaranteed. We get enough closure that if it doesn’t continue, we’ll be okay, but the hook at the close certainly has me curious where we go from here. This show had a long path to the screen, spending years in development. Will it get a chance to tell its next big story, one involving a dead brother who is alive and President Richard Nixon? I don’t know right now, but I’d be curious to see it.
That’s a wrap on the first season of Duster on Max. All eight episodes are now available to stream. You can also find recaps of all the episodes right here. Be sure to check them all out as we wait on word about season 2!
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