Well, that escalated quickly.
Duster Season 1 went out with a bang — several, actually — and by the time the dust cleared, most of the bad guys were bleeding, burned, or buried. But it wasn’t just bullets and betrayals this time.
The finale delivered a surprisingly emotional reckoning for everyone still standing. Loyalties shifted. Power structures collapsed. And the real villain turned out to be… the government. Obviously.
If this is the end, it’s a damn good one. If not? There’s plenty of gas left in the tank.
Nina Hayes: From Fed to Fugitive to the One They Need
Nina spent most of the finale chained to a pipe and waterboarded by Billy, which feels about right for how her entire tenure in Phoenix has gone.
But even beaten down and abandoned, she never stopped calculating — and when the chance came to fight, she did what she always does: win dirty.
Chad Grant finally made his move, and to the surprise of no one, it was a complete disaster. She got away. He didn’t. Awan came through like the partner he always promised he’d be. And together, they finally put an end to the agency rot.
And yet, even with all that chaos, Nina didn’t pull the trigger when she had Saxton in her sights. Instead, she saved him. Because Nina’s not in this for revenge anymore, she’s in it for the truth — and she just might be the only one left who can carry it forward.
Jim Ellis: Driver, Fighter, Father
Jim walked into the finale ready to die for Nina, Luna, and whatever soul he has left after years of running dirt for Saxton. But what he found was something better: purpose.
It wasn’t easy. Billy beat him with a bat. He got thrown in the trunk. He was bartered in a deal like merchandise. But when it mattered — when Sal pulled up, when the briefcase changed hands, when the bullets started flying — Jim made his choice. He picked family.
His final conversation with Sax was heartbreaking. Not because they hated each other, but because they didn’t. Sax might have killed Nina’s father and hundreds of others, but he also raised Jim in a way no one else did.
And Jim? He owed Sax everything and nothing. That tension finally snapped when he revealed Luna was his daughter. In that moment, it wasn’t about tapes, money, or power. It was about saving his kid from the same path.
Sax redeemed himself in the end — taking a bullet for Royce and dying not as a kingpin, but as a father. And Jim? He’s left to pick up the pieces.
Wade, Without Hesitation
Let’s talk about Wade Ellis, because this man showed up.
When Jim needed backup, he didn’t beg. He asked. And Wade, without blinking, walked straight into Genesis’s orbit and put the plan in motion. Whether he was there to save Jim or avenge him didn’t matter.
He was ready to kill a young woman to stop the chain of destruction Saxton started — and not out of cold vengeance, but out of love.
For a man who spent most of the season cracking wise and dodging accountability, Wade’s shift into ride-or-die dad mode was unexpected — and perfect.
It made the “‘66 Reno Split” line hit hard. These men have lived with one foot in the grave for decades. Now they’re just trying to decide who gets buried first.
Izzy’s Fight Was Never Just About Labor
Izzy’s protest arc has been gaining momentum all season, but her motivations came into painfully sharp focus here.
When Jim shows up at her celebration and tells her he’s leaving town, she finally tells him the truth: David isn’t just her boyfriend — he’s her oncologist.
She’s been sick. Really sick. And she’s been fighting the union, fighting the system, fighting for equal treatment and access to healthcare because she knows she won’t always be here for Luna.
She wants a world where her daughter doesn’t have to beg for safety, dignity, or care.
That reveal reframed her entire arc. It’s not just about policy. It’s about legacy. And whether Jim wanted it or not, fatherhood is now squarely on his shoulders.
The look on his face when she tells him? Crushed, but also changed. He closes the door behind him like a man finally ready to step in.
The Conspiracy Board Just Exploded
So, uh, Joey’s alive. And he’s Xavier.
That means Saxton didn’t kill him. He helped him disappear. Howard Hughes, the CIA, Breen, the Russians — they were all part of the same tangled plan.
The million-dollar briefcase wasn’t just a payoff. It was a reel-to-reel confession from Nixon himself, outlining a plan to control the media by framing Mexicans and Black Americans as public enemies.
It’s the kind of reveal that could feel cheap. But here? It worked.
Because Duster was never just a crime show, it’s always been a story about power, perception, and the people caught in the middle of someone else’s war.
Now that tape is heading to Mad Raoul. And the war is just getting started.
Notes from the Glovebox
- Billy finally met his end with a bullet to the eye, and honestly, it was long overdue.
- The South Philly, 1954 flashback recontextualized everything. Nina was always part of this story. So was Saxton. This has been brewing since she was a child.
- Roy Orbison’s “Crying” over the Sal standoff? Devastating.
- The locket. The necklace. The tape. This show loves its talismans — and it makes every one of them count.
- If the series had ended with that scenic overlook and George Harrison’s “Isn’t It a Pity,” it would have been a complete circle. But that final tape drop? That’s pure Season 2 bait.
One More for the Road
Duster began with a bang, and it went out with clarity. Jim embraced his role. Nina found her voice. Sax died protecting the one thing he hadn’t already broken. And the world? It cracked open at the seams.
If we don’t get a second season, this finale still works — complete enough to feel satisfying, but wide open for what could be one hell of a next chapter.
The conspiracy was never the point. The people were.
The tape’s in the wild. The heroes are finally ready. And the dust hasn’t even settled yet.
But what about you?
Was Joey as Xavier a satisfying twist?
Did Saxton redeem himself — or just soften his ending?
And if there’s no Season 2, does Duster still feel complete?
Drop your thoughts below. We’ll be here. Windows down, Duster running, waiting for the next ride.
Watch Duster Online
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Duster Season 1 Episode 7 Review: This Is Not the Deep State, It’s Just the Dust
Duster drops CIA conspiracies, hidden tapes, and one wild Vegas detour. The surprise? Howard Hughes might hold the key to Joey’s death.
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Duster Exclusive Sneak Peek: A Stowaway and a One-Way Trip to Trouble
In this exclusive clip from Duster Season 1 Episode 7, Jim finds out Luna has hitched a ride to Vegas — in the trunk. Trouble’s coming, and she’s along for the ride.
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Duster Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Not Too Cool to Cry
Duster S01E06 slows down but sharpens the stakes. As Nina goes undercover, Jim spins chaos into charm, Royce breaks down (again), and Sax quietly marks Izzy for destruction.
