Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for the Duster finale.
As intense as Max’s Duster has been week after week, everything comes to a head in J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan‘s ’70s crime thriller on a variety of fronts. Not only does the truth finally come out about getaway driver Jim Ellis’ (Josh Holloway) confidential informant agreement with FBI agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson), but the tensions that have been brewing between Arizona mob boss Ezra Saxton (Keith David) and his biggest rival also come to a head, culminating in an intense shootout that sees more than one person being knocked off for good. When the dust has cleared, several characters lie dead — but try as Jim and Nina might to put Arizona in the rearview mirror, a major revelation about Jim’s brother Joey, as well as a more heartbreaking reveal from Jim’s ex Izzy (Camille Guaty), forces both of them to realize that they can’t leave after all, setting up a potential Season 2 that could be as action-packed as it is emotional.
Ahead of the finale’s premiere on HBO Max, Collider had the opportunity to speak with Morgan about some of the episode’s biggest twists, revelations, and character deaths. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, Morgan reveals which moments were planned out from the very beginning, why the episode starts with that Philadelphia-set flashback, how the confirmation of Xavier’s real identity sets up more seasons of the show, and more.
COLLIDER: We finally see Nina meeting Saxton as a young girl, which seems like it’s the lead-up to what ultimately happened to her father, with him standing up to Sax. It’s also juxtaposed with the two of them coming face to face in the present day, and her revealing the truth to him about who she is and what he did. That’s Keith [David] playing a younger version of himself, but why did you want to depict this particular moment from Saxton and Nina’s past?
LATOYA MORGAN: It was such a priority for me. I was like, “I don’t care what we have to cut, we have to show this Philadelphia origin story for Nina.” Thankfully, we have to cut much! [Laughs] But it was so important for me to set the table and show young Saxton, that he was always this man about town, this man who got things done by any means necessary, and that there are repercussions to those actions. That is a turning point for her, and it also sets up where his life goes as they collide again. So, it was really important to me to show that, for Nina, this was the moment that forged her, and to go from that locket being first handed to her by her father, who she adores, and then being in these circumstances where she’s being held hostage, and her life is on the line by the man who actually did that to her father and is now about to kill her. It was so important to me to connect those dots with the audience.
‘Duster’s LaToya Morgan Breaks Down Nina’s Harrowing Finale Moments
“This woman is going through it.”
Not even just the kidnapping, but the torture, too, including waterboarding. How important was it to emphasize that Saxton and his crew may not be planning to kill Nina right away, but it really feels like she’s going to be going through it in this episode?
MORGAN: This was Nina at a moment that she could have never planned for at Quantico. She never knew that she was going this deep, this fast, that she was going to literally be fighting for her life. You get to see the way she maneuvers that, even though she’s still trying to use her skill and her training as a negotiator, as a very smart agent, trying to figure out how to get out of it. At the same time, she’s still standing up for herself and standing up for her father, standing up for what she believes in, and she’s calling him out. I love it! It was such a powerhouse scene to see the two of them really go at it, and to finally have all the cards on the table for him to admit, yes, he did it. He killed her father, and he wasn’t sorry about it. So, for her to see that and for them to really be able to bump heads, it was just really special and a really important part of the story.
It doesn’t end there for Nina, too, because she’s left out in the desert, and then Grant is sent to deal with her. She’s handcuffed, trying to escape him, and then, ultimately, Awan comes to her rescue, which feels like such a nice culmination of how their partnership has grown and evolved over this season. Was it always the intention to have Awan come in and deliver the killing blow, as opposed to having Nina save herself?
MORGAN: Well, they take him out together. We put her through the wringer. This woman is going through it. She’s outmatched, she’s outgunned, everything. And still, in that moment, she’s physically fighting for her life. This man is so much bigger than her. He has a weapon, he’s dragging her through the dirt, and still, she’s fighting as best she can. She’s about to go out, and then, of course, Awan comes in and saves the day. It was a moment that we planned for Awan’s arc, as well. He’s been banished from the beginning. He’s the guy who’s never out in the field. He’s kind of scared to be out in the field. He doesn’t know what he would do. But she has also given him the courage to really stand tall in what he does and realize that he’s a good agent, and he can do it, and he shows it in that moment by taking action to save her life. We see just how much they’ve grown individually and how they’ve grown together as partners.
