Duster season 1 episode 3 ending explained: Is Jim starting to believe Saxton had Joey killed? The hunt for truth continues

The unlikely duo of Jim Ellis and Agent Nina Hayes are put through the wringer in Duster season 1 episode 3 as they continue their investigation into Saxton and his possible connection to Joey's death. Jim starts to put things in motion to get to Saxton's innermost circle to know his whereabouts, while Nina pursues other leads.

While Jim doesn't believe Saxton had Joey killed, he's starting to doubt his employer's part in the crime. New leads in the case appear to be connected to Saxton, enough to make Jim suspect that, maybe, Saxton was involved in Joey's murder.

Meanwhile, Agent Nina Hayes continues her investigation of Saxton. In a bid to avoid putting all her eggs on Jim's help, she looks for a different angle to take Saxton down. However, her investigation takes a one-eighty, putting her life on the line.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Duster season 1 episode 3. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Duster season 1 episode 3 ending: Jim starts to suspect Saxton's part in Joey's death

Jim Ellis in Duster season 1 episode 3 (Image via Max)

In Duster season 1 episode 3, Jim and Nina find a lead on Joey's death, and the new evidence threatens to topple Jim's loyalty to Ezra Saxton. In Duster season 1 episode 2, Nina starts to doubt that the explosion that caused Joey's death was because of a propane tank. So, she takes evidence from the burnt car and sends it to forensics.

She finds the answer to what really caused the explosion in Duster season 1 episode 3. It turns out that it wasn't a propane tank but an industrial-grade C-4 explosive. She shares her findings with Jim, hoping that he can help continue the investigation and find something that could connect the explosion to Saxton.

Jim still doesn't think Saxton had Joey killed, but the forensics report proves to him that Joey's death wasn't an accident. Someone had put a hit on him. Jim's father proves to be a helpful ally. Using his Rolodex, he helps Jim track down the one person who can supply a C-4 explosive, a woman named Paris Gilford.

Fast forward to Jim driving Saxton to a business meeting with some Russians. After messing with Saxton's limo, Saxton tells Jim something that makes him believe that Saxton would never kill Joey. Saxton says that Joey was like a son to him and, at one point, he even considered grooming Joey to become his number two. That confession makes Jim think that there's no way Saxton could have done it.

However, on the way home—after some drinks and a bar fight against some racist bikers—Saxton's words stop Jim: Saxton knows Paris Gilford and had met her once in Detroit. Now Jim has a job to do. Pretending to call Billy to tell him that they're on the way home, he instead calls Paris Gilford's number, which he got from his father.

Why is Agent Nina Hayes at the psych ward in Duster season 1 episode 3?

In Duster season 1 episode 3, Agent Nina Hayes and her partner, Awan, track down Agent Leland Breen, despite her boss' warning against it. They go rogue and talk their way into the Kirkbridge Sanitarium. Nina and Awan change into doctor and janitor uniforms, respectively, while looking for Agent Breen.

They track them down, but Breen is agitated and has been lost in the food of his own mind. Nina tries to get answers about Saxton's case, but Breen pushes her and makes a break for it. She later finds him in the kitchen area, where Breen ends up putting a knife to her throat.

Nina tries to talk her way into getting Breen to tell her about the missing case files against Saxton. But the former agent only tells her that his turn is over, it's Nina's time now, and to "follow the numbers." Their interaction ends with Breen throwing a knife at Nina, but thankfully, he misses. Nina is shaken by the entire thing but leaves the sanitarium mostly unharmed.

Why doesn't Leland Breen kill Nina in Duster season 1 episode 3?

During the tense moment between Nina and Leland Breen in Duster season 1 episode 3, it looks like the former agent is going to slash Nina's throat. The scene is teased early in the episode, but at the end of Duster season 1 episode 3, Breen doesn't end up killing Nina because she passes the test.

Agent Breen at the Sanitarium (Image via Max)

The thing is, Breen is a professor. While he has mostly lost his marbles, his mind still works a certain way. While holding a knife against Nina's throat, he asks her a question, a riddle of sorts. He asks her:

"Suppose I had a gun to your head instead of this knife, a six-shooter with one bullet in the cylinder. I pull the trigger, but you know what happens? Gun doesn't fire. It's just a click. So then I give you a choice, should I spin the chamber or not?"

While Nina can't understand the significance of the riddle, she manages to answer it in the end. She would tell Breen to spin the chambers because if there is one bullet in the gun, there's a 1/6 chance that it will fire, and if it doesn't, there's a 1/5 chance. Spinning the chamber means Nina will have better odds. Breen is impressed and takes the knife away from Nina's throat after her pleading.

Duster season 1 episode 3 gives an update on Sergeant Groomes

Duster season 1 episode 1 has left Sergeant Groomes' fate up in the air. He didn't die from the gunshot wounds after the shooting with Sunglasses, but he was also not in good shape when the EMTs arrived. On the way to the hospital, he suffers a collapsed lung, further putting his life on the line.

While his story is left out in episode 2, Duster season 1 episode 3 finally gives an update on the only person who knows about Jim becoming an FBI informant. Jim visits the hospital where Groomes is admitted in episode 3. And while he shouldn't be privy to Groomes' health update because he's not family, he charms the nurse to give him the information.

Sergeant Groomes is in a coma, and according to the nurse, he's been given blood multiple times but is not expected to make it for long. At the moment, Jim's secret is safe with Groomes still in a coma, but it's going to be a waiting game.

Catch Duster season 1 episode 3, and all previous episodes, streaming on Max.

About the author

Kinette covers beauty and home decor as a lifestyle writer at Sportskeeda. With over 7.5 years experience in writing for diverse platforms, including The Coolist, Snap Knot, Leisure Seeker, and KS Content Studio, Kinette is quite the shapeshifter in the content world and prides herself as a generalist. However, she feels that her greatest strength is her repository of personal expertise and experience, which she combines with extensive research and credible sources, to deliver compelling reportage on beauty, lifestyle, and wellness.

Kinette graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering before venturing into the world of home improvement and decor writing, although her love for skincare soon pushed her into the beauty space. Despite covering a wide range of topics in her writing career, Kinette now leans towards categories she has personal or educational experience in, to offer only the most reliable and insightful reading experience to her audience.

Kinette’s favorite artist is Taylor Swift, whose lyricism and ability to create a vivid picture with deft wordplay she admiresa lot. When not writing and reporting on beauty and lifestyle trends, Kinette loves playing with her dogs, drinking coffee in the morning and experimenting with cocktails in the evening, reading romance novels, and learning about new cultures and languages.

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Edited by Kinette Sumadia