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The crime thriller Duster premiered its first episode on May 15, 2025, exclusively on HBO Max in the United States. The series was created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan. Produced by Bad Robot Productions, TinkerToy Productions, and Warner Bros.Television, it is set to consist of eight episodes.
Set in the 1972 Southwest, the story follows the life of a getaway driver, Jim Ellis. He teams up with an FBI agent to bring down a notorious mob boss, Ezra Saxton. After Jim is shown proof by the agent of malice in his brother's car accident, suggesting that Ezra was involved, he decides to work undercover to bring down his crime syndicate.
The character of Nina Hayes, in the crime thriller series Duster, is loosely based on the FBI's first Black female agent, Sylvia Elizabeth Mathis. She was one of the 41 women out of 8,500 employees when she joined the enforcement agency in 1976.
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In an interview with ScreenRant, published on May 16, 2025, LaToya Morgan stated:
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"It was a combination of Sylvia Mathis and the women of the FBI. We talked to several FBI consultants who talked to us about their journeys. One of them specifically was a black woman who worked in the FBI in the late '70s and early '80s. We were really able to get what the authentic story was, and we really tried to infuse Nina's story with that."
Disclaimer: The article further discusses in detail the series' plot, the character Nina Hayes, and the real-life figure it is loosely based on.
In Duster, Nina Hayes is loosely based on the first Black female FBI agent
In Duster, the character of Nina Hayes was loosely inspired by the FBI's first Black female agent, Sylvia Elizabeth Mathis. As per the official website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Sylvia Mathis was born on July 7, 1949, and was raised in both North Carolina and Florida.
After earning her Juris Doctor in 1975 from the University of North Carolina School of Law, she was encouraged by her dean, a former FBI agent, to join the enforcement agency.
On June 2, 1976, then-FBI director Clarence Kelley presented Mathis with her badge and credentials as an FBI special agent after her training was completed. She was later sent to the New York Field Office and assigned to its organized crime squad, where she investigated illegal gambling and extortion cases.
Sylvia left the enforcement agency in 1979 and worked as a lawyer for a few years before settling down with her family in Florida. In 1983, she was tragically killed in a car accident a few years later. Even in her short life, her determination and work as a field agent inspired many women to follow in her footsteps.
What is Nina Hayes investigating in Duster?
In the crime thriller series Duster, the FBI agent Nina Hayes and her partner Awan Bitsui are assigned the case of Ezra Saxton, a mob boss in Phoenix, Arizona. To get to Ezra, Nina turns to his getaway driver, Jim Ellis, after finding evidence against him of transporting a heart for an illegal operation for Ezra's son, Richie.
To turn Jim into an informant, Nina must find evidence proving malice in his brother's accident. Jim has his doubts, but he signs on to prove her wrong about Ezra's involvement in the murder, while she searches for proof that he was. It is also revealed that Nina's father worked for Ezra in Philadelphia before he killed him for wanting out.
Nina starts looking for Agent Breen, who was previously working on the case against Ezra, but all his files disappeared mysteriously, and he was admitted into a mental hospital.
Elsewhere, Jim ends up killing Sunglasses, a hitman whom he had sent to deal with the corrupt cop who saw him meet Nina. The altercation began after he started haggling with Jim for an extra three grand for losing his brother Charlie during the job.
The episode ends with Jim getting rid of Sunglasses' body after having a heart-to-heart with his father, and Nina finds more evidence behind Joe Ellis' murder. The cop, Groomes, survived the hit, and Evelyn is also shown informing a mysterious figure about Nina looking into the case.
Cast and crew members for the crime thriller series
The crime thriller series Duster involves directors Darren Grant and Steph Green, with each directing four episodes. Carmen Cabana is the credited cinematographer, and the music for the series was scored by Laura Karpman.
The cast is led by Josh Holloway, who stars as Jim Ellis, the getaway driver. Rachel Hilson portrays the role of Nina Hayes, the first Black female FBI agent. The cast list also includes Keith David as Ezra Saxton, Asivak Koostachin as Awan Bitsui, Adriana Aluna Martinez as Luna, and Camille Guaty as Izzy.
The next episode of the crime thriller series Duster will be released on May 29, 2025, exclusively on HBO Max in the United States. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the series has received a fresh score of 92% based on over 37 reviews from critics so far.
Stay tuned with us for further updates.
