Let’s be honest: the story didn’t go very far this time out, but it definitely went fast.
Duster Season 1 Episode 4 is less about plot turns and more about grooves, gags, and one hell of a surprise team-up.
The show has fallen into a rhythm: cartoon open, chase scene, scattered exposition, needle drop, action set piece, rinse, repeat. But somehow, it still feels fresh, especially when the characters themselves start to lean into the absurdity.
Jim Ellis and the Blade: Enemies, Allies, and Philosophers?
Jim wakes up with a problem: Mad Raul is sending a reaper to kill him. Enter Ernesto the Blade — a bloodstained assassin with knives in every pocket and a surprising appreciation for Russian sociology.
Their eventual bathroom brawl is pure Duster: chaotic, kinetic, and just cartoonish enough to make you laugh even as Jim is bleeding. But then something weird happens.
They talk. Like really talk. About mobility, purpose, and what it means to be “just the driver” or “just the assassin.”
By the time they’re sharing bourbon in the middle of a fight, it’s clear Duster isn’t just winking at its grindhouse roots — it’s cozying up and asking them how they’re doing.
When Jim trades Howard Hughes’s car for his life, it’s not just a smart move. It’s the most on-brand solution for a guy who outsmarts with style instead of firepower.
Also: Little Richard > Elvis? Ernesto said it. Respect. This little girl, who used to rock out with mom on slippery rugs on her bedroom floor to Little Richard’s vocal gyrations, feels seen.
Royce, Bogart, and the Echoes of Second-Best Sons
Royce’s story is starting to echo Jim’s in unexpected ways. From watching reel-to-reel films and black-and-white classics, it’s clear that Humphrey Bogart is his guiding light.
It’s not just aesthetic — it’s aspirational. In a world dominated by a larger-than-life father, Royce is drawn to a man who played complicated heroes with a cool detachment. That’s a vibe he can live with.
What’s becoming clear is that both Royce and Jim feel like also-rans in the Saxton universe. Royce is the physically weak son who never lived up to Sax’s expectations, and Jim? He was just the driver — never the heir, never the favorite.
That shared sense of being overlooked is what finally allows them to connect. Their ride in Howard Hughes’s car isn’t just flashy — it’s a mutual flex from two men trying to prove they matter.
And yet, for all of Jim’s newfound skepticism, there’s still a part of him that seems to want Saxton’s approval.
When Ernesto brings up the idea of upward mobility, Jim doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t say “I’m out.” He listens. There’s a piece of him that wouldn’t mind being recognized, even as he works to take the whole empire down.
Nina and Awan: Building Something Out of Wreckage
Nina’s investigation is still crawling, but emotionally? She’s right there with the others.
Breen’s death hit hard, the tape was a long shot, and the trek to Navajo Nation was a risk — but she’s still chasing answers.
Like Jim and Royce, Nina is shaped by her father’s legacy, and like Awan, she’s stuck between the person she is and the one she’s expected to be.
That’s the connective tissue between our four leads: they’re all wrestling with father figures, legacies, and what it means to do better — maybe even just to be better.
For a show full of car chases and cartoon fights, Duster is slowly sketching out something far more human underneath the dust cloud.
Izzy and the Union Women? Let’s Go.
Izzy’s subplot is beginning to cook. With Luna playing hostess and the women cracking open beers, the message is clear: Bob Temple’s days as an unchecked union king are numbered.
Add in David’s low-key organizing pep talk, and this could be one of the season’s most grounded and relevant arcs.
Also: Matt Lauria remains suspiciously nice. What’s he up to?
Notes from the Glovebox
- The opening Road Runner cartoon is the perfect metaphor for Jim’s week: he’s Wile E. Coyote, and death is always just off screen with a blade and a bad attitude.
- The Road Runner moment that blends into the animated title credits? Flawless.
- “It’s Just Begun” by The Jimmy Castor Bunch was the most triumphant needle drop of the episode. But the real soundtrack MVP might be “Superfly” during that car ride with Royce. If we’re naming episodes after songs, this one’s a contender.
- The “vacuum boys” in their white button-ups and ridiculous bumper sticker (“vacuums suck”) were the right kind of ridiculous. The ski masks and shotguns sealed it.
- Jim saying “fuck” as he bleeds on the side of the road? Relatable.
Final Thoughts
Episode 4 didn’t exactly move the story forward in leaps — but it didn’t need to. It was stylish, self-aware, and surprisingly character-driven.
The alliance between Jim and Ernesto worked better than it had any right to, and Royce keeps adding a strange, sweet tension to the mix.
As for Nina and Awan, the Breen tape may finally put them on the board. Trust no one, huh? Good thing they’re already working on that.
With four characters tethered to their fathers — by pain, pressure, or purpose — Duster is quietly evolving into something richer than expected.
The stakes may be delivered with slapstick, but the emotional truths are cutting through loud and clear.
But what about you?
Would you have shared a drink with a guy trying to kill you?
Do you think Jim and Ernesto really respect each other — or were they just playing the long game?
And what’s the deal with David? Is he too good to be true?
Tell us what you think below — and if you’re enjoying Duster, spread the word. The more dust we kick up, the longer the Duster rides.
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