‘Duster’s LaToya Morgan Confirms Whether This Is the End for Ezra Saxton
“This was also part of a larger plan…”
Despite the awful things Saxton confesses to, it is so hard not to feel sadness and grief in the moment when he ultimately takes that shot on Royce’s behalf. As much as we have seen this guy doing some really awful things, at the end of the day, he’s still a father. I was curious about the decision to kill off Saxton — is he dead? Can we confirm at this point that he’s 100% gone?
MORGAN: Listen, it was a very difficult decision to do it. I absolutely adore Keith, and he is incredible, but it was always our plan from the beginning. This was something we discussed with him right before we cast him, and this was also part of a larger plan for most of the multiple seasons of the show. So, it was in the cards, and even then, I was like, “Wait, do we really want to do this?” Because he’s so, so good. But, of course, everybody wants to work with Keith, and his dance card is full. But if we were going to do it, it had to be in a way that felt special, that felt like it was the right arc for his character.
What we see from the beginning is that this man sent Jim to go get a heart for his son. So, that would be the only way that he would die, is laying himself on the line for his blood, for his family. Obviously, it’s a tough and horrible loss to lose such an incredible character, but hopefully it feels earned and not just like some frivolous death. I wanted it to have meaning, especially for all the characters — for Royce, for Jim. Even Nina cries a little bit. As much as she wanted revenge, it still hurts her to see him like that. So, hopefully it’s an emotional moment that stays with the audience in a good way, in a lean-in type of way.
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“I’ve Been Waiting To Have That Moment for 40 Years”: ‘Duster’s Keith David Explains Why Episode 3’s Bar Fight Was a Career First for Him
David also discusses Sax’s morality, his character’s father-figure relationship with Jim, and more.
How early did you and J.J. [Abrams] decide on the twist that Jim’s brother Joey is not actually dead — and that he is, in fact, Xavier, this mysterious figure that’s been haunting most of the season?
MORGAN: In the beginning. I would say in the first six weeks, when we started talking about the idea, we started laying out ideas for multiple seasons. It was really about when we were going to reveal that piece, but it was always a part of what we were thinking about for the story and where we were going to go. This is a fun story because you peel back layers. You’re like, “Wait a minute, I think I have this figured out.” And it’s like, “Do you?” Because there’s more. I’m just excited to hopefully see where it’ll take us, because I just think it’s such an incredible door that is opening for hopefully another season, where you’re like, “Wait. Oh, my god, what else don’t I fully understand about this story?” Hopefully, you’ve been enjoying the ride along the way, and you want to see more.
Izzy’s Devastating Finale Reveal Almost Happened a Lot Sooner in ‘Duster’
“Originally, we were going to reveal it in the pilot…”
At that point, Jim and Nina are both prepared to leave. They both have different priorities. Xavier’s not the only revelation for Jim, though, because there’s also Izzy’s reveal that she has been diagnosed with cancer. When you were thinking about what you wanted to do with his character, how is that going to play into Jim deciding to stick around? Because you have Luna in the picture, as well, and this little girl is going to need to be taken care of.
MORGAN: Yes, indeed. That, also, was from the beginning. It’s so funny, though. Originally, we were going to reveal it in the pilot, and they were like, “No.” We just thought that it had to be more impactful at the end of the season. I feel like it works in that way. So, you do have the overarching feeling of, like, “Yes, Izzy’s fighting for this thing,” but you think it’s just for the collective good, and, of course, her everyday work battle. But there are other stakes that it reveals, and hopefully it’s emotionally resonant for the audience, because I just love the way Camille [Guaty] and Josh, not just their chemistry throughout the season, but the way they play those really vulnerable moments. At least for me, it just gets me. It grabs and tugs on my heartstrings. They’re just so good. Just the amount of dimples on the screen is blinding.
All episodes of Duster are now streaming on HBO Max.